My external HDD connection is not recognised KDL43WG663BU TV

[Lugs001]

I just got my new TV but the external HDD connection is not recognised on my KDL43WG663BU TV. The message is "The HDD connected to the USB port was not recognised. Please confirm the connection." I have checked with the HDD requirements and it conforms, it is NTFS formatted HDD with over 256GB storage space, and have tried connecting it to both USB slots, unplugged the TV as it says on the Sony site, but still get the same message.

[Piscie]

Hey @ Lugs001,

Have you tested this HDD with any different TV? Just to confirm it's not faulty. Also, what is the software version of your TV?

[Lugs001]

Yes its the same one I had on my old TV

[Lugs001]

Sorry Im not sure how to know what the software is

[Lord_viridis]

Although the newer TVs are supposed to recognise NTFS you could try a usb flash drive to test 

Format as NTFS and connect, then format as EXFAT and test.

If both show up, you may need to run a disk check on the drive.

If NTFS doesn't work on the flash drive, you may want to change the drive file structure to EXFAT

[Lugs001]

I reformatted the drive to exFAT, but still no luck.

[daveyh64]

The HDD you are trying to use are you expecting to view recordings made on your previous TV.

If your previous TV was a Sony and you were using the HDD to record programmes from that TV

to the HDD you cannot then watch these recorded programmes on another Sony TV.

When first connected to your Sony TV and asked to make a recording the TV places a code on

the hard drive so that it can only be used with that TV.

If that is not the case and programmes and movies are not recordings from another TV but simply

downloads from a computer the format requirements for the HDD should be FAT16, FAT32

or NTFS. You may have to copy the items on the HDD to your computer and then reformat the HDD

again as NTFS, copy your items back onto the HDD and try again.

See spec sheet here, https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/televisions-projectors-lcd-tvs/kdl-43wg663/specifications

[Lugs001]

No I am trying to set up the HDD to record the new Sony TV, I am aware that the previous recordings won't play on this TV, which is why I reformatted the HDD

[daveyh64]

When reformatting the HDD you must reformat it from the Disk level and not the Volume level.

The Disk level will named after the manufacturer of the Disk.

Disk should be formatted as NTFS on a Master Boot Record partition scheme.

Are you reformatting on a mac or a PC, I am using macs and format my HDDs for use with my Sony TV

as NTFS (installed software that will allow NTFS formatting and Read & Write on macs).

Once you have reformatted the Disk then plug it into the TV.

click on the Home button> Settings> Set Up> Recording Setup> HDD Registration.

(the above path is for my Sony TV, your path may not be exactly the same but may be similar).

Better than using the TV to make recordings you can purchase a PVR some have two or three tuners

which can record up to four TV channels at the same time and also play other media.

The TV can only record one channel at a time.

[HannahEd01]

Hi Lugs001, try a different HDD if you have one, as it might be that there's something left from the previous TV causing this issue.