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Samsung tv stopped reading usb drives

(Topic created on: 12-02-2020 09:58 AM)
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Chrislsk
First Poster
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I have a Samsung UE55NU7023 i was playing back content just fine today and after i ejected my usb stick and insterted after 10 minutes without doing anything that would cause trouble my tv stopped loading anything from the usb port. It kep loading the usb forever when i tried to access it. I tried multiple usb sticks and it did the same thing. But when i had a single folder with a video in one usb drive the tv prompted me as always to play the video without opening the files and it played the video just fine, but when i tried to access the files after that i couldn't. What is going on? The port clearly works, what should i do? 

240 REPLIES 240
Merino-Noir
Pioneer
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2 days in and its still working fine.  Mother board was replaced but interestingly when the set was returned to me  its configuration was for a different region/time zone and there was a samsung account in it that was not mine.  Required a hard factory reset to clear all that then I had to step through a totally fresh setup.

 

Will provide an update in a few days time.

 

Meanwhile I encourage ALL who are having USB/Smart Hub issues to keep up the communication firstly with the person who sold the TV to you and then also Samsung.  Use the on line chat with Samsung to ask about the problem and how to fix it.  The download of your chat sessions is valuble supporting evidence to go with your request for help from the retailer.

 

Be polite - but persistant.

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Srephen
Student
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Same problem. Tried everything. Samsung support haven't called me all day. Frustrated
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John_John
Explorer
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@Srephen wrote:
Same problem. Tried everything. Samsung support haven't called me all day. Frustrated

Well welcome.. have a seat we will be here for a while.

 

Know that you aren't alone at least.

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Reggmyster
Apprentice
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Same issue here.
Spent an hour on chat only to be given a phone number to a company who can fix it.
At a charge as out of warranty!
TV only 2.5 years old and cost €1,000

Very unhappy with Samsung.

Has any Samsung representative got back on this thread?

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ELewsley
Journeyman
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Nope , i dont think theyd dare lol as they done ****ed up . I'm surprised they not locked this thread tbh .

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Merino-Noir
Pioneer
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Now a full week has passed since my TV was returned to me and (fingers crossed) so far it has worked perfectly. 

 

It is reading USB drives.  I can access my networked DLNA Media Server, all the TV channels are OK and I can get all the streaming services via Smart Hub.

 

Let me recap how I acheived this.

 

I had two long on line chat sessions with Samsng Support and during one of those sessions they logged into my TV and did a full factory reset but that did not solve the problems.  I kept a copy of the transcript of those sessions.  In the end Samsung support told me to take the TV to a Samsung repair centre - I called the centre and was told my TV needed a new motherboard and that it was an uneconomic repair and to dump the TV and purchase a new one.

 

I then sent emails to the local Samsung CEO exppressing my disapointment and asking for Samsung to fix my TV - at no cost to me as theproblem seemed to have been caused by their firmware upgrade late in 2019.  Only reply I got was to - yes - take it to a Samsung Repair centre and .......

 

I then contacted my local Government department of Consumer Affairs who advised me to contact my retailer, providing as much information as possible.  So I sent a detailed letter to the retailer who on my behalf contacted Samsung who then agreed to fix the TV AT NO CHARGE.  The TV was with Samsung for a week and it was returned to me with a service sheet that said the Mother Board had been replaced.  That's where we are now.

 

For the benefit of all below is a slightly edited version of what I sent to my retailer.  You may consider sending something like it to YOUR retailer - cannot hurt!    FYI, my letter with ALL attachments was around 48 pages long!

 

If you do follow my example, it is sort of the last resort short of exercising your consumer rights in the courts.

 

=====================

Dear Sir,

Re: Samsung Smart TV, issues with Smart Hub

 

On December xx, 2016 I purchased a new Samsung Smart TV from you.  Model number UA32K5500AWXXY, serial number xxxxxxxxxxx .  I have attached a copy of the tax invoice, number 1693578.

 

Up till December 2019 the TV performed without fault but then I started having issues attempting to access media stored on USB memory sticks.  I was able to go into Smart Hub to select the USB but then the TV would freeze showing a non-moving circle on the screen and the only way to clear it was to turn the TV off then on again.  After that the TV would not access the USB or the DLNA Media Server on my local network. 

 

I have checked the USB sticks on my computer and it can read and run the media on them – I have also used them on a different brand of TV, again without any problems.

 

I also have the same problem if I attempt to access the DLNA media server thru the Smart Hub. 

 

I eventually discovered that if I turned the TV off at the wall socket, waited for a few minutes then powered it back up that full functionality including that of Smart Hub was restored.  Unfortunately this ‘fix’ only lasts a short time, typically around a day then the Smart Hub function locks up again.

