how to use (mount) exFat external usb hdd

[LinnitXa]

I have a new 2tb external usb drive formatted in exFat - to use for backing up folders.

It wouldn't mount on MX. I mounted it on a Win7 pc and the re-format options were exfat or NCTF. I tried the latter in case that would mount on MX, but the formatting would not finish, so I formatted it back to exFat.

I see online some mention of Fuse, but I thought it better to ask here first.

MX23 AHD Sysvinit.

[Eadwine Rose]

With all help requests, as per forum rules (which, if you haven't, please read), please share your full Quick System Info, do not edit.
If need be, you can do this using the LiveUSB, thanks.

[artytux]

What I would do is plug in 2Tb ext drive don't mount the 2Tb drive Go straight into (No QSI) so I'm guessing you open in Gparted or Kde partition manager and take it from there reformatting the 2Tb drive
Give that a try.
Hope it helps

[Kermit the Frog]

... I see online some mention of Fuse ...

exFAT is being supported since kernel 5.4 , no need to exfat-fuse which was being used till 5.4.

(Also exfatprogs is installed ootb. Shortly it needs to be plug & play ).

[LinnitXa]

When I simply plug the ext drive into usb outlet the drive led flickers and there's a clicking sound, but doesn't mount.

And correction - it is SystemD.

