USB flash drive not working on TV | Why TV USB ports are broken
Most modern TVs have some USB ports located on the back of the screen that can be used in many situations. Starting from transferring and playing multimedia such as photos, videos and music, to updating the TV firmware, and even connecting computer accessories such as the keyboard and mouse.
You can also rely on the TV's USB ports as a means of passing electrical current, whether for charging your external devices or installing lighting strips to improve and decorate the lighting of the living room or bedroom.
However, we have noticed that there are many complaints on the Internet from a large number of users who complain about not being able to take advantage of the USB ports on their screens.
In fact, this type of USB port is often prone to some problems, unlike the USB ports found in the computer case, laptop, or even receiver.
So, we tried to find the root of the problem and it took us some time to be able to put our hands on the cause of the problem which turned out to be random problems and easy to overcome in a few moments.
| Why TV USB ports are broken and how to fix the problem |
The problem only requires taking some routine steps to solve the problem of the USB ports on the TV not working. You may only need to clean the ports from dust, update the TV firmware, or make sure that the flash drive is formatted correctly so that the TV can recognize it.
In order not to prolong the introduction, let us learn about the cause of this problem and how we can solve it easily through the following explanation.
1- Make sure the TV USB ports are intact before using them.
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| Make sure the TV USB ports are secure before using them. |
TV USB ports are by nature very sensitive to temperatures and can easily burn out if relied upon for media playback for extended periods of time, especially if they are of the traditional commercial type. So, before you exhaust yourself searching for solutions.
You can call for service if your TV is still under warranty and have an expert check the ports. If your TV has more than one port, it's unlikely that both will burn out at the same time, so it might be best to try each one separately.
But if it turns out that both of them are not working or that the TV only has one USB port, you can contact the technical support service of the screen to check the ports and make sure they are safe or send them for maintenance. At the same time, you must make sure that the ports are clean before using them.
Dust and dirt are the worst enemies of electronic devices, especially if they accumulate in large quantities on the copper strips that conduct the power current. Therefore, try cleaning the ports with a cleaning brush to ensure that there is no dust that prevents the copper strips from being able to pass the electric current to the flash drive properly.
2- Update the TV Firmware
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| Update TV Firmware |
It is natural to start thinking about updating the TV firmware because the old version of the software responsible for operating and managing the TV functions may not be compatible with some modern flashes for whatever reason.
Also, updates by nature often contain a large number of fixes, and in all cases you can check the Readme file for the update on the official website of the manufacturer to check whether the update contains fixes for errors and problems with USB ports.
You can download the TV firmware through the manufacturer's website and search for words such as firmware, update, drivers, doftware, etc. Here are the most important links to download the firmware for some companies such as: Samsung | Toshiba | Sharp | LG | Sony .
After downloading the firmware, you will put it on a USB flash drive and do not forget to decompress it if you downloaded it compressed, then insert it into the TV and then search in your device settings for Firmware Update or Software Upgrade or anything that consists of those four words.
You will let the TV automatically download and install the firmware, leave it until it finishes and do not remove the flash drive or disconnect the power, then after a few minutes, turn off the screen for 5 minutes and then turn it on.
3- Format the flash drive in FAT32 or exFAT format.
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| Format the flash drive in FAT32 or exFAT format. |
Most flash drives come in NTFS format by default. This is the most common, most flexible and most practical format because it allows you to store large files and media that are larger than 4 GB so you can overcome the problem of File is too large .
However, most TVs do not support this format for USB ports, but rather require flash drives that work in FAT32 or exFAT format, so it would be better to change the file system in the flash drive to Fat32 or exFAT before installing the flash drive in the TV.
- Connect the flash drive to your computer.
- Open File Explorer, right-click on the flash drive and choose Format .
- From the bottom of the File System box, choose FAT32 or exFAT .
- Then click on the Start button from the bottom.
- The flash drive will be formatted, all data on its memory will be erased, and its file system will be converted to FAT32 or exFAT, depending on the format you chose.
What do you need to know before installing the flash drive into the TV USB port?
As we mentioned earlier, the problem with the FAT32 format is that it does not support large files, with a maximum file size of 4GB. It is also worth mentioning that if you are trying to install a USB 3.0 flash drive even though the USB ports on your TV are USB 2.0 ports, the TV may not be able to see it because the power current allowed for the port is not able to pass enough power to operate a USB 3.0 flash drive.
Also, some TVs cannot read the flash drive via USB ports automatically, but you will have to turn it on manually by entering the Source Output screen, then switching to USB/Media and choosing the flash drive.