Re: Can't access USB thumbdrives

On Sat, 2026-06-06 at 16:53 -0400, Robert Heller wrote:
> At Sat, 06 Jun 2026 21:43:13 +0100 Chris Ramsden
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
> > 
> > At Sat, 06 Jun 2026 20:38:36 +0100 Chris Ramsden
> > <[email protected]> wrote:
> > > 
> > > > 
> > > > Asus Zenbook
> > > > Debian 13 Trixie
> > > > Mate DE
> > > > 
> > > > I have just noticed that this computer has stopped recognising
> > > > USB
> > > > thumbdrives.
> > > > 
> > > > They are listed in lsusb, but do not appear in my file browser
> > > > (caja),
> > > > nor in df.
> > > > 
> > > > The same machine sees the same USB thumbdrives when booted into
> > > > windows, so it appears not to be faulty hardware.
> > > > 
> > > > I can't say when this started happening; I haven't plugged in
> > > > any
> > > > USB
> > > > thumbdrives for a few weeks.
> > > > 
> > > > Despite all this the machine boots from an external USB-
> > > > connected
> > > > SSD.
> > > > It's using wired ethernet via a Startech multi function USB
> > > > hub, so
> > > > it's obvious that the USB is largely working. I have tried
> > > > connecting
> > > > the thumbdrives directly into the computer's USB ports (i.e.
> > > > not
> > > > via
> > > > external USB hubs) and no change.
> > > > 
> > > > Any suggestions? Any other info required?
> > > > 
> > > > Chris
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > On Sat, 2026-06-06 at 16:32 -0400, Robert Heller wrote:
> > > Do you have a disk mounter thingy in your panel? Can you mount
> > > them
> > > that way?
> > > 
> > > It *sounds* like your system has stopped *auto* mounting the
> > > thumbdrives.
> > > 
> > > One other possibility: the thumbdrives are not FAT32, but are
> > > exFat
> > > or NTFS
> > > and you don't have the FS infrasture needed installed (or
> > > something
> > > like
> > > that). Are these *large* thumbdrives (>= 64Gig)?
> > 
> > I have tried with both large (256 GB) and small (4 GB). The small
> > drive
> > is definitely FAT32. Both have worked in this computer in the past.
> > 
> > I have also just found it treats a USB CD/DVD drive in the same
> > way;
> > appears in lsusb but not in df or in the file browser.This is
> > really
> > annoying because the reason for plugging in the thumbdrive was to
> > burn
> > a CD. 
> > 
> > This DE doesn't appear to have a disk mounter.
> 
> You probably don't have it in you panel -- it might not be a default
> applet, 
> but if you have mate-applets installed, it is available -- right
> click on the 
> panel and select "add to panel", and you should get a list of applets
> to add 
> and the disk mounter should be in that list.
> 
> (There are all sorts of reasons *not* to automount disks.)
> 
> > 
> > Chris.
> > 
> > 
> > 
mate-applets was already installed. 

Yes, it appears as "Disk Mounter", but this shows only the devices I
can already see; an SD card and the various partitions on the internal
and external SSDs. 

Chris.