Videos won't play after copying through a USB 3 hub

You copy videos to a USB drive through a USB 3 hub, then find that they will not play, stop partway through, or show an error. The hub may have interrupted the transfer, but the drive, file system, or video format could also be responsible.

Start by keeping your originals safe and checking where playback first fails. If the drive might be counterfeit or report more space than it can really store, Fake USB & SD Check can fill it with test data and read it back. Do not run that test on a drive containing files you need.

Check the copied videos safely

1. Back up the USB drive's contents somewhere else. Open Fake USB & SD Check to see what it checks, but wait to run it until the drive is empty and backed up. The check writes test data to the drive.
2. Play one of the original videos from the computer or its original storage location. If the original also fails, the copy may be fine and the problem may be the file or the player.
3. Check whether the copied file has the same size as the original. A smaller file, or one that cannot be opened, may have been interrupted during copying. Matching sizes are useful evidence, but do not prove every byte copied correctly.
4. Copy one video again, this time connecting the USB drive directly to the computer instead of through the hub. Wait for the copy to finish, safely eject the drive, reconnect it, and try the video.
5. If the drive is empty and backed up, run Fake USB & SD Check on it. It writes data across the drive and reads it back to check whether the reported capacity is usable. The tool works in Chrome and Edge on a computer.

What the result means

The original plays, but the copy does not

The problem is likely with the copy, the drive, or the connection used to transfer it. A transfer that stopped early can leave a file that looks present but cannot play. Compare the copy made through the hub with a fresh copy made directly through the computer.

The original and the copy both fail

The transfer probably did not cause the playback problem. The video file may be damaged, or the player may not support its video or audio format. Try a different player or a different video known to play on the same computer.

The direct copy works, but the hub copy fails

The hub, its cable, its power supply, or a loose connection may be interrupting transfers. This is more likely if other devices connected through the hub disconnect or behave inconsistently too.

The capacity check finds read-back errors

The drive may not reliably store data across its reported capacity. Counterfeit drives can claim more space than they have, so files may work at first and fail after the real storage limit is passed. Back up anything readable and stop trusting the drive with important files.

The copy works on one device but not another

The destination device may not support the video's format, or it may not support the drive's file system. This does not necessarily mean the transfer damaged the video.

How to fix it

1. Check the hub connection. Reseat the hub cable and the drive's cable. If the hub has its own power adapter, connect it to power. Avoid unplugging the drive while a copy is in progress.
2. Copy directly to the computer. Connect the drive to a USB port on the computer, if available, and copy one video again. If that works reliably, replace or avoid the hub, or test it with a different cable and a powered hub.
3. Check the file system and file size limit. FAT32 cannot store a single file larger than 4 GB. In Windows 11, open File Explorer, go to This PC, right-click the drive, and choose Properties to see its file system. On macOS, select the drive in Finder and choose File › Get Info. If the drive is FAT32 and the video is over 4 GB, use a format supported by the devices that need to read it. Formatting erases the drive, so copy its contents elsewhere first.
4. Make sure the video has finished copying. Wait until the copy dialog closes and the drive activity has stopped. Eject the drive using the operating system before unplugging it, then reconnect it and test the file again.
5. Try a different player or compatible format. If the same file fails from both the original location and the USB drive, test it in another player. A device that cannot decode the video's format may show an error even when the file transferred correctly.
6. Check the drive's real capacity. First copy all wanted files somewhere safe, then make sure the USB drive is empty before running Fake USB & SD Check. The test fills the drive with data and reads it back, so do not run it on a drive with files you need to keep.

When the hub or drive may be faulty

If the same video copies correctly when the drive is connected directly, but fails after transfers through the hub, the hub or its cable is the leading suspect. If failures continue with a direct connection and the capacity check reports read-back errors, replace the drive rather than using it for important videos. A drive that passes the check is not guaranteed to be healthy forever, but repeated read-back errors are a strong reason to stop relying on it.

Why a video file can look copied but still fail

A file name and file size do not confirm that the video is complete or playable. A damaged section can stop playback even when the file appears to be the right size. Also, copying does not convert a video into a format that every TV, phone, or media player supports. Test the original, the copy, and the destination device separately to narrow down which part is failing.