Hi all,

Boring post alert…

I am trying to move a simple text file from an iPad (emailed to iPad) onto a USB stick, connected to the iPad with a simple USB>lightning adapter.

I can do the above, however, as soon as you plug the usb stick into the iPad, iOS adds a random folder “Spotlightv100” (which from a quick google seems like a standard iOS thing) – and then when I move the file onto the usb stick, there is also a second file with the same name as the file, but with “._” at the start of the name (not sure what this file is).

I need the actual file I copy over to be the ONLY thing on the USB.

I assume the answer is no, but does anyone know if there is a way to avoid the folder and duplicate file being added by iOS?

Thanks,
Duane.

Just to add to the above – fundamental aim is to get a file from an email or Slack message accessed from the iPad, onto a blank iPad, with no other files/folders being added to the iPad. Person using the iPad will not have access to a laptop/PC.

email, icloud (I assumed), messenger, those are just apples options, that all have the facility to transfer txt, without needing any external devices. You seem to be going about this, the hard way.

First why not just log into you email, upload then and email yourself the txt file.. open your email on the other device and download it?

Don’t you have to have some fancy ios based (non-technical term) storage device?

I had to spend quite a bit on some fancy external hard drive for Mrs STR’s iPad – *edit iDiskk

I need the file on a USB stick – this is then plugged into a non-connected device, and the file is copied to that device. If there is any other file on the USB stick, the non-connected device gets confused.

Thanks.

Is the blank iPad set up and assigned to an Apple ID? If yes, save the file to Files/iCloud then share the file with the Apple ID of the blank iPad. Owner of blank iPad then downloads file to their Files (iCloud).

sorry my mistake I read it as two ipads

You can just get a lightning adapter to USB dongle. iOS14 recognises external drives etc and has a semblance of a file system so you can just drag and drop any files you require onto the USB stick.

I think the simple answer is you can’t, at least not easily. Those are hidden system files (in both iPadOS and MacOS). On a Mac you could probably write a script that deletes them before disconnecting the drive but I doubt you can on an iPad.

Windows has similar hidden system files – like the $Recycle.Bin folder within each folder.

It’s probably easier to get the ‘non-connected’ device to play nicely with the USB stick. What OS / script are you using on that device?

I have one of these, works fine for moving files from iPad to PC etc etc.

Thanks all.

I have a iPad > USB dongle. I can move files onto the USB from the iPad using this.

The issue is the other file/folder than also gets added to the USB at the same time.

Unfortunately I cannot change the non-connected device.