Hello, I made a USB Drive partition for NTFS on windows 11 to transfer files to my Zorin Partition. When I booted to Zorin I saw the partition said "Free Space" as if I never made a partition. I tried formatting it on FAT32 and the same thing happened. I wanna know what can I do? If it helps, I formatted the drive right after being used by Balena Etcher.
I agree that FAT is the file system you want to use.
NTFS is for Windows OS use. While Zorin OS can usually read it with the ntfs-3g package installed, it is better to stick to externals like USB sticks as being a Universal file system like FAT.
You want to format it to exFAT rather than FAT32, due to exFAT having management for larger sizes.
Yes, Balena Etcher has a long standing reputation...
You can use Gparted on Zorin OS or if on Windows OS, use the Partition Manager to format the USB stick clean.
I recommend a complete blanking of the drive, then formatting it.
This is surprising to me. I knew I had problems with it when I migrated to Linux last year, but until Nobara switched their recommendation in install instructions from Balena to Ventoy with Nobara 42, I hadn't actually heard anyone else complain. IIRC, Balena's Linux version always just crashed on me, and its Windows version was worse in every way but simplicity than Rufus or Ventoy.
It is a Hot Topic...
Belana Etcher has a much higher incidence record than other etchers, which the Balena developers categorically and vehemently deny.
In terms of formatting I remember being surprised that you can't use FAT in Windows 7. Using GParted from live .iso (Try Zorin), or reinstall GParted to format the USB drive, as Zorin removes this during installation after you have used it for manual partitioning.
Could You post a Screenshot of the Partitions on the USB Stick?
FAT32, specifically. And you can. Microsoft bungled it, but most people can use it without trouble in Windows OS 7. It just has a higher failure incidence, again, due to the size allocation.
But this, too, is why I suggested using exFAT.
Gotcha. Will do!
Okay, because You have used BalenaEtcher, it should theoretically be that You see when the Stick is plugged in 2 Drives: One with the Etcher written Part and this empty Part what You have circled. Do You have that in Zorin and Windows? At least in Windows, You should have that Behavior. I know that from my own Experience with Etcher in the Past.
The Problem with the Etcher Part is that it is protected. You can't simply delete it when You no longer need it. On Your first Picture I see that Disks doesn't seem to detect that splitted Partitions.
In my specific case, the only usb drive that died to me did so while being formatted with Balena Etcher. The drive wasn't old
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Good to know. I'll move Balena Etcher from "lame, barely works if it works at all" to "avoid and tell others to avoid."
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I see the Problem with Etcher that it creates a Partition and make it protected. That is a bit annoying to restore it. When You take Rufus, there the Stick is free and You can change and delete the Stuff free.
If i try using rufus on this USB drive do you think the write protection will be lifted?
BTW this is my only 32gb USB drive and it's been in this house for almost 10 years. I really hope I can get this thing working (on anything other than windows) again
No, in Zorin the partition is empty, as if I haven't formatted it. On windows, all my files are on a healthy FAT32 partition on the stick.
That you would have to try. It could be because Rufus formats the Drive. But You can do it with diskpart in Windows manually. It is a Command Line Tool but that works.