I had been accessing folders and files on a 1TB Toshiba external HDD connected by USB to my Dell laptop with Kubuntu 18.04. I set the laptop down, then returned to it to find that the external HDD showed as connected, but unmounted. This sometimes happens, but I have not experienced trouble over the last few years, clicking "connect" and accessing the external HDD as normal.
On this occasion, however, I clicked connect, then opened the external HDD in Dolphin (address line /media/username/TOSHIBA EXT4/) which shows it as empty. The "available space" bar at the bottom-right corner shows "822.6 MiB free", so Dolphin clearly detects that the drive is not empty, but if I right click and select 'properties', it shows "Size: 0 B (0); 0 files, 0 sub-folders", and for 'Device usage' shows "822.6 Mib free of 931.5 GiB (100% used)".
I opened Gwenview, then clicked "file" and slid down the menu to "Open recent" intending to click on a file stored in the external HDD, but none were listed despite my having accessed many recently.
I opened Irfanview in Wine and was able to see and open files in folders on the external HDD (my memory is fuzzy, but I think when I selected open it automatically opened the last folder used. I have subsequently found that if I attempt to navigate Irfanview to the external HDD by selecting drive "My computer" > "Drive I:" it is still shown as empty).
All of my files on the external HDD are in sub-folders within a single folder ("DO NOT DELETE") to easily distinguish them from folders which came pre-installed on the external HDD containing software provided by Toshiba. I returned to Dolphin and typed into the address line the address of this folder (/media/username/TOSHIBA EXT4/DO NOT DELETE/) and this opened normally. All subfolders are visible and navigable, and all files open normally. If I open an image in Gwenview, I can click forward or back to navigate through other files in the same folder.
** I added a subfolder on the external HDD to "Places" in the menu on the left side of the Dolphin window, then clicked edit on that and modified the address from "/media/username/TOSHIBA EXT4/DO NOT DELETE/subfolder" to "/media/username/TOSHIBA EXT4/DO NOT DELETE", so I am able to quickly navigate to folders on the external HDD via Dolphin, at least.
If I use the 'open' or 'save' options of any software and it goes automatically to the last folder used, which happens to be on the external HDD, that folder opens normally and files open and save normally, and I am able to navigate to previous or subsequent file (where that function exists) normally. If the software defaults to a folder off of the external HDD, then I can navigate as far as the external HDD but it shows empty so not to folders within it.
If I type the direct address to a file into Irfanview, it opens the file but does not allow me to move to the previous or following file by clicking the previous or next buttons.
- Clicking refresh on Dolphin made no difference.
- Clicking "disconnect" and then detaching the USB cable, re-attaching the cable, and clicking 'connect" on the external HDD made no difference.
- Re-starting the computer made no difference.
- I did find an option to show hidden folders in Dolphin (I forget where), but this made no difference.
This has left me able to access my folders (though not Toshiba's own) and files on the external HDD via Dolphin with little trouble, but when I save from, or attempt to open/select from, Firefox web browser or various software - if the save or open option does not open to a last folder on the external HDD by default - I am forced (if saving as/downloading) to save to a folder on the internal HDD then use Dolphin to move the file to the external HDD, or (if opening/selecting for loading/uploading) first move the file from the external HDD to a folder on the internal HDD.
I have not been able to find any thread for precisely this same problem on this forum or others. Any help would be appreciated.
