PSA: USB media won't work with Teslacam folder even without cam hardware

[conman]

My vehicle has HW2 (July 2017 build) which means it doesn't have the necessary hardware support for the dashcam functionality. I'm on V9 (currently 2018.44) and just for grins I grabbed my music usb stick and put a TeslaCam folder in it, in case it actually does have cam support and put it back in my vehicle. The dashcam feature did not show up (unsurprisingly) but the usb media no longer showed up either. It seems that if a usb stick contains the Teslacam folder it treats it specially even if you don't have the necessary hardware support. I suspect that HW1 and even pre-AP vehicles will encounter the same issue.

 

[SpudLime]

Tesla developer 1: hey should we have the code check for a teslacam folder differently on the older hardware?

Tesla developer 2: no way man, that would add weeks to our development cycle. Besides, who would be dumb enough to do that?

 

[conman]

If HW >= 2.5 && if teslacam folder -> disable usb media and enable feature.
vs
If teslacam folder -> disable usb media -> if HW >= 2.5, enable feature.

 

[thecloud]

Not sure I see this as a negative. The presence of a Teslacam folder has been documented to mean that the volume is not to be used for music, so the behavior of inserting this USB stick is now consistent across the fleet. There really is no reason to have an unnecessary conditional if you can interpret the folder identically on all supported platforms.

 

[BluestarE3]

Not sure I see this as a negative. The presence of a Teslacam folder has been documented to mean that the volume is not to be used for music, so the behavior of inserting this USB stick is now consistent across the fleet. There really is no reason to have an unnecessary conditional if you can interpret the folder identically on all supported platforms.

Exactly. Once you verify that your car doesn't support Teslacam, then just erase the now extraneous "TeslaCam" folder and USB media will be working again.

 

[conman]

It was a PSA in case someone else tried it and couldn't get their USB music working again, no need to debate whether Tesla is doing the right thing or not...

 

[.jg.]

It is a missed marketing opportunity. If you put a USB with a Teslacam folder into a car without the necessary hardware, they could put a message on the screen along the lines of "Sorry dude, you don't have the necessary hardware to use Tesla Dashcam with this USB stick. If you would like to trade-in your car for one with dashcam and other wonderful new features, follow this link...".

 

[frank-datank]

I don't have a way to test this yet, as my X is being delivered in a couple of weeks. But here's a workaround to partion a drive to work for both media and dashcam:
[V9] How to Format USB into 2 Partitions for DashCam and Music [Windows]