How can I disconnect flashdrive from TV without errors?

[Aldbaran]

After I use my flash drive on my Dad's TV to look at pictures or watch videos, I always end up getting an error notice when I connect the flash drive to a computer afterwards. I get a message saying that my drive has errors and needs to be scanned before use. This always happens after I use the flash drive with the TV and then disconnect it from there to use on a computer. I know that when I disconnect it from a computer, there is a "safely remove hardware and eject media" button at the bottom of the screen to click in order to prevent errors, but I see no such option on the TV. The TV has an Android operating system.

Can someone please tell me if there is such an "eject" function on the TV that would prevent these errors from happening?

Also, are these error notifications an indication that I'm hurting the flash drive somehow? I'd like to prevent that.

[davexnet]

Have you tried switching the TV off before removing the drive?
I did a google search and some TV's do have this functionality. See this
https://www.cnet.com/forums/discussions/safely-remove-usb-drive-on-samsung-led-series-508860/

My old WDTV Live box actually wrote to the Flash drives, a small folder that kept track of files and
their playback positions. So it's not necessarily just read only. That box also had "safely remove"

[Aldbaran]

Have you tried switching the TV off before removing the drive?
I did a google search and some TV's do have this functionality. See this
https://www.cnet.com/forums/discussions/safely-remove-usb-drive-on-samsung-led-series-508860/

My old WDTV Live box actually wrote to the Flash drives, a small folder that kept track of files and
their playback positions. So it's not necessarily just read only. That box also had "safely remove"

In the link you provided, everyone seems to think there is no "eject" function, being that the TV isn't Windows-based.
As for writing to the drive, I do see an "Android" and a "LOST.DIR" folder that keep being added to my drive. I had assumed those were being added each time I plugged my phone in, which is also Android based. And yes, I've been disconnecting the drive from the TV after the TV was turned off.

FWIW, my Dad's TV is a Sony Bravio.

Is the "safely remove" thing you were talking about something that was a folder you could click on while the drive was connected to your WDTV Live box? Or was it a physical button on the box itself?

[Bernix]

Hi,
I found this on net. https://www.technologyhint.com/safely-remove-otg-from-android/
So probably you need On the go USB device or cable.

Bernix

[Aldbaran]

Hi,
I found this on net. https://www.technologyhint.com/safely-remove-otg-from-android/
So probably you need On the go USB device or cable.

Bernix

Thank you! From the comments at the bottom, it seems that I'm not the only person with this issue. I'm glad something has been created to try to fix the problem.

[davexnet]

The WDTV provided an options button on the remote and then a choice from a menu.
MY LG Smart TV has a USB eject function. I haven't used such a drive with it myself, but I found
reference to it in the user guide. Perhaps your Sony TV has this functionality hidden somewhere ?

These days I play all media I could ever need through the home network using Windows 10,
and/or cast video's to the TV from my android phone using DLNA

[hech54]

I had this problem on my old TV. It was able to RECORD to the USB stick so every time you stuck the USB drive in the TV it added proprietary "stuff" to the stick.
My latest TV does not record so USB is trouble-free.

[lingyi]

Try another drive and see if the errors continue. Flash drives have a finite (though very high) number of writes and errors may be a sign of future failure.

As you've guessed, the Android and Lost.Dir folders are automatically created by the Android OS and you should leave them since they'll be recreated every time you insert the drive into an Android device anyway.

[roma_turok]

If flash drive formatted as FAT32
Try format drive and use as NTFS

[lingyi]

Are you using the software eject in Windows? I notice that flash drive and SD card LEDs (if available) will flash ~10-15 seconds after the file transfer is "complete". I've had larger files (~10gb+) be corrupted if I remove the drive / card immediately after the copy/move function shows completed.

[orsetto]

This is an infuriatingly common problem among TVs and BD players with USB playback features: many of them will corrupt drives upon removal. If you're lucky, it just triggers a simple Windows scan/repair and you don't lose any files. More often than not, I've had entire drives completely corrupted with all file names changed to a gibberish hash.

I don't really care that the devices write Android or BD "Buda" folders to attached drives, but they should have standardized on some sort of eject function. As it stands, a ridiculous number of TVs and BD players simply never let go of a drive once attached: pull it out, and you risk losing everything on it, every damned time. After awhile, you figure out some workarounds for each device, but its an unnecessary inconvenience and reduces the use case for USB.

Some TVs and BD players will properly release a USB drive if you power them off, but this does not always work (J'accuse, Sony!). Others will correctly release the USB if you switch their media player interface to another input like "wifi" before disconnecting. Also it seems a bad idea to have any files on a drive the system won't recognize, so don't plug in a drive that also contains apps, text files, spreadsheets, zip files, etc. Keep separate dedicated media sticks or drives with a folder for pics and a folder for videos (don't leave them loose and mixed at the top level).

roma_turok's suggestion to use NTFS formatting might help: I'll have to try that. I generally use FAT32 on USB sticks to maintain compatibility between my Windows and Mac systems, but if NTFS solves the corruption nonsense it'll be worth the minor inconvenience.

[Cornucopia]

It ought to go without saying that one should only put COPIES of media files on shared/portable drives so that nothing is truly lost.
And, if you are unsure, the as-mentioned turning the unit off before disconnecting should work (if it doesn't, the unit is faulty or ver badly designed).

Scott

[TABMyers]

DaveXNet is correct in that turning the TV off "Usually"removes the power, not allowing the flash drive to be corrupted. The only caveat is that the TV may have an Instant On function which keeps part of the TV powered. (It may or may not be selectable from the control menu. The USB port may be on of the functions not really turned off. The programmed favorites may lost. The power used is called a Phantom load because you can't see any evidence of power being used. (Google "Phantom Load".)

To find out if the power to the flash drive by turning the TV off with the TV on/off switch works is to possibly sacrifice the flash drive one more time by turning the TV off with the TV switch, with the line cord still plugged in. Try the flash drive in your computer. If the drive is OK, you are done. If the drive is corrupted, reformat it, record a commercial, unplug the TV, remove the flash drive and try it in the computer. I am sure it will be good.

Now comes keping peace in the family by explaining phantom loads and the electricity they waste. A short extension with a switch in it will solve the problem of having to crawling behind the TV set to turn it off. If electricity is expensive in your country, you might get a thank from the bill payer of the household.