Forum Discussion

Infotrack's avatar
Infotrack
Binge Watcher
2 years ago

Roku Media Player Does Not Recognize USB Flash Drive

Roku Ultra 4802X.  Roku Media Player will not recognize USB flash drive formated in NTFS.  It did recognize it and play videos fine until several weeks ago, then suddenly not.  I get the help message "Connecting to a DLNA Media Server or USB Device".  When I insert the USB drive into the LG TV usb port, it works fine, as it does on the laptop USB port.  The drive is a 64GB drive which is within the size parameters.  I think (but not sure) the issue happened after a Roku software update. Current software build is 12.5.0 build 4178-C2.   The problem is ROKU and NOT the usb drive.

If this is not the proper community section, please move this  issue to where it should go as I saw no way of posting this anywhere else. 

app playback
  • Infotrack's avatar
    Infotrack
    Binge Watcher
    2 years ago

    BTW, I have tried many other things, such as resetting the Roku Ultra to Factory Settings, deleting the RMP app then reinstalling it and plugging the USB flash drive back into the port, etc.  The SAME USB flash drives work absolutely fine on the LG tv's usb port, as well as on my laptop, so the drive is not corrupted.  At a suggestion on here, I tried a flash drive formatted as FAT32 and it was the exact same result.  The problem started on my 46?? Roku Ultra, then I got the 4802 Ultra and as soon as it updated the same problem.  I am becoming more and more convinced the problem lies with Roku's updates.  I am extremely disappointed in Roku support.  I doubt I will ever purchase another Roku device.

     

    • conker's avatar
      conker
      Channel Surfer
      2 years ago

      I have the same issue on a TCL R655 Roku TV.

      USB flash drive worked fine on the TV a few months ago, and now it doesn't.

      The flash drive is fine and works in multiple other devices. I've refirmatted it as NTFS then back to exFAT. I've hard power cycled the TV as well.

      Roku Media Player simply doesn't detect the flash drive when it's plugged in.  I am manually launching Roku Media Player and checking. My network sources and media are all fine in RMP.

      I think 12.5 or some other recent update busted USB support on some TVs.

      • UHshepp's avatar
        UHshepp
        Binge Watcher
        2 years ago

        I have the exact same issue and just like OP... it WAS working fine and now it's not working at all on ALL OF MY ROKU Devices.  

        It worked on all previously, now it works on NONE.

         

        The external hard drive works everywhere else (Laptop, Desktop, etc.).

         

        I did extensive troubleshooting as well matching the previous people and still nothing.

  • potatoface's avatar
    potatoface
    Newbie
    2 years ago

    I got it! 

    My situation: I had a USB stick for media. I took it out to add more media to it. I put it back. When I opened the app, I got the no-recognize error.

    In my case, it was somehow a permission issue. The device forgot it was allowed to access the stick.

    Solution: Take the USB stick out. Go to the Roku Media Player app. Put the USB stick in. That'll bring up the ALLOW? prompt. Allow it to access the stick. Once it is allowed to access it, it recognizes it. 

    Hope this works for you!

  • AvsGunnar's avatar
    AvsGunnar
    Community Streaming Expert
    2 years ago

    Infotrack 

    Can you get any other drive to be recognized by the 4802?  (ie. try another thumb drive formatted with NTFS to test).

    Can also try Removing the Roku Media Player(RMP), Restarting the Roku device, and then Reinstalling the RMP channel/app. (Remove, Restart, Reinstall).

    Sometimes just removing the drive, restarting the Roku device, and then reinserting the drive will help RMP to rescan the files.

    • Infotrack's avatar
      Infotrack
      Binge Watcher
      2 years ago

      Thank you so much for your response,  

      Yes, I have tried other USB devices in the 4802 port, same result.

      I have also tried the other two suggestions, rebooting and deleting the RMP  exactly as you have suggested but again, same result.  Don't know what to do next.   I have an older Roku Ultra 46?? device that I tried it on, with the same roku software version, with the same result.  If I knew how to go back to an older software version on the 4802 I would try that, but I don't see a way of doing that.

      Any suggestions?  Please?  

      • AvsGunnar's avatar
        AvsGunnar
        Community Streaming Expert
        2 years ago

        Infotrack 

        Ran a couple different USB flash drives formatted to both NTFS and FAT32 on the Ultra 4660 (OS 12.5 build 4178-46) and worked fine.  Met with the new message re: allowing the device access to the USB).

        Could certainly be the 4178-C2 build if happening across different flash drives and your previous one was working prior to the build update.

        Does formatting another flash drive to FAT32 offer same results as the NTFS?