Encountered flash drive unable to play videos?Discover the root causes and apply effective solutions to restore video playback from your USB drive.
Why can’t videos stored on a USB flash drive be played? Several factors can cause this issue, and the most frequent ones include:
★ Corrupted video files: Damaged or corrupted files are one of the leading causes. Bad sectors on the flash drive or malware infections can easily corrupt videos, making them unplayable. In such cases, file repair or recovery is required.
★ Unsupported format: If the video’s format isn’t compatible with your media player, playback will fail. Converting the file into widely accepted formats such as MP4, AVI, or MKV often resolves the issue.
★ Incomplete transfer: A file that wasn’t fully copied to the flash drive won’t play correctly. This usually happens when transfers are interrupted or abruptly stopped.
★ Damaged USB drive: A failing or physically damaged flash drive can also prevent videos from opening. Checking for bad sectors or logical errors is necessary if you suspect drive issues.
★ Improper connection: If the USB isn’t securely inserted into the device or port, the system may not read it correctly, leading to playback failure.
These are the main reasons behind video playback problems on USB flash drives. The next step is learning how to troubleshoot and fix the error effectively.
If your USB flash drive doesn’t play videos, it can be caused by connection issues, file system errors, or media player compatibility problems. Below are some effective fixes you can try.
Sometimes, the issue may simply be due to a loose connection. Remove the USB flash drive and reinsert it into the port. If possible, try using a different USB port or another computer to confirm whether the drive itself is working properly.
File system errors or bad sectors can prevent videos from playing. You can use Windows’ built-in error-checking tool:
Step 1. Right-click on your flash drive in File Explorer.
Step 2. Select Properties > Tools > Error Checking.
Step 3. Click Check and follow the instructions to repair any detected issues.
In such cases, AOMEI Partition Assistant can also help you troubleshoot and repair the problem. This professional disk management tool includes a Check Partition feature that scans your USB flash drive for errors and fixes them automatically. With just a few clicks, you can run error checking to detect bad sectors, repair corrupted file systems, and restore your drive’s normal performance.
Step 1. Install and open AOMEI Partition Assistant. In the main interface, right-click the target drive and then click "Check Partition".
Step 2. Choose the "Check partition and fix errors in this partition by using chkdsk.exe" option, then click "OK".
Step 3. Wait for a while and click "OK" when it's finished.
If your videos are not playing because Windows Media Player is disabled, you can turn it back on:
Step 1. Press Win + R, type optionalfeatures, and hit Enter.
Step 2. In the Windows Features dialog box, check Media Features > Windows Media Player.
Step 3. Click OK and restart your computer.
Sometimes, the problem isn’t with the USB drive but with the media player itself. If Windows Media Player cannot play the file, try installing a more versatile player such as VLC Media Player or KMPlayer, which support a wide range of video formats.
If none of the above solutions work, your drive’s file system might be corrupted. Reformatting can fix this, but it will erase all data, so make sure to back up important files first.
Step 1. Right-click on the flash drive in File Explorer.
Step 2. Select Format.
Step 3. Choose FAT32 or exFAT as the file system.
Step 4. Click Start to begin formatting.
AOMEI Partition Assistant provides a simple and reliable way to reformat your USB flash drive. With its Format Partition feature, you can quickly change the file system to FAT32, exFAT, or NTFS—ensuring better compatibility with different devices and media players. The process is user-friendly, requiring just a few clicks, and it helps restore your flash drive to a clean, error-free state so you can store and play videos without issues.
Step 1. Download AOMEI Partition Assistant, install and run it. In the main interface, right-click the target drive and select “Format Partition”.
Step 2. In this small window, specify the file system of the drive based on your own demand and click “OK”.
Step 3. Preview the operation. Then, click “Apply” and “Proceed” to perform it.
Video playback issues on a USB flash drive often result from corrupted files, unsupported formats, incomplete transfers, or drive errors. Simple fixes include checking the connection, scanning for errors, enabling media features, or using a different player. If problems persist, reformatting the drive with tools like AOMEI Partition Assistant can restore functionality and ensure smooth video playback.