Unable to access a new USB stick

Question

I have Ubuntu 18.04.2 LTS on my laptop. Got a new USB Stick (Samsung) for storing extra files and I am unable to access it.

When I insert it, the folder shows up but when I click on it, it says:

Unable to access Samsung USB 
- Error mounting ... Samsung USB: Unknown file system Type 'Exfat'

What do I need to do to be able to access it? Please give advice that an absolute IT beginner can handle :)

Solution

The USB drive was pre-formatted with the exFAT file system. You have two options: You can either format the disk to use a different file system, or you can install the packages that Ubuntu needs to read and write to the exFAT file system.

To format the disk:

• Open the "Disks" utility (gnome-disk-utility)

• Select your USB device.

• In the top right corner, open the options menu and select Format Disk...

  (Choose a quick format for speed and MBR for compatibility.)

• Now that the disk is formatted, select "create a partition in allocated space" below the map under "Volumes".

• Set the partition size to max.

• Name the volume and select a file system. Note the compatibility descriptions with each choice. FAT/FAT16/FAT32 have the most compatibility and will work on Linux, Mac, & Windows.

To add exFAT capability to your system:

• Open a terminal

  sudo apt update
  sudo apt install exfat-fuse exfat-utils
  

• reboot your system

Comments

[Federico Poloni]

Also note that FAT32 has some limitations, most notably it cannot deal with files of size larger than 4GB. If you have the option, Exfat is the most convenient choice.

[Xan]

If only Linux/Windows cross-compatibility is needed, NTFS is a valid choice. macOS can read NTFS and with some tinkering can also write to it. As demonstarted, exFAT needs (admin-level) tinkering on a Linux system to be accessed, so "most convenient choice" is debatable.

[Federico Poloni]

@Xan Doesn't Exfat work out-of-the-box on Ubuntu if you run the two commands in this answer?

[Xan]

If you run the two above commands, it changes the system configuration. It requires admin access and is by definition not "out-of-the-box" - though arguably, it's not hard to do.

[Admin]

@Xan There was a time the same was need for NTFS support. I agree with this answer, installing the 2 small packages needed for exFAT support is easy to do, you have to do it only once, and is IMO the best option.

[Xan]

There's always a scenario when it is not the best option; specifically, "not your Linux machine". I don't disagree with this answer, it's just an important point to keep in mind. There's no one "optimal" solution.