2025 CX-5 USB-C Flash Drive Compatibility

[Busch]

Has anybody found a USB-C Flash Drive that works in a 2025 CX-5?
My sister just took delivery of one and I offered to put some mp3 songs on a flash drive for her. She bought a Samsung 64GB drive and I formatted it on a Windows 11 PC. I first used the drive’s default and added some songs. When I plugged it into the consoles port a message popped saying Unsupported USB Device. I reformatted it as a NTFS drive and I got the same message when I tried it.
Since the drive and the port are native USB-C I shouldn’t have to use any adapters. Has anybody gotten one to work?

 

[N7turbo]

Make sure to format it as FAT32 and not NTFS.

 

[RedBaron]

^What HE said.

 

[numazdaown]

'23 CX-5 owner here. U might also want to consider using a type A usb drive with a USB-A to USB-C adapter. Both are very cheap on amazon and I believe they should work.

 

[hsdejong]

If the properly formatted USB-C stick doesn't work, I doubt it will work with a USB-C to USB-A adapter either.

My PC doesn’t have a USB-C port, so I use a USB stick that has both a USB-A and a USB-C connector (64GB Kexin). When I connect it directly to the USB-C port in my 2023 CX-5, it works flawlessly.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)

 

[Busch]

Thanks for the responses. I was hoping to keep the device short as to not get damaged by other things in the console. Adding an adapter with a USB device will work but it defeats my desire to keep it shallow. Since we opened the package, we may be unable to return the 64GB drive. I may try a partitioning app to create a couple of 32gb partitions.
I was hoping Mazda would do a better job keeping up with addressing technology since they switched to USB-C. I wonder what the 2026 will bring us.

 

[hsdejong]

I have only one partition of 64GB on my USB stick.

 

[RedBaron]

I may try a partitioning app to create a couple of 32gb partitions.

Why? FAT32 will go up to 2TB size.

 

[RadRacer]

Thanks for the responses. I was hoping to keep the device short as to not get damaged by other things in the console. Adding an adapter with a USB device will work but it defeats my desire to keep it shallow. Since we opened the package, we may be unable to return the 64GB drive. I may try a partitioning app to create a couple of 32gb partitions.
I was hoping Mazda would do a better job keeping up with addressing technology since they switched to USB-C. I wonder what the 2026 will bring us.

You'll have to download a program to format the partition to FAT32 at 64gb. I use AOMEI partition assistant. It's freeware. There is no need to use an adapter, but if you did need one, they make adapters that connect each end by a wire so it doesn't stick straight up. AOMEI Partition Assistant | Partition Manager Software for Windows PC and Server

 

[N7turbo]

You'll have to download a program to format the partition to FAT32 at 64gb. I use AOMEI partition assistant. It's freeware. There is no need to use an adapter, but if you did need one, they make adapters that connect each end by a wire so it doesn't stick straight up..

Windows can format any drive, no software needed.

 

[RadRacer]

Windows can format any drive, no software needed.

Windows cannot format FAT32 partitions over 32gb.

 

[stickerbush]

Don't most new USB drives come formatted as FAT32?

 

[MichalP]

Don't most new USB drives come formatted as FAT32?

It's been discussed before quite a few times. Mazda requires usb drives to be formatted in FAT32. No exceptions. If it's exfat or any other format mazda system won't recognize the drive.

Windows in their infinite wisdom decided not to support formatting in fat32 beyond 32GB capacity despite the fat32 is perfectly capable of supporting discs of much bigger capacity. That's why you need a specific software like the one mentioned above to format your usb drive with more than 32GB capacity.

 

[N7turbo]

Windows cannot format FAT32 partitions over 32gb.

You can do it with Powershell, now known as Terminal in Win 11.

 

[MichalP]

You can do it with Powershell, now known as Terminal in Win 11.

True. Although for many users using a command line interface might be a challenge (no graphic interface) and it is apparently very slow process.

 

[RadRacer]

Don't most new USB drives come formatted as FAT32?

Yes, they should. OP might have tried to reformat before putting files on out of habit

 

[RadRacer]

You can do it with Powershell, now known as Terminal in Win 11.

It didn't work in powershell when I tried it on windows 10. Maybe 11 is different.

 

[MichalP]

It didn't work in powershell when I tried it on windows 10. Maybe 11 is different.

Just reading some reports on some forums. Apparently win10 was still limited to 32GB no matter what kind of Windows tool you were trying to use. Finally in Win11 they removed this limitation when you use command line. No chance to test it however. I use external free software.

 

[Busch]

I am the OP and like the responses. I am waiting for another crack at it. I still have a Win 10 PC but it doesn’t have a USB C port. I have a Win 11 with the port but as discussed, FAT32 was not shown as an option when I did its initial out of the package format. I will try one of the command line suggestions. I am slow to respond due to not having a 2025 car in my driveway and I have to get my sister’s device to experiment with. I like a challenge and will post an update when I figure it out.