Almost all modern radios are equipped with a USB port. This allows you to listen to music or even watch movies directly from a USB drive. They are more comfortable and convenient to use, and they are less susceptible to various kinds of damage than their predecessors - CDs. But flash drives still have vulnerabilities. And usability can be replaced by the need to understand why the radio does not read the flash drive or does not see it at all.
Media Issues
To begin with, it is worth noting the worst option possible: a problem with a flash drive. The reason for this can be both a malfunction of the medium itself and its contents.
It is necessary to check whether at least some device is reading this flash drive. To do this, insert a USB flash drive into the USB port of any available device. In the event that the problem is of a software nature, the playback device sees it, but the radio does not read the USB flash drive. Why? The most common problems are software incompatibility or third-party information that is on a flash drive.
The presence of third-party files
- In 30% of cases, the problem is the banal incorrect copying of music to the media or damage to the files themselves.
- There are malware on the flash drive. To fix this problem, you can either check it for viruses using a computer and delete them if necessary, or you need to format it.
- If formatting is indispensable, it is better to use third-party programs for working with media: some of them perform cleaning using better algorithms. When starting the process itself, you will need to select the appropriate file system (NTFS, FAT, FAT32). It is better to carry out full formatting right away: this is a more reliable method, it saves time when unsuccessful fast formatting.
Software incompatibility
Such errors are found only in 5% of cases. Without checking them, you can wonder for a long time why the radio has stopped reading the flash drive.
- Before re-downloading music, you need to make sure that the formats of the music on the USB flash drive are compatible with those that the radio tape recorder can read. This can be found in the user manual. If the downloaded formats are not suitable for the player, you can use special software-converters.
- The memory capacity of the flash drive must not exceed the permissible for the operation of the radio. For example, if the radio tape recorder supports only the FAT16 file format, then the permissible amount should not exceed 2 GB. Larger media will simply not be read. Therefore, before buying a new flash drive, you should make sure its volume compatibility. A new flash drive is easier to buy than a new radio.
All defects with the media are fixed, but the radio in the car does not read the USB flash drive. Why? It is necessary to check the radio itself for technical problems.
Technical problems
Before you sound the alarm, you can check another flash drive. If it works, it is worth returning to the first paragraph of the article. If the second medium is not readable, the problem is really in the radio.
- Damage to the USB port to which the media is connected. This may occur due to dust entering the hole or inaccurate movements during extraction.
- Damage to microcircuits, poor contact of wires.
- Does the radio work at all? It is worth checking it in other formats (radio, telephone, CDs).
- Damage to the radio buttons.
Nothing more than the above technical reasons, will not be the answer to the question of why the radio does not read the flash drive. Without the experience of repairing such electronics, trying to fix something is pointless. You can only aggravate the breakdown - and the radio will stop working at all.
If the system is under warranty, you should immediately contact a service center and accept the help of specialists.
If the radio is built into the car panel, then answering the question why the head unit does not read the USB flash drive may help the user manual for the car. These instructions often describe common problems with a particular model and how to fix them.
Radio software
The rarest problem, but having its own right to life. As with any device, the radio also has software that can become outdated, updated, out of order, or simply not appropriate for the media.
Such errors are quite rare, for example, if you use an old radio with a modern storage medium. And do not be surprised, for example, why the Pioneer radio does not read a flash drive. On the latest models of car players in most cases, everything is decided by rebooting the system. After the restart, the firmware will be automatically changed to a newer one or returned to the original version.
For models in which this option is not available, you must read the instructions on how to manually change the firmware. But do not forget: if the software version is downloaded from the Internet, there is a risk of virus infection.
Conclusion
Do not despair or get scared if the radio in the car does not play music and does not read a flash drive. In most cases, the problem is resolved in a few minutes. And the simplest thing that can fix this situation is formatting. This process solves 85% of all problems. If this does not help, you need to make sure that there are no errors, both software and technical. If this did not help answer the question why the radio does not read the USB flash drive, do not skimp, it is better to contact the service center. You may have to pay for the services, but it is better not to risk expensive equipment.