# Error loading settings file from USB drive

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/error-loading-settings-file-from-usb-drive/28248>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [12 June 2020 18:54 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/error-loading-settings-file-from-usb-drive/28248 "2020-06-12T18:54:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 10\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![starcom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@starcom](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/starcom)\
**Post date:** [12 June 2020 18:54 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/error-loading-settings-file-from-usb-drive/28248/1 "2020-06-12T18:54:05Z")

</div>

Trying to use USB SDD for NR settings. Changing settings,js UserDir to use /mnt/usbdrive gives error  
Thk

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Paul-Reed](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/paul-reed/32/66906_2.png) [@Paul-Reed](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Paul-Reed)\
**Post date:** [12 June 2020 18:59 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/error-loading-settings-file-from-usb-drive/28248/2 "2020-06-12T18:59:02Z")

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Hi Bill, welcome to the forum.  
I've just edited your post title to something more appropriate.  
Hope that's ok.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ristomatti](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/ristomatti/32/5857_2.png) [@ristomatti](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ristomatti)\
**Post date:** [12 June 2020 19:22 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/error-loading-settings-file-from-usb-drive/28248/3 "2020-06-12T19:22:29Z")

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Does the user running Node-RED have access to the mount?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![knolleary](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/knolleary/32/3_2.png) [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)\
**Post date:** [12 June 2020 19:39 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/error-loading-settings-file-from-usb-drive/28248/4 "2020-06-12T19:39:27Z")

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What error do you get? Without that detail we are left to guess what might be happening.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![starcom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@starcom](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/starcom)\
**Post date:** [12 June 2020 20:43 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/error-loading-settings-file-from-usb-drive/28248/5 "2020-06-12T20:43:08Z")

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Error loading settings file: /home/pi/.node-red/settings.js  
/home/pi/.node-red/settings.js:86  
userDir: /mnt/usbdrive/Node-Red/.node-red/

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![knolleary](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/knolleary/32/3_2.png) [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)\
**Post date:** [12 June 2020 20:45 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/error-loading-settings-file-from-usb-drive/28248/6 "2020-06-12T20:45:54Z")

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So that is saying there is an error on line 86 of the file `/home/pi/.node-red/settings.js`.

If that line contains:

```auto
 userDir: /mnt/usbdrive/Node-Red/.node-red/

```

Then the issue is you have missed off the quotes needed around the property:

```auto
userDir: "/mnt/usbdrive/Node-Red/.node-red/"

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![starcom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@starcom](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/starcom)\
**Post date:** [12 June 2020 21:18 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/error-loading-settings-file-from-usb-drive/28248/7 "2020-06-12T21:18:49Z")

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Added quotes, still get error

Error loading settings file: /home/pi/.node-red/settings.js  
/home/pi/.node-red/settings.js:217  
functionGlobalContext: {  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
SyntaxError: Unexpected identifier  
at wrapSafe (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:1054:16)  
at Module.\_compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:1102:27)  
at Object.Module.\_extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:1158:10)  
at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:986:32)  
at Function.Module.\_load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:879:14)  
at Module.require (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:1026:19)  
at require (internal/modules/cjs/helpers.js:72:18)  
at Object. (/usr/lib/node\_modules/node-red/red.js:119:20)  
at Module.\_compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:1138:30)  
at Object.Module.\_extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:1158:10)  
nodered.service: Succeeded.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![knolleary](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/knolleary/32/3_2.png) [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)\
**Post date:** [12 June 2020 21:29 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/error-loading-settings-file-from-usb-drive/28248/8 "2020-06-12T21:29:46Z")

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Add a comma after it to separate it from the next setting in the file.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![starcom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@starcom](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/starcom)\
**Post date:** [12 June 2020 22:37 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/error-loading-settings-file-from-usb-drive/28248/9 "2020-06-12T22:37:16Z")

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Ah, the missing comma conundrum. That did it.  
I failed to notice the comma on the default / commented line on settings

```
//userDir: '/home/nol/.node-red/',

```

Thanks

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [11 August 2020 22:37 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/error-loading-settings-file-from-usb-drive/28248/10 "2020-08-11T22:37:25Z")

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