Root takes over some NTFS USB key when mounted

[aria]

Hello, and Happy New Year.
Did install 2404 and only one NTFS USB key refused to mount (the rest of them did normally). This unique key didn't show a mounting point in KDE Partition Manager. Only could mount it after setting the partition point in KDE Partition Manager at /media/username. But then the show begone: couldn't boot the computer unless a NTFS USB key was inserted (any NTFS key, not only the one initially refusing to mount, and mounted only in KDE Partition Manager). Checked the /etc/fstab and found something that shouldn't be there: last line wrote /dev/sdb1 /media/username ntfs defaults 0 0. Deleted this line and computer rebooted normally. But this unique key refused again to mount.
Now, I have also other Linuxes installed on other computers: MX-Linux with xfce, and q4os with KDE. Both did mount correctly this unique NTFS USB key, like any other NTFS keys. And they continued to reboot normally (the /etc/fstab in the q4os-KDE loooked right: without the NTFS line). Only Kubuntu 24.04 refused to mount it correctly.
My questions are:
Why does this happen?
How can I correct this issue?
Thanks.

[aria]

PS: After mounting this unique NTFS key in KDE Partition Manager, all NTFS keys were taken over by root. They showed no permissions when checking their properties in Dolphin.

[aria]

PS2: Reformatted this key in KDE Partition Manager to NTFS, and now it mounts normally.
But I'm still curious why did happen the issues described before.

Also note, that this USB key was first formatted, filled with files, and last used, several years ago, under 18.04.

[aria]

And it happened again (but worth) with another USB key, Fat formatted this time. Couldn't be opened neither in Kubuntu 24.04, nor in q4OS with KDE. Tried to reformat it in both OS' and processes aborted. Only MX-Linux with Xfce allowed to format it. And after that, it worked fine on all other OS' (Kubuntu and q4OS with KDE). Never encountered such issues until now.

[oshunluvr]

I don't have any real answers as to why this is happening, but I have a guess and an question.

NTFS is not a Linux file system, The fact it can be used at all is due to utility outside the kernel utility ntfs-3g. From the NTFS-3G manual:

If ntfs-3g is set setuid-root then non-root users will be also able to mount volumes.

My guess is that when you re-format the thumb drive using Linux, it defaults to the above setting but when formatted with Windows, it does not. You either need to figure out how to mount it and change it to your user or reformat them.

My question is why are you using NTFS on a thumb drive? Thumb drives wear out and any journeling file system like NTFS can wear the drive out quicker and for no benefit at all. Use ExFAT if you need Windows compatibility or EXT2 if you don't.

[aria]

Yes, this is what I guessed too, that opening the NTFS USB key in KDE Partition Manager makes root to take control over it. And, sorry, I don't use Windows anymore, and this for so much time (10+ years).

But I don't understand why some USB keys, first NTFS, but later FAT too, refused to open in 24.04, while opening in other recently installed OS' (like mentioned before). This bothers me a lot, because unpredictable. Even 5 min. ago, another NTFS key refused to open, and I believe this one did opened on this system several days ago. I'm not new to computers, nor to Linux, so I pay attention when unmounting USB key (NTFS especially).

As for your question, I used NTFS since 14.04 or even earlier, and for 2 reasons:
1) it can be read on different other devices: audio and media players (Linux formats doesn't, just FAT and NTFS);
2) and preferred NTFS to FAT because until 18.04 could write colons on it (movies titles, but especially CD transcoded audio tracks originally containing colons).
So, all these (huge) multimedia libraries exist already, even if after 18.04, OS' don't allow to write colons on NTFS anymore.
Anyway, NTFS formatted external (USB) hard drives did opened correctly (fortunately!), just USB keys refused to do it (and not all of them, just several, and not only NTFS, but FAT too). Very unpredictable and bothering issue. And I don't know why this occurs. It somehow shadows 24.04, which in my opinion is the best LTS Kubuntu since 18.04.

PS: Didn't know about ExFat, and by what I read now, it accepts colons too. But if not opened by my media players, I rather stay with NTFS. Meanwhile, it's a very good idea to try a Linux partition for backup drives (docs., pictures, etc., mainly archives I'll never run on a media player). Ext2 as you recommended.

[aria]

I wonder if this issue of Kubuntu 24.04 to unpredictably refuse to mount some (arbitrary chosen) NTFS partitions on USB ports, couldn't be fixed by installing an older kernel, precisely the one used on Kubuntu 18.04: 5.4.0-150-generic (64 bit).
If so, could somebody tell me how to do it, and also how to undo it if won't work? I mean the codes...
Thanks!