During the last trip to my native, I had a peculiar problem with my USB Memory card and car audio system.
Background:
One of the USB stick plastic was very thin, and its outside had broken off. So, my wifey decided to transfer contents 2 USBs to one USB. She did that and when we started for the trip; I took the old USB and got into driving.
Moment I put it, I got a message that there are no Audio files.
I jumped to conclusion and told my wife / family that i
nstead of copying the music files; my wife has moved it!
We completed the trip and returned.
I took the new USB and attached the music system and then I got the same message “NO AUDIO FILES”.
I scratched my head, what it could be!
FACT finding mission in detail:
- My initial thought was that the small plastic of 1 broken USB is stuck inside the FEMALE USB port and it is preventing the contact of USB stick. Hence the files are not reading. I took light and also thin metal to insert and I could not find any piece.
- When I inserted the USB to LAPTOP I was able to see the folders and play the music. Perfect! No issues.
- Went back to car and again the same issue, same message “NO AUDIO FILES”
- Went to service center and complained, so technician put USB into Demo car and the problem was ascertained to be of USB & not Music system.
I was curious what to do!
- Last weekend, finally I decided to deep dive. Pulled out the manual and read thru'. Concluded that Music system cannot get corrupted.
- Finally, when I looked closer when I put the laptop; I saw the duplicate folder names renamed as application. I deleted the application files. Now I suspected some virus attack on USB. I deleted the Application file copied mind you which appeared with same as folders icon. I copied / moved the original folder contents to Laptop.
- Removed the application files and formatted the USB. Then transferred [copied] the Music folder files back to USB. Checked / Compared the content and played randomly selecting files from Laptop & USB. I was happy to figure the problem out and set out to the car.
- Inserted the USB and again was disappointed as got message there is no Audio files. I see the files In Laptop but when Music system is not recognizing this!
- Then came back to Laptop and connected. Now I was curious and did not know what to do! Then I clicked on folder properties and I was surprised to find that it had Hidden “Box checked”. I unchecked the box. I selected all folders and removed the Hidden check-box.
- Now I was confident; went back to car, then inserted the USB and voila Music system recognized the Audio files and started playing like before!
Problem solved.
Remember I jumped to make conclusion to my wife, when we faced with the problem!!!
I leave it to your imagination how I faced it up!






What had actually happened:
- May be due to the virus in the Laptop, the Virus attacked the USB. When my wife made copy attempt, to Laptop and USB.
- It created an exe file with file name same as folder name surprisingly the small icon display was as folder, then went and hid the actual folders. Luckily it only did this and did not wipe out the contents.
- So, when my wife copied the files; she did not copy the folders’ but the Application file created by the Virus! So, she was able to club the contents of 2 USB into 1. The original content was not copied from old USBs be it to Laptop or new USB.
- Luckily, I was smart enough to copy the hidden folders from original USB before formatting it; otherwise I would I would have lost the data. The data was 7.4GB plus 3 GB. Imagine my loss.
- Since the original folders were hidden by virus; the Car music system did not recognize or read the folders!!
- When I removed the hidden from folder properties; Car music system was able to read the music files and was to play it.
I am sharing in detail so that one need not spend efforts like I did. Can be smarter now to handle this type of issue, if prompted by chance to them in future.