 

Two weeks ago I went on line to the international Samsung forum – that can be found here

https://eu.community.samsung.com/t5/TV/Samsung-tv-stopped-reading-usb-drives/m-p/1507360#M34486  where I found that there are many Samsung customers around the world having EXACTLY the same issue as I am having with my Samsung TV.  I have also attached a copy of that forum content as it is to date.  The recommendation of those in the chat was to power cycle the TV and that should fix it.  I am now doing this but the problem soon comes back.

 

 I then phoned Samsung Australia and they advised me to do a factory reset of the TV which I did – again that fixed it but the problem was back the next day.

 

On January xxx I had an on-line chat with Samsung Australia and the full text of that chat is attached.    The result of it was that the Samsung person remotely accessed my TV and reset the Smart Hub and it seemed that the problem was resolved.  Unfortunately it was again back the next day.

 

Two days later again had an on-line chat with Samsung – transcript is also attached and in the end I was advised to contact their service centre to have the TV repaired.  Samsung sent me an email with the service centre contact details.  When I contacted the service centre I was told there would be a call out fee of $140 and in addition I would have to pay for all labour and parts required to fix the TV.  I was shocked that the warranty on repairs was a scant 30 days only.      When I told them the TV was 4 years old their suggestion was for me to throw it away as a repair would not be economic, and replace it with a new one.

 

From the information on the Samsung forum it seems that the root cause of the problem is faulty firmware auto installed on my TV by Samsung.  As you can see from the chat transcript of Jan xx ,  Samsung say there is no way of going back to the earlier fully functional firmware version.

 

The TV I purchased from you as a Smart TV now only reliably works as a dumb TV.   Given the unresolved issues with the Samsung Smart TV Smart Hub functionality I consider that as a direct result of Samsung pushing out faulty firmware that the TV you sold me is now Not Of Merchantable Quality.   As such I have been in contact with Consumer Affairs Victoria, their case reference C2020/01/00xxxx and they advised me as the first step to write to you setting out my complaint.

 

To resolve this matter I ultimately want what I purchased from you - a Smart TV that can consistently and reliably function as such, including access to media on attached USB devices and also on network attached industry standard DNLA based media Servers. This is what I had up till early December 2019.

 

Clearly I look to Samsung to acknowledge that there is a problem and that it is their problem.  As it appears to be a software issue created by Samsung and NOT hardware, for Samsung instruct me to go to a service centre then pay a very large amount of my money for them to investigate something Samsung has caused, I find repugnant.  

 

If Samsung does not have the root cause fix available today could they please give an indication as to when they expect to have the root cause fix available and deployed to their customers TV’s?    If Samsung do not have a fix of any sort available now and do not know if or when they will have one I request that my TV be replaced with one that is fully functional or that the full purchase price is refunded to me.

 

If Samsung are not prepared to acknowledge the issue and initiate an acceptable remedy to this the matter within the next 10 days, as the TV is now not of Merchantable Quality I will then follow the advice I have from Consumer Affairs on legal avenues available under Australian Consumer Protection laws.

 

I can be contacted by mail, phone or email at any time.

 

Yours sincerely

===================================

 

 

 

 

Runner043
Journeyman
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My status : since have done the factory reset followed by smart hub reset, usb is still working. I've plugged out / in USb several times and the TV has had a full power cycle - it's 3 weeks now working..i'm still sceptical and keeping the details on this - but so far so good

Eden17
First Poster
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I have the same issue. We were even away on a holiday and the tv was not used for 1month. Before we left, it was working fine and when we got back when i tried to play a saved movie in my hard drive it won't display the files. Tried another  usb and it's the same. Both my hard drive and usb are working on my other tv and laptop. Its not the port as it will recognize the usb but wont display/read the file.  I also have the updated version already. I have raised this to the tech support but no help. They sent techinician and was advised that need to replaced the board and i need to pay php7500 to have it fixed and repaired because my tv is out of warranty. Sadly it went out of warranty on dec 23 2019. I am very disappointed i chose samsung for durability and yet this happend. I have now escalated it to the service center here in Cebu Philippines and the branch manager will forward this to the head office  hoping for their response soon. 

 Reading all the post it seems to be a known spftware issue most of us experience january and december.. 

AntS
Moderator
Moderator
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Hi all,

 

Just adding some advice we've received from our TV Tech team to this thread.

 

Appears that a cold boot of the TV resolves the issue: Press & hold the Power key on the remote until the Samsung logo appears. (May take a couple of attempts though. Much of the other troubleshooting you guys have shared achieves the same effect, but a cold boot is the easiest way to do it.)

ELewsley
Journeyman
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Finally , thanks for this info , is prolly a quicker solution and @least we dont all think we're mad anymore , an apology @ the least wouldda been nice 🙂