# Problems with USB storage stick **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 17, 2006, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-with-usb-storage-stick/344974 "2006-02-17T18:10:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-with-usb-storage-stick/344974/1 "2006-02-17T18:10:14Z")
I recently bought an Apple laptop. I’ve been shuttling files back and forth between it and and my XP desktop. I’ve deleted some things off it using the Apple, but when I stick it back in the XP, the file is no longer there, but the memory isn’t freed up. The Stick is 256mb and only has about 20 megs of files on it, but XP says it’s full. Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-with-usb-storage-stick/344974/2 "2006-02-17T18:16:04Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > I recently bought an Apple laptop. I’ve been shuttling files back and forth between it and and my XP desktop. I’ve deleted some things off it using the Apple, but when I stick it back in the XP, the file is no longer there, but the memory isn’t freed up. The Stick is 256mb and only has about 20 megs of files on it, but XP says it’s full. Plus the drive into your XP machine, and look for hidden files on the stick- most likely a “.Trash” file. When you drag something to the trash on a Mac, it stays in the trash (specifically a trash file on whatever volume the file originally existed). Windows does this for internal drives, but not for removables- one of the many idiosyncrocies of Windows that drives me batshit. If it shows up in the hidden trash file on XP, delete it, and make sure “Empty Trash” on the Mac prior to removing it. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-with-usb-storage-stick/344974/3 "2006-02-17T18:17:54Z")
If that dosen’t work, copy what’s left on it into a folder (copy single files, don’t do a large copy in case you get the crud you don’t want) and then reformat it (FAT32.) ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-with-usb-storage-stick/344974/4 "2006-02-17T18:18:30Z")
Have you tried reformatting it? ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-with-usb-storage-stick/344974/5 "2006-02-17T18:19:59Z")
Damn you people and your ninja answering skills/response times. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-with-usb-storage-stick/344974/6 "2006-02-17T18:30:41Z")
Well said **Slortar**. Man you guys are fast. I’m on a windows 2000 machine here at work, and I have my laptop with me. Can I try now or do I need to do this on an XP machine? ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-with-usb-storage-stick/344974/7 "2006-02-17T18:54:02Z")
So I’ve found the .trash file, and it’s the one taking up the space. When I try and delete it in Windows 2000 I get “Cannot delete file: Cannot read from the source file or disk.” ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-with-usb-storage-stick/344974/8 "2006-02-17T19:13:36Z")
Don’t delete the .trash in Windows. Empty it from MacOS. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-with-usb-storage-stick/344974/9 "2006-02-17T19:24:49Z")
> [@Terminus Est](#): > > Don’t delete the .trash in Windows. Empty it from MacOS. This may sound pretty stupid, but how do I do that? Unhide the files and drag the .trash to the trash? ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-with-usb-storage-stick/344974/10 "2006-02-17T19:28:24Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > This may sound pretty stupid, but how do I do that? > > Unhide the files and drag the .trash to the trash? No, insert the stick into your Mac, and Empty the Trash. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-with-usb-storage-stick/344974/11 "2006-02-17T19:29:59Z")
> [@scotandrsn](#): > > No, insert the stick into your Mac, and Empty the Trash. When I do that, it says “preparing to empty trash” then counts up to over a million files. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-with-usb-storage-stick/344974/12 "2006-02-17T20:18:10Z")
There’s a file on the memory stick that won’t delete. Some system folder with 0 byte file size. I’m trying to figure out how to nuke it, but so far no luck. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-with-usb-storage-stick/344974/13 "2006-02-17T20:33:50Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > There’s a file on the memory stick that won’t delete. Some system folder with 0 byte file size. I’m trying to figure out how to nuke it, but so far no luck. Is it a Mac or Windows folder? And if it’s a system folder, it might be important. If its’ zero bytes, does it matter if you can’t delete it? And again, the all mighty reform will fix your problem. You can do it on an XP or 2000 machine. With the drive in place, just go to My Computer, right click on the drive, and select format. If it asks what file format to use, select FAT32. (Just remember to copy off everything you want to save first.) As far as what to do to keep this from happening in the future…ummm, beats me. I don’t use Macs at all, but perhaps always emptying the trash before removing the drive from a Mac if you delete anything from it? ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-with-usb-storage-stick/344974/14 "2006-02-17T22:30:47Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > As far as what to do to keep this from happening in the future…ummm, beats me. I don’t use Macs at all, but perhaps always emptying the trash before removing the drive from a Mac if you delete anything from it? Absolutely.