Invisible files copied to USB drive from different computer

  • Thread starter Thread starter gmoritz
  • Start date Start date
G

gmoritz

I originally started this thread and got hung up at work and
forgot to check until after it expired - reopening
Has the administrator blocked access to removeable devices?
Click to expand...
Why don't you ask the comptuer admin, seems a long way
around to ask in a news group.
Click to expand...

I wasn't clear about this: I can access and read/write
any USB drive using my work computer. I can see all
the files that I have backed up.

However, when I want to transfer a file from the work
computer to the home computer, I cannot see the file.

To make it wierder, it only happens on 'real' drives
with platters and heads, and not on 'flash' drives.

When I look on the home computer, the drive is empty.
When I take it back to the work computer, I can see
everything.
 
I wasn't clear about this: I can access and read/write
any USB drive using my work computer. I can see all
the files that I have backed up.

However, when I want to transfer a file from the work
computer to the home computer, I cannot see the file.

To make it wierder, it only happens on 'real' drives
with platters and heads, and not on 'flash' drives.

When I look on the home computer, the drive is empty.
When I take it back to the work computer, I can see
everything.
Click to expand...

Pen drives are small and by default formatted with the
classic FAT file system. Under XP USB hard drives larger
than 32GB are formatted with the new NTFS file system.

NTFS supports access control while the old FAT doesn't.
Furthermore the old Windows versions like Windows 95, 98
and ME cannot access NTFS formatted drives at all.

So I think, access rights or that your home computer has
Windows 9x/ME causes your problem.


Greetings from Germany

Uwe
 
Thanks for the info on the FAT vs NTFS systems.

I have a double post above because the google interface
insisted that I / it lost the original post. Sorry
about that.

I'm using XP Pro, so it isn't 9x/ME giving me the problem.

(1) I can read/write from the home Win XP Pro system.

(2) I can read/write from the work Win XP Pro system.

(3) I can write from the home/read from the work system

(4) I [can't] write from the work/read from the home system.

You mentioned "access rights" to the files originally
placed by the work computer on the drive.

I tried setting the files and directories to "share" with
the world, but it didn't help. Do you mean some
access right set by the work computer that writes
the files or a right to the disk itself granted by the
reading computer?
 
Thanks for the info on the FAT vs NTFS systems.

I have a double post above because the google interface
insisted that I / it lost the original post. Sorry
about that.

I'm using XP Pro, so it isn't 9x/ME giving me the problem.

(1) I can read/write from the home Win XP Pro system.

(2) I can read/write from the work Win XP Pro system.

(3) I can write from the home/read from the work system

(4) I [can't] write from the work/read from the home system.

You mentioned "access rights" to the files originally
placed by the work computer on the drive.
Click to expand...



No more ideas... Missing access right would prevent to
enter a folder but would not make it invisible.

I would try to copy all data from the USB drive, reformat
it and copy the data back. If it doesn't help, format it
with FAT32. You need an Win98/ME or an external tool for
formatting drives >32GB with FAT32 but XP has no problems
read and write to large FAT32 drives.
ftp://ftp.heise.de/pub/ct/ctsi/h2format.zip


Greetings from Germany

Uwe
 
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