Using USB Removable Media

1.  Insert the Device

Insert the device into a USB port. If the device does not fit rotate 180°.

2.  Open the Device in Dolphin

Go to → "Computer". Scroll down if needed to the section "Removable Storage". You will see your device (It will probably have a name like "USB Mass Storage" or "New Volume VFAT" or similar.) It will also probably have an icon that looks like a flash drive or whatever other type of device it is.

Click this entry. This accomplishes two tasks.

1. It "Mounts" the device into the filesystem tree, thereby making it available
2. It opens a file-manager (dolphin) window for the device

Note the underlining of the device in "places" this is a visual indication that the device is mounted. The other is that its icon has a black "plug" overlay, as shown at right.

The device also appears in the breadcrumb, allowing convenient navigation through its folders, if any.

If you do not need to put anything on the device, you are done. Use this window as you would any other file manager window. Skip ahead to "safe removal" when you are done.

3.  Copying/Moving files between device and computer

Go to → "computer" &rarr "home folder". This will open another file manager window showing your home folder. Arrange this window so you can see both the device window and the home folder at the same time.

In the home folder window, navigate to where the files you want to copy/move to the device, or the location you want to copy/move files from the device is/are.

Drag and drop as usual between windows

4.  Safe Removal

When you are done and wish to remove the device, it is very important that you use the safe removal procedure to "unmount" the device from the filesystem tree and make sure that all files are correctly written to the device.

There are three ways you can do it, the easiest is to..

1. Go to the icon in the breadcrumb.
2. Click it
3. Click either of the "Safely Remove [XYZ]" items

After the window goes blank and the underline disappears from the places panel you can safely remove the device.

5.  Troubleshooting

5.1  "Safely Remove Device" Fails

Try This alternate method

1. Close all file manager windows and all programs.
2. Go to → "Computer"
3. Right click the device entry under "removable storage".
4. Click "Safely Remove".

If the black plug icon disappears, you can remove the device. if not, leave the device in place then File a Problem Report.

6.  Device is full

You will have to delete some files if your device is full. Take a look at this:

This device is filling up!

The line under the device in places view fill up like a thermometer to indicate space usage. This will allow you to monitor use.

7.  Using USB Devices as Backup

Hypothetically, you could simply copy all your files from your computer to your device, however this will have two problems.

1. It will fill up the device very quickly
2. Permissions information and other extended UNIX metainformation will not be preserved on the device

Accordingly, it is suggested that you create an TAR/GZ archive an copy that instead.

Categories: Hardware, StepByStep, Pictorial