Home/ Questions/Q 5827
Next
In Process

askthedev.com Latest Questions

Asked: 2024-09-25T07:26:59+05:30 In:

How can I activate support for exFAT file systems on Ubuntu 20.04?

So, I’ve been wrestling with this annoying issue on my Ubuntu 20.04 setup, and I could really use some help getting back on track. You see, I recently tried to connect this external hard drive I have that’s formatted with exFAT, thinking it would be a simple plug-and-play situation. But lo and behold, I get these “file system not recognized” messages, and it’s driving me up the wall.

At first, I thought maybe it was the drive itself, but it works perfectly fine on my friend’s Windows laptop. So I figured I’d try to do a little digging and see if I could get some exFAT support on my Ubuntu machine. I did a bit of research online, and it looks like exFAT isn’t natively supported in older versions of Ubuntu, but since I’m on 20.04, I’m hoping it’s just a matter of installing a few packages or tweaking a setting.

I’ve read some snippets about installing ‘exfat-fuse’ and ‘exfat-utils’, but I’m not really a command-line wizard, so I’m hesitant to just dive in without knowing exactly what I’m doing. I mean, what if I accidentally mess something up? So, I’m wondering if anyone here has been in the same boat as me, trying to get exFAT working on Ubuntu 20.04.

If you can spare a moment, could you walk me through the steps? I’d love a more detailed explanation of what I need to do. Do I just open up the terminal and run some commands? Are there any risks involved I should be aware of, or things I should check before proceeding? And once I’m done installing these packages, will it be smooth sailing, or is there more I need to do to get my drive working?

I really appreciate any guidance you can offer because this is turning into a bit of a headache. Thanks a ton!

Share

    Leave an answer

    You must login to add an answer.

    Need An Account,

    2 Answers

    1. Getting exFAT Support on Ubuntu 20.04

      It sounds frustrating, but don’t worry! Getting your exFAT drive to work on Ubuntu 20.04 is actually pretty straightforward. You just need to install a couple of packages, and I’ll guide you through it step by step.

      Step 1: Open the Terminal

      First, you need to open the terminal. You can do this by hitting Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard. This will bring up a window where you can type commands.

      Step 2: Update Your Package List

      Before installing any new packages, it’s a good idea to update your package list. Type the following command and then hit Enter:

      sudo apt update

      It might ask for your password (that’s the one you use to log into your computer). As you type it, you won’t see any characters appear—this is normal! Just hit Enter when you’re done typing.

      Step 3: Install the Necessary Packages

      Now, you can install the packages for exFAT support. Type the following command and hit Enter:

      sudo apt install exfat-fuse exfat-utils

      This command will install both exfat-fuse and exfat-utils. It will take a little bit of time, and you might see things scrolling by on the screen as it installs.

      Step 4: Plug in Your External Hard Drive

      Once the installation is complete, plug in your external hard drive again. It should automatically be recognized by your system now. If it doesn’t pop up right away, you can check in the file manager.

      Step 5: (Optional) Unmounting the Drive

      If you ever need to safely remove your drive, just right-click on its icon in the file manager and select Unmount before physically disconnecting it.

      Risks?

      As for risks, there’s really not much to worry about here. Just make sure to follow the steps carefully. If you mess something up, you can always reinstall those packages again. Just type the install command again.

      Final Thoughts

      Once you have these packages installed, you should be good to go! Hope this helps you get your drive working. If you have any issues, feel free to ask for more help!


    2. To get exFAT support on your Ubuntu 20.04 setup, you will need to install a couple of packages called `exfat-fuse` and `exfat-utils`. These packages provide the necessary drivers for mounting and managing exFAT file systems. You can easily install them using the terminal. Open the terminal and run the following commands one by one: sudo apt update to refresh your package list, followed by sudo apt install exfat-fuse exfat-utils to install the required packages. Once the installation is complete, you should be able to connect your external hard drive without any issues. If the drive was not detected automatically, you might need to unplug it and plug it back in or manually mount it using the command sudo mount -t exfat /dev/sdX1 /mnt, replacing /dev/sdX1 with your drive’s identifier (you can find this using the `lsblk` command).

      As for the risks, installing these packages is generally safe and should not cause any problems for your system. However, ensure that your external hard drive is not in use (i.e., not being accessed by any process) before performing installations or disconnections. After completing the installation, it is usually smooth sailing for accessing your exFAT drive, but if you encounter further issues, try running dmesg in the terminal to view system messages which can provide clues about any errors. Additionally, if you’re still experiencing difficulties after these steps, review your system updates and ensure there are no outstanding upgrades that could potentially enhance compatibility.


    Related Questions