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Asked: 2024-09-27T17:47:31+05:30 In:

What could be causing files to vanish from my NTFS drive when using Ubuntu?

I’ve recently been facing a really frustrating issue with my NTFS drive while using Ubuntu, and I could really use some insights from fellow users who might have encountered the same situation. So, here’s the deal: I have this external NTFS hard drive that I’ve been using without any problems on my Windows machine. I decided to connect it to my Ubuntu system for some file transfers and organizational stuff, but shortly after I started, I noticed some files just seemed to vanish into thin air.

At first, I thought I accidentally deleted them or something, but I went through the trash and couldn’t find anything. I even used a file recovery tool, but the files are nowhere to be seen. It’s almost like they were abducted by aliens! I can’t shake the feeling that there might be something specific about how Ubuntu interacts with NTFS that could be causing this weird behavior.

Has anyone else experienced this? I haven’t made any alterations to the drive’s structure or permissions, but I noticed that when I unmounted the drive from Ubuntu and then plugged it back into my Windows machine, the file structure looked different than I remembered. Some folders were empty, and other files were missing entirely. It’s so bizarre because I didn’t even get any error messages while I was transferring files or anything of the sort.

I’ve been trying to figure out what might be causing this. Is it possible that the way Ubuntu reads and writes to NTFS is leading to this issue? Maybe there’s a problem with the NTFS driver on Ubuntu? Or could it be something as simple as a compatibility glitch between the two operating systems? I’d really appreciate it if anyone could share their thoughts or experiences regarding this. It would be super helpful to know if there’s a way to prevent this from happening in the future or if there are any workarounds to keep my files safe. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer!

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    2 Answers

    1. The issue you’re experiencing with your NTFS drive on Ubuntu could stem from various factors related to how Ubuntu handles NTFS file systems. Firstly, it’s essential to ensure that the NTFS driver used by Ubuntu (usually provided by the ntfs-3g package) is functioning correctly, as it may weigh heavily on read and write permissions. If there are permissions or integrity issues with the NTFS drive, files might not register correctly upon writing. It’s worth checking the logs for any suspicious messages when you mount the drive, using commands like dmesg or journalctl, which might indicate underlying problems. Additionally, always safely unmount the drive using umount to ensure that all file buffers are flushed before physically disconnecting the drive, as improper disconnections can lead to data loss.

      This situation can also be exacerbated by differences in how file naming conventions and permissions are handled between Windows and Ubuntu. In some cases, hidden files or system files might not be visible in Ubuntu, causing the perception of missing data. You can try showing hidden files in Ubuntu (using Ctrl + H in the file manager) or use the terminal to list all files using ls -la. It is advisable to perform file transfers primarily from Windows when dealing with NTFS drives, as this guarantees better compatibility. For ongoing use, consider formatting the drive in a file system that provides better interoperability, like exFAT, if you’re frequently switching between Ubuntu and Windows, as it provides a more seamless experience without the risk of permissions or storage inconsistency issues.

    2. Wow, that sounds really frustrating! I can totally understand how you feel with files disappearing like that. I’ve had a few issues with NTFS drives on Ubuntu, too. It can be a bit tricky sometimes.

      First off, sometimes the NTFS driver (called ntfs-3g) on Linux doesn’t play nice, especially with how it handles file permissions and such. Even though you didn’t get any error messages, it’s possible that some writes didn’t go through properly. It’s like Ubuntu thinks everything’s fine, but behind the scenes, things got jumbled up!

      One thing that helped me in the past was to make sure the drive is properly unmounted before disconnecting it. You probably already did that, but just in case, it’s worth double-checking! Also, don’t forget to always eject the drive safely through the GUI or terminal with umount command.

      I’ve also noticed that sometimes, when connecting back to Windows, the file system can look weird, and rights can become messed up. One thing to keep an eye on is whether the drive gets corrupted on Ubuntu. You could run chkdsk on Windows to check for any issues after you’ve used it on Ubuntu.

      As for avoiding this in the future, probably the best route is to avoid making too many changes to the drive while it’s connected to Ubuntu. Stick to just transferring files and avoid modifying anything in the structure. And if you can, try using EXT4 or another format that plays nicer with Linux, but I know that’s a hassle if you’re using the same drive on Windows, too.

      Hope you get your files sorted out and find a way to keep them safe next time!

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