How to Mount exFAT Drives on Ubuntu 24.04 and 22.04

exFAT (Extended File Allocation Table) is a proprietary Microsoft file system optimized for flash memory devices such as SD cards and USB flash drives. It was designed to replace the older FAT32 file system, which cannot store files larger than 4 GB.

All recent versions of Windows and macOS support exFAT out of the box. Ubuntu 22.04 and later also support exFAT natively through the Linux kernel (5.4+), so in most cases your exFAT drive will mount automatically when you plug it in.

This guide explains how to mount exFAT drives on Ubuntu, install the exFAT userspace utilities, set up persistent mounts, and troubleshoot common issues.

Quick Reference #

Mounting an exFAT Drive Automatically #

On Ubuntu 22.04, 24.04, and later, exFAT support is built into the kernel. When you plug in an exFAT-formatted USB drive or SD card, the desktop file manager detects and mounts it automatically under /media/<username>/<label>.

If auto-mount does not work, it usually means the udisks2 service is not running or the desktop environment does not have a file manager configured to handle removable media. In that case, you can mount the drive manually as described in the next section.

Mounting an exFAT Drive Manually #

If you are using a server without a desktop environment or auto-mount is not working, you can mount the drive from the command line.

First, identify the device name by listing all block devices:

lsblk -f

Look for the partition with exfat in the FSTYPE column. It is typically something like /dev/sdb1 or /dev/sdc1.

Create a mount point and mount the drive:

sudo mkdir -p /mnt/usb
sudo mount -t exfat /dev/sdb1 /mnt/usb

Replace /dev/sdb1 with the actual device name from the lsblk output. Once mounted, you can access the files under /mnt/usb.

When you are done, unmount the drive before unplugging it:

sudo umount /mnt/usb

For a detailed explanation of mount options and usage, see How to Mount and Unmount File Systems in Linux .

Installing exFAT Utilities #

The kernel driver handles mounting and file access, but if you need to create or repair exFAT filesystems, install the exfatprogs package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install exfatprogs

This package provides:

• mkfs.exfat — format a partition as exFAT
• fsck.exfat — check and repair an exFAT filesystem
• tune.exfat — adjust exFAT filesystem parameters
• exfatlabel — read or change the volume label

For example, to format a USB drive as exFAT:

sudo mkfs.exfat -L "USB_DRIVE" /dev/sdb1

For a complete guide on formatting drives, see How to Format USB Drives and SD Cards on Linux .

Setting Up a Persistent Mount with fstab #

If you want an exFAT drive to mount automatically at boot (for example, an external backup disk that stays connected), add an entry to /etc/fstab.

First, find the UUID of the partition:

sudo blkid /dev/sdb1

/dev/sdb1: LABEL="USB_DRIVE" UUID="1234-5678" TYPE="exfat"

Then add a line to /etc/fstab:

UUID=1234-5678 /mnt/usb exfat defaults,uid=1000,gid=1000,umask=022 0 0

The uid and gid options set the owner of all files on the drive. Replace 1000 with your user and group ID if they differ. The umask=022 gives the owner full access and read access to everyone else.

Test the entry without rebooting:

sudo mount -a

If the drive mounts without errors, it will mount automatically on the next boot. For more on fstab syntax and options, see Understanding the /etc/fstab File .

Legacy Ubuntu Versions (18.04 and 20.04) #

On Ubuntu 18.04, the kernel does not include exFAT support. You need to install the FUSE-based exFAT driver and the old utilities package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install exfat-fuse exfat-utils

On Ubuntu 20.04, the kernel (5.4) has native exFAT support, but the userspace tools are still provided by exfat-utils in the default repositories:

sudo apt install exfat-utils

On desktop systems, the drive will usually mount automatically when you plug it in. On servers or minimal installs, mount it manually with mount -t exfat.

Troubleshooting #

“unknown filesystem type ’exfat’” when mounting
This usually means exFAT support is missing from the running system. On Ubuntu 18.04, install exfat-fuse exfat-utils. On Ubuntu 22.04 and later, try sudo modprobe exfat. If the module is still unavailable, install linux-modules-extra-$(uname -r) and reboot.

Drive mounts as read-only
This usually happens when the filesystem has errors. Unmount the drive and run sudo fsck.exfat /dev/sdb1 to check and repair it. You need the exfatprogs package installed for this command.

Permission denied when accessing files
exFAT does not support Linux file permissions. The mount uses uid, gid, and umask options to control access. Mount with your user ID: sudo mount -t exfat -o uid=$(id -u),gid=$(id -g) /dev/sdb1 /mnt/usb.

Drive does not appear in lsblk output
Try a different USB port or cable. Run dmesg | tail right after plugging in the drive to check for hardware-level errors.

“mount: wrong fs type” after upgrading Ubuntu
If you upgraded from 18.04/20.04 and had the old exfat-fuse package, remove it and install exfatprogs instead: sudo apt remove exfat-fuse exfat-utils && sudo apt install exfatprogs. The kernel driver takes priority over FUSE once it is loaded.

FAQ #

Is exFAT the same as FAT64?
Yes. exFAT is sometimes referred to as FAT64. They are the same filesystem.

What is the maximum file size on exFAT?
exFAT supports files up to 16 EB (exabytes) in theory. In practice, the limit depends on the size of the storage device. There is no 4 GB file size restriction like FAT32.

Should I use exFAT or NTFS for a USB drive shared between Linux and Windows?
exFAT is the better choice for removable drives. It is natively supported by Linux, Windows, and macOS without additional drivers. NTFS works on Linux through the ntfs-3g driver but can be slower and occasionally causes issues with removable media.

Do I need to install anything on Ubuntu 24.04 to mount exFAT drives?
No. Ubuntu 24.04 mounts exFAT drives out of the box. Install exfatprogs only if you need to format or repair exFAT filesystems.

Conclusion #

Ubuntu 24.04 and 22.04 can mount most exFAT drives out of the box, while older Ubuntu releases need the legacy packages before removable media will work cleanly. If you also need to prepare a USB drive from scratch, see How to Format USB Drives and SD Cards on Linux .

About the authors

Dejan Panovski

Dejan Panovski is the founder of Linuxize, an RHCSA-certified Linux system administrator and DevOps engineer based in Skopje, Macedonia. Author of 800+ Linux tutorials with 20+ years of experience turning complex Linux tasks into clear, reliable guides.

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