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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Problem - Transferring Files From Pc to Mac Using Usb Flash Drive.
Anakin Skywalker - Jun 8, 2005 - 7:54 pm
Please help me out with this one. For the last few times, I have been able to transfer COMMON FORMAT files (jpg, mpg, etc.) from my PC (WinXP) to my Mac (OS X) using a USB Flash Drive successfully. But now all of a sudden, inserting the Flash Drive into my Mac causes a dialogue box to pop up saying something similar to: This device is not something Mac OS X recognizes. (I apologize I could not recall it word for word). No drive icon will show up. OS X gives me the option of Formatting the drive (which I cannot do for the obvious reason that it will delete the files), Ignoring it, or Ejecting. What's going on? Two things I do remember that might have caused this problem:
1) Those last few times, files were put into a folder (in Windows) before that entire folder was uploaded onto the Flash Drive and then downloaded onto the Mac. This particular time, I did not create a folder. I just dragged all the files directly into the Flash Drive. Must I create folders in Windows in order for this process to work?
2) I did delete some Mac system files as soon as I plugged the Flash Drive into the Windows machine. I thought they were just gunks that didn't mean anything to the PC (Doing this exact same thing has never caused any problems with floppy diskette transfers, and I think I have done this too the previous times using the Flash Drive). I did this before I uploaded the files to be taken over to the Mac.
Any help is appreciated. Thanks so much!
1) Those last few times, files were put into a folder (in Windows) before that entire folder was uploaded onto the Flash Drive and then downloaded onto the Mac. This particular time, I did not create a folder. I just dragged all the files directly into the Flash Drive. Must I create folders in Windows in order for this process to work?
2) I did delete some Mac system files as soon as I plugged the Flash Drive into the Windows machine. I thought they were just gunks that didn't mean anything to the PC (Doing this exact same thing has never caused any problems with floppy diskette transfers, and I think I have done this too the previous times using the Flash Drive). I did this before I uploaded the files to be taken over to the Mac.
Any help is appreciated. Thanks so much!
baldprof - Jun 8, 2005 - 9:40 pm
Sometimes usb flash drives are "flakey". I have had a similar sort of problem moving files between a PC and a Mac, in both directions.
Assuming you are using the usb port on your Mac's keyboard, try plugging it into one of the other usb ports, or into a powered usb hub. If that doesn't work, restart your Mac and try it again.
Sometimes I have gotten weird error messages by simply not plugging the usb drive into the port "cleanly" and firmly. This is especially true for the usb port on the keyboard. Then the port is deactivated. Sigh.
As long as you have the files on one of your machines, and you just can't get the drive to work on your Mac, then reformat it, but use your PC to do it. Then locate your files. Do a select all, then copy, then paste them to the usb drive. Then your Mac should read them.
Don't feel bad. Sometimes at the school where I teach, the students have trouble getting their drives to be recognized on the front ports on some of the Dells. Then they have to plug them into one of the rear ports. No one, not even Dell, seems to know why.
I used to make sure that I backed up my usb drive on a regular basis, then reformatted and reinstalled the files. I switched to another brand, and had fwer problems, but there were still problems. I also did a permissions repair on the usb drives regularly and that seemed to help.
Then I bought a shuffle, and use it as a usb drive. This was more expensive, but it has always worked.
Assuming you are using the usb port on your Mac's keyboard, try plugging it into one of the other usb ports, or into a powered usb hub. If that doesn't work, restart your Mac and try it again.
Sometimes I have gotten weird error messages by simply not plugging the usb drive into the port "cleanly" and firmly. This is especially true for the usb port on the keyboard. Then the port is deactivated. Sigh.
As long as you have the files on one of your machines, and you just can't get the drive to work on your Mac, then reformat it, but use your PC to do it. Then locate your files. Do a select all, then copy, then paste them to the usb drive. Then your Mac should read them.
Don't feel bad. Sometimes at the school where I teach, the students have trouble getting their drives to be recognized on the front ports on some of the Dells. Then they have to plug them into one of the rear ports. No one, not even Dell, seems to know why.
I used to make sure that I backed up my usb drive on a regular basis, then reformatted and reinstalled the files. I switched to another brand, and had fwer problems, but there were still problems. I also did a permissions repair on the usb drives regularly and that seemed to help.
Then I bought a shuffle, and use it as a usb drive. This was more expensive, but it has always worked.
baldprof - Jun 9, 2005 - 6:39 am
Thanks for the tip. I hadn't thought of doing that.
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