file permission error when saving to flash drive

[Denise M]

Whenever I try to save to a flash drive from within Word I get a file
permission error and the document cannot be saved. If I save the document to
the HD, then try to move it over to the flash drive, I get "Cannont copy
(document name): The directory of file cannont be created.

Please help, this is getting so frustrating.
Thanks,
Denise

 

[Tom Conrad]

Denise,

What version of Word are you running?
Is this problem specific to saving this file to the flashdrive (FD) or does
the problem affect all saving all word files to the FD?

What version of Windows are you running? Versions earlier than XP had some
trouble recognizing the different USB driver versions. Win XP should be able
to recognize most FD media. Vista may only recognize newer FDs, that are
Vista compliant.

Additionally, there are several other, possible reasons that you are having
write problems.

1) Some types of FD have a physical switch that functions as a write protect.

2) You may be trying to copy our file to the application partition of the
flash drive.

Some flash drives use helper applications to manage the flash drive
contents.
The manufacter partitions the Flash drive into 2 drives. One drive contains
the helper application files and the second drive is for user file storage.
When you insert the drive windows actually recognizes two drives.

The application partition is small, and may be write protected. The system
partition, and the writeable partition. The helper application may also allow
you to set read/write permissions.

3) the FD is full. (you didn't state the capacity of the FD.)
4) The file is too big

Note for 3 & 4: Since the days of MS DOS, and Window 2.0, a target drive
(your FD) has needed both sufficient drive space to copy the file and
sufficient drive space to copy various temporary files required by the
copy/move processes.

When you look at the amount of free space on the FD, it may appear that
there is enough room for your file. However, the FD may not have sufficient
room to perform the copy process. In the old days, a target drive needed up
to double or triple the amount of file size.

 

[rdelrosso2001]

Dear Tom:

On July 27 and today. July 30, I had the same exact problem as Denise.
In MS Word 2003, I get "file permission error" when saving an existing Word
File to my USB Flash Drive (Drive E).
July 27th on a Workforce One public PC, I could not resave an existing
Resume file that was only 58 KiloBytes (KB), when "My computer" showed 882
Megs free on a 1 Gigabyte flash Drive. But I could resave an Excel file and
the device Drive said my flash Drive is working "okay".
Since I have no PC at home, I went to goodwill, and was able to resave my
resume in MS word on a Goodwill Public PC with no problem at all! So I
thought the problem was the Workforce one PC.

However, today, July 30th, on a Brooklyn Bureau of Community Service
(BBCS) public PC, I could not:
(A) Save a new Word File only 25 KB large, on the same Flash Drive,
again due to a "file permission Error". with 882 Megs free on the Flash
Drive.
(B) Save a new Excel file of 14.5KB obtaining an error message "the
directory or file cannot be created".

But I could resave an existing 220KB Excel file.

I have used this flash Drive for three months with no problem until now.

I do not have $49 to call Microsoft.
I would greatly appreciate any assistance that you can give me.

Robert Del Rosso
(e-mail address removed)
(516) 317 - 6743