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Snapshot created on: 20241005_1744
System:
  Kernel: 6.5.0-1mx-ahs-amd64 [6.5.3-1~mx23ahs] arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 12.2.0
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-6.5.0-1mx-ahs-amd64 root=UUID=<filter> ro quiet splash
    init=/lib/systemd/systemd
  Desktop: Xfce v: 4.18.1 tk: Gtk v: 3.24.36 info: xfce4-panel wm: xfwm v: 4.18.0 dm: LightDM
    v: 1.26.0 Distro: MX-23.4_ahs_x64 Libretto October 15  2023 base: Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)
Machine:
  Type: Desktop System: Nitrokey product: NitroPC v: 1.0 serial: <superuser required> Chassis:
    type: 3 serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: Nitrokey model: NitroPC v: 1.0 serial: <superuser required> UEFI: coreboot v: 4.13-dirty
    date: 11/20/2020
CPU:
  Info: model: Intel Core i7-10510U bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Comet/Whiskey Lake note: check
    gen: core 10 level: v3 note: check built: 2018 process: Intel 14nm family: 6 model-id: 0x8E (142)
    stepping: 0xC (12) microcode: 0xFC
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 4 tpc: 2 threads: 8 smt: enabled cache: L1: 256 KiB
    desc: d-4x32 KiB; i-4x32 KiB L2: 1024 KiB desc: 4x256 KiB L3: 8 MiB desc: 1x8 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 749 high: 800 min/max: 400/4900 scaling: driver: intel_pstate
    governor: powersave cores: 1: 800 2: 800 3: 800 4: 800 5: 400 6: 800 7: 800 8: 799
    bogomips: 36799
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: gather_data_sampling mitigation: Microcode
  Type: itlb_multihit status: KVM: VMX disabled
  Type: l1tf status: Not affected
  Type: mds status: Not affected
  Type: meltdown status: Not affected
  Type: mmio_stale_data mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable
  Type: retbleed mitigation: Enhanced IBRS
  Type: spec_rstack_overflow status: Not affected
  Type: spec_store_bypass mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via prctl
  Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer sanitization
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Enhanced / Automatic IBRS, IBPB: conditional, RSB filling,
    PBRSB-eIBRS: SW sequence
  Type: srbds mitigation: Microcode
  Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel CometLake-U GT2 [UHD Graphics] driver: i915 v: kernel arch: Gen-9.5
    process: Intel 14nm built: 2016-20 ports: active: DP-2 empty: DP-1, DP-3, HDMI-A-1, HDMI-A-2
    bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:9b41 class-ID: 0300
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.7 compositor: xfwm v: 4.18.0 driver: X:
    loaded: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa dri: iris gpu: i915 display-ID: :0.0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1080 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 508x285mm (20.00x11.22") s-diag: 582mm (22.93")
  Monitor-1: DP-2 model: ASUS VP229HE serial: <filter> built: 2022 res: 1920x1080 hz: 60 dpi: 102
    gamma: 1.2 size: 476x268mm (18.74x10.55") diag: 546mm (21.5") ratio: 16:9 modes: max: 1920x1080
    min: 720x400
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 Mesa 24.2.2-1~mx23ahs renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics (CML GT2)
    direct-render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Comet Lake PCH-LP cAVS driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel
    alternate: snd_sof_pci_intel_cnl bus-ID: 00:1f.3 chip-ID: 8086:02c8 class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.5.0-1mx-ahs-amd64 status: kernel-api tools: alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 1.0.0 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse status: active
    2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin 4: pw-jack type: plugin
    tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Network:
  Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet driver: r8169 v: kernel pcie:
    gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 port: 2000 bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:8168 class-ID: 0200
  IF: eth0 state: down mac: <filter>
  IF-ID-1: usb0 state: up speed: 425 Mbps duplex: half mac: <filter>
  IF-ID-2: wg0-mullvad state: unknown speed: N/A duplex: N/A mac: N/A
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 1.13 TiB used: 425.01 GiB (36.8%)
  SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 maj-min: 259:0 vendor: Kingston model: SNV2S1000G size: 931.51 GiB
    block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 63.2 Gb/s lanes: 4 type: SSD serial: <filter>
    rev: SBM02103 temp: 55.9 C scheme: GPT
  ID-2: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: Intenso model: SSD size: 223.57 GiB block-size:
    physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s type: SSD serial: <filter> rev: 8B0 scheme: GPT
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 930.25 GiB size: 914.57 GiB (98.31%) used: 424.9 GiB (46.5%) fs: ext4
    dev: /dev/dm-0 maj-min: 253:0 mapped: luks-<filter>
  ID-2: /boot raw-size: 1024 MiB size: 973.4 MiB (95.06%) used: 109.9 MiB (11.3%) fs: ext4
    dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2 maj-min: 259:2
  ID-3: /boot/efi raw-size: 256 MiB size: 252 MiB (98.46%) used: 274 KiB (0.1%) fs: vfat
    dev: /dev/nvme0n1p1 maj-min: 259:1
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 15 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default)
  ID-1: swap-1 type: file size: 6 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) priority: -2 file: /swap/swap
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 72.0 C pch: 65.0 C mobo: N/A
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Repos:
  Packages: pm: dpkg pkgs: 2259 libs: 1111 tools: apt,apt-get,aptitude,nala,synaptic pm: rpm
    pkgs: 0 pm: flatpak pkgs: 0
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-browser-release.list
    1: deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/brave-browser-archive-keyring.gpg] https://brave-browser-apt-release.s3.brave.com/ stable main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian-stable-updates.list
    1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-updates main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list
    1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
    2: deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security bookworm-security main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mullvad.list
    1: deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/mullvad-keyring.asc arch=amd64] https://repository.mullvad.net/deb/stable bookworm main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mx.list
    1: deb https://mx-linux.ethz.ch/mx-packages/mx/repo/ bookworm main non-free
    2: deb https://mx-linux.ethz.ch/mx-packages/mx/repo/ bookworm ahs
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/signal-xenial-added-by-mxpi.list
    1: deb [arch=amd64] https://updates.signal.org/desktop/apt xenial main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/softmaker.list
    1: deb http://shop.softmaker.com/repo/apt stable non-free
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vivaldi.list
    1: deb [arch=amd64] https://repo.vivaldi.com/stable/deb/ stable main
Info:
  Processes: 317 Uptime: 5d 22h 2m wakeups: 6 Memory: 31.22 GiB used: 8.23 GiB (26.4%)
  Init: systemd v: 252 target: graphical (5) default: graphical tool: systemctl Compilers:
  gcc: 12.2.0 alt: 12 Client: shell wrapper v: 5.2.15-release inxi: 3.3.26
Boot Mode: UEFI

[LinnitXa]

I opened Gparted, re-freshed drives, no sign of the exFat drive. I did click the drop-down rh corner too.

[Kermit the Frog]

Then.. it may be something other than format type (usb device is not being detected for some reason).

[LinnitXa]

Then.. it may be something other than format type (usb device is not being detected for some reason).

and bearing in mind that usb drive opened fine on Win7.

[Kermit the Frog]

Yep. I mean, it doesn't necessarily mean a hardware problem.

Also, normally the disk could be even completely blank (unallocated / no partitions etc.). Even in that case it should see the device (to let you create partitions, no matter ext4, ntfs, exfat ..)

I wish we knew the chip no.

In the meantime, on Windows (as you might already know) you can use 3rd party software like EaseUS etc...:

Supported File Systems

NTFS、EXT2/3/4、FAT12/16/32、ReFS、exFAT

[xaol]

you could try unplugging the drive, running

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sudo dmesg -W

then plugging it back in to see if that gives you any more helpful or diagnostic info.