# Flash drive volume label?



## tao (Aug 15, 2005)

I am using Mac OS X with my USB flash drive. I remember when I had a Mac OS 9 machine, I can rename the flash drive volume label easily, just as renaming a file or other volumes. 

However, it seems for Mac OS X, it is no longer possible to rename USB flash drive volumes easily. I know I can run _Disk Utility_ to erase the volume to rename the volume, but that seems ludicrous to conduct such a manuver just to rename a FAT volume. 

Or did I miss something or there are better way to rename flash drive volume labels? 

Thanks in advance.


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## Robn Kester (Aug 15, 2005)

I renamed my USB flash drive by simply clicking on the name and waiting until it became highlighted and then typed in a new name. It saves it on the drive somewhere becaues that name also appears on my windows machine when I mount the unit up.


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## tao (Aug 15, 2005)

Thanks for your reply. 

I can highlight my USB flash drive icon, but the rename box never showes up, even after I hit the *Return* key. The same situation happens with my SD cards as well. I can rename hard drive and Zip drive volume labels without any problem. 

I can rename the flash drive with Mac OS 9 machine. 

It is weird, isn't it?


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## Convert (Aug 15, 2005)

Very.

Well, it works for me, and Robn Kester, and Mac OS 9. So it's not the flash disk that is the problem, it is more likely to be Mac OS X, unless the certain flask disk just doesn't work with OS X...

Have you tried getting info (select item press Apple + I) and renaming via "Name and Extension"?

Maybe it is locked? Some disks warrant a hardware lock.

Hope you sort this out.


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## tao (Aug 15, 2005)

From This page, Q5, I found the following paragraph:



> *Q5. I have no problem seeing the flash drive on my desktop and can readily copy files/folders to it. I'd like to rename the drive icon from "Unlabeled" to something else. Even tough I'm the administrator for my computer , I can't change the name from "unlabeled" in the info window (even after unlocking in the permissions panel) or by clicking the name on the desk top.*
> 
> A5: In OS 9, please stop File Sharing first, mount the FlashDrive onto desktop, click on untitled below the FlashDrive icon, you can rename it. OS 9 is the only easy and safe way to rename it without deleting the data and altering the format on the FlashDrive. In OS X, Apple Disk Utility is used to rename the FlashDrive, but it requires erase(reformat) of FlashDrive, all the data will be lost. So users must back up all data from FlashDrive first, and rename FlashDrive in Disk Utility at their own risk, Macally is not responsible for any data loss, or failure of FlashDrive. In OS X, the steps are, mount the FlashDrive on the desktop as Unlabeled, launch Disk Utility, select the Macally FlashDrive, click on Erase tab, select MS-DOS File System under Volume Format, enter your new name for FlashDrive, click on Erase button. Follow the on-screen instruction to finish.



Why was that? Mac OS X cannot process flash volume label gracefully? I am using a Kingston Data Traveler USB 2.0 128MB drive.

*note*:

From this page, I saw other people have the same issue. Since I am using *Mac OS X 10.2.8*, a pretty ancient version, I guess newer versions fixed this problem already?

I just tried, if I re-format the flash drive as HFS+ file system, I can rename it easily, if I format it as MS-DOS, I cannot do it. 

*So I suppose you guys are using higher versions, since you did not have this particular problem?*

Thanks.


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