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DataTraveler 80 M USB-C Flash Drive - Support
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Frequently Asked Questions
This is common for flash storage, whether internal SSD or external USB storage. It is due in part to a variance in how flash memory vs spinning platter hard drive manufacturers calculate megabyte. Hard drive manufacturers calculate a megabyte (or 1,000x1,000 bytes) as 1,000KBs, whereas the binary calculation for flash-based storage is 1,024KBs.
Example: For a 1TB flash-based storage device, Windows will calculate it as having a capacity of 931.32GB. (1,000,000,000,000÷1,024÷1,024÷1,024=931.32GB).
Furthermore, Kingston reserves some of the listed capacity for formatting and other functions, such as firmware and/or controller-specific information, and thus some of the listed capacity is not available for data storage.
FAQ: KDT-010611-GEN-06
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Windows may not recognize the MacOS Extended or Standard file system. To resolve, format the drive in macOS with MacOS DOS or exFAT file system so that it can be used in both environments.
WARNING: Formatting will erase all of the data on the DataTraveler. Back up your data before proceeding.
- Insert the DataTraveler into the macOS machine and wait for it to mount.
- Click on the "GO" option on the menu bar.
- Double-click on Utilities (If you do not see Utilities, double-click on Applications and then double-click on the Utilities folder.)
- Double-click on the Disk Utility icon.
- On the Disk Utility Dialog box, click once on the Kingston DataTraveler active partition.
Note: There will be two listings for the DataTraveler, the first one is the active partition and the second is the volume label. - Click the erase tab located on the right side of the screen.
- Using the Volume Format drop-down, select "MS-DOS File System" or "exFAT" from the list.
- Click Erase.
Note: macOS 10.6.5 and later has full support for read and write access of exFAT formatted drives. However, macOS still has read only access to NTFS formatted drives.
Some devices (MP3 players, digital photo frames, etc) will not read NTFS or exFAT file systems.
Also Windows XP and Vista will require an update in order to access exFAT.
FAQ: KDT-010611-GEN-18
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On Macs, you first have to empty the trash can in order to regain the space. You may have to plug the drive back in after emptying the trash.
If this does not work then the device should be completely reformatted. Please follow these instructions for formatting your Kingston device.
WARNING: Formatting will erase all your data so please make sure you have a copy before proceeding.
- Go to Go > Applications > Utilities and Open Disk Utility.
- Choose your drive from theleft panel and then click Erase on the right.
- Select a Volume Format.Choosing MS-DOS File System will allow the drive to work on the Mac and Windows operating systems. If used only in a Mac then select Mac OS Extended as the Volume Format.
- Click Erase.
FAQ: KDT-010611-GEN-04
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Some of the factors of a USB external device getting warm or hot:
- Material: Metal flash drives and readers tend to get warmer while in use than other types of USB flash devices. This is simply because metal absorbs heat much more easily than materials like plastic do.
- Environmental Temperature: If the host device or surrounding temperature is high, the drive's cooling capability decreases. USB drives often become warmer when used in hot environments or with warm devices.
- File Transfers: Transferring large files or a high volume of files can raise the drive's temperature. Large files take longer to transfer, requiring more energy, thus generating more heat. Quick consecutive file transfers have the same effect as transferring large files, increasing the drive's temperature. During data transfer, the drive heats up internally and releases heat through its casing.
After the data transfer is complete, wait 30-60 seconds before removing the USB device from the host machine. This should provide enough time for the temperature of the USB device to cool.
FAQ: KTD-021211-GEN-01
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This is a limitation of the file system. In order to transfer more data to this unit, you will need to remove the current data on the drive and create folders on the drive to copy files to. Once this is done, you should be able to transfer more data to the DataTraveler.
FAQ: KDT-010611-GEN-12
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Windows may not recognize the MacOS Extended or Standard file system. To resolve, format the drive in macOS with MacOS DOS or exFAT file system so that it can be used in both environments.
WARNING: Formatting will erase all of the data on the DataTraveler. Back up your data before proceeding.
- Insert the DataTraveler into the macOS machine and wait for it to mount.
- Click on the "GO" option on the menu bar.
- Double-click on Utilities (If you do not see Utilities, double-click on Applications and then double-click on the Utilities folder.)
- Double-click on the Disk Utility icon.
- On the Disk Utility Dialog box, click once on the Kingston DataTraveler active partition.
Note: There will be two listings for the DataTraveler, the first one is the active partition and the second is the volume label. - Click the erase tab located on the right side of the screen.
- Using the Volume Format drop-down, select "MS-DOS File System" or "exFAT" from the list.
- Click Erase.
Note: macOS 10.6.5 and later has full support for read and write access of exFAT formatted drives. However, macOS still has read only access to NTFS formatted drives.
Some devices (MP3 players, digital photo frames, etc) will not read NTFS or exFAT file systems.
Also Windows XP and Vista will require an update in order to access exFAT.
FAQ: KDT-010611-GEN-18
Was this helpful?