help with zip usb external drive

[bob58]

OK I will run modconf again later tonite and look for "mass storage module". I assume if I find that, I install the module? OK and I can take the write protect off the disk on my Windows machine here at work. As far as the check boxes in permissions, I have never been able to change them. They are muted grey. I tried logging on as root, doing "su" but it still cant change them. That may be all I need to get this drive to work....so I will try to monkey around with it later today and post results. bob

[bob58]

Hello again! Well I am getting a TINY bit further.....I disabled the write protect from the zip disk and when I re started computer I no longer get the long string of errors at boot up. I checked if the module for mass storage was installed and it is. So now the problem remaining is a mount error, like before.
If i put a space in fstab like below:

/dev/sda4 /mnt/zip I get following error when I try to mount drive:

Could not mount device. The reported error was: Mount: can't find vfat in /etc/fstab or /etc/mtab.

Here is the line I added to fstab: /dev/sda4 /mnt/zip vfat defaults,users,rw,noauto,noexec,noatime,umask=000 0 0

I looked in /etc/mtab and there is no reference to the zip drive. Actually I am not familiar with what should be in the mtab file. What does error mean by not being able to find "vfat"? In /etc/fstab there is a reference to that word in the new line i put in there! Well if you still have any patience left maybe you can suggest something .....otherwise I may have to put the zip drive away for now!!!!! bob

[rrfish72]

Is the device actually referred to as sda4? I know mine is and usaully they get that when zips are installed. Maybe it is sda1, 2 ,3, ...... Check that to see if it is correct. Also, this is all being done as root, correct?