SOLVED: Ford Sync Does Not Read USB Sticks – This USB Device Is Not Supported

There are several causes for this problem if you have connected a cell phone like Samsung galaxy S2 S3 or S4, or an Apple iPhone but if you have connected just a simple memory stick your issue is likely caused by a simple issue with formatting.  Most memory sticks are quick large and so often they are formatted with NTFS.  Ford Sync does not support

  1. Insert the USB memory stick into your PC
  2. Open COMPUTER (formerly My Computer)
  3. Right click on the stick and select FORMAT
  4. Change the FILE SYSTEM drop down from NTFS or exFAT to FAT32

Now you can copy you still pictures and music onto that USB memory stick and when you plug it into your Ford Sync car or truck, it will be recognized.

NTFS has many advantages over FAT32, but Ford Sync does not support it… so just use a FAT32 formatted stick and be happy!

 

View Comments

  • Why visitors still use to read news papers when in this technological
    world everything is available on net?

  • I found with my 64 GB SD card SYNC would not recognize it unless the sd card was named (i named mine MUSIC). the default format of the card is exFat. Everything was found and played correctly. I hope this helps

  • Use my flash drive with my mp3s with no problem in my Acura
    Wont play no matter what i've tried in my Escape.
    Ford Sync Sucks!! Dealer Service Departments have no clue about this either!!!

    • I had no issues of note with my Ford Sync, however mine was the old Microsoft based product. I understand that Ford Sync is now based on a different product and perhaps that is more problematic. I would suggest that you ensure your USB stick if formatted using FAT32

  • its a fat32 issue, not that ford sync has an issue with the larger format drives. since they opted for fat32, they locked it into the fat32 requirements. fat32 cant index a higher capacity drive.

  • I formatted my usb flash drive, wiping it clean . Changed the format to FAT32 and reloaded songs and bingo,it worked after not having worked for months and months. I still don't understand the " index full" command that sync sometimes says when trying to play an ipod.

  • This is only part of the problem. I have tested thumbs even with a fat32 format, sync will not properly index and play anything more then 7.5gb of music period. so no matter what you do to any thumb drive. that seems to be its read limit.

  • Hey folks...for all you Mac users here's the deal. Best to format your USB stick on a windows computer (FAT32) then download the ziP file from FORD...unzip the file, then copy the syncMyRide, autoinstall.lst , install.lst , and paste them onto your USB drive. Basically, just do this whole process on a windows computer because the MAC creates some 4-5 random files upon unzipping, causing the sync system not to see the installer. The files must be in place on USB drive as downloaded and on the mac side this will not happen. Thats what did it for me. Good luck!

  • I have spent days, months, almost a whole year trying to get SYNC to recognize all the AAC music files on my 128 GB Kingston thumb drive. The most it would recognize was about 18100 out of 21671 songs. I tried every idea offered on multiple forums, and even consulted the concierge help desk several times. Nothing helped. I suspected the problem had to be with the SYNC software, not my thumb drives (I actually went as far as buying a 2nd 128 GB thumb drive, but it didn't help...same problems). Then it hit me. Test drive a new car and insert my thumb drives in the car. It worked! Test drove 2 different vehicles, and both cars recognized all 21671 songs, on each thumb drive I tested. This confirms that the SYNC system in my car is the problem. I don't know how many hours I wasted reworking my music library trying to get it to conform to SYNC's requirements, only to find that there is nothing wrong with it. I have scheduled an appt at the dealer to get my SYNC system fixed. Hopefully they can fix it.

    • The Sync system doesn't recognize all formats. I haven't tested them all, but here are the ones I know do and don't work:

      WORKS
      * MP3
      * MPEG4
      * Waveform

      DOESN'T WORK
      * AIFF-C
      * Protected files (such as Protected MPEG-4)
      * Quicktime

  • I've tried this with both FAT32 and ExFAT for my 2014 Ford Escape. Each time the system tells me the device is not supported, but after waiting a few seconds it detects all the music and allows me to browse and PLAY it. However, everytime I start the car and the radio turns on, it prompts me with the message. I would really like to know a fix for this, so I don't have to look at that message each time.

    • I have found that 'large' USB sticks (i.e. 16gb) seem to have more issues than smaller ones (i.e. 4gb)

Published by
Ian Matthews
Tags: fordsync

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