Format a Mazda Connect USB Drive and Copy ScreenTune Files

Preparing a drive from a ScreenTune download takes three steps on your computer:

1. Format an empty 8–32 GB USB-A flash drive as FAT32 with an MBR partition table.
2. Unzip the downloaded ScreenTune-<version>.zip, then copy the files inside the extracted folder to the top level of the drive. Copying the ZIP itself, or the whole folder, will not start ScreenTune.
3. Eject the drive. On a Mac, use the clean-and-eject command below instead of Finder.

Jump to: Windows · Mac · Linux

A USB mailed by Miatafy arrives ready. Skip to the install steps.

Formatting erases every file on the drive.

• File system. FAT32. exFAT and NTFS do not work.
• Partition table. MBR. GPT does not work.
• Partition layout. One partition.
• Connection. Plug the drive directly into the car’s media/data USB-A port. Do not use a hub, extension cable, or charge-only port.

What the finished ScreenTune drive looks like

Open the USB drive on your computer. These files must appear immediately, with no folder to open first:

USB drive
├── START_HERE.html
├── jci-autoupdate
├── LICENSE
├── bootstrap.sh
├── screentune-agent
├── config.cbor
├── one .up file with a long, unusual name
└── assets/   (only in some packages)

The .up file name starts with $(S= and is meant to look that way. Keep every file name exactly as extracted.

What you see when you open the drive	Result in the car	Fix
The files above	ScreenTune prompt appears	Ready to install.
ScreenTune-1.0.9.zip	No prompt	The car cannot open ZIP files. Unzip it on your computer and copy the extracted files instead.
A ScreenTune-1.0.9 folder	No prompt	The files are one level too deep. Open the folder, move everything inside it to the top level, then delete the empty folder.
Files from more than one package	Wrong or failed install	Format the drive again and copy one package.

Mazda firmware updates follow a different rule: copy the .up file as downloaded and never unzip it. See updating Mazda Connect firmware.

Windows: format, unzip, copy, and eject

Format the drive

Use an 8–32 GB drive so Windows 10 and 11 offer FAT32 in File Explorer.

1. Insert the USB drive.
2. Open File Explorer → This PC.
3. Right-click the USB drive, then select Format.
4. Set File system to FAT32.
5. Leave Allocation unit size at Default allocation size.
6. Select Quick Format.
7. Select Start.

Check the drive before selecting Start

Formatting erases the selected drive. Confirm that the Format window shows your USB drive.

If FAT32 is not listed, use an 8–32 GB drive instead of repartitioning a larger drive.

Check MBR on a reused drive

File Explorer changes the file system but leaves the existing partition table in place. Check the partition table if the drive was previously used as bootable media or the car does not recognize it.

1. Right-click Start, then select Disk Management.
2. Find the USB drive by its capacity.
3. Right-click the disk label on the left, such as Disk 2, then select Properties → Volumes.
4. Check Partition style. If it says Master Boot Record (MBR), no changes are required.
5. If it says GUID Partition Table (GPT), follow Microsoft’s Disk Management instructions to convert it to MBR. Conversion erases every volume on the selected disk.
6. Create one new simple volume, select FAT32, and use Quick Format.

Unzip, copy, and eject

1. Open File Explorer → Downloads.
2. Right-click ScreenTune-<version>.zip, select Extract All, then select Extract. Windows creates and opens a folder named ScreenTune-<version>.
3. In that folder, press Ctrl+A to select every file, then Ctrl+C to copy.
4. Open the USB drive in File Explorer and press Ctrl+V.
5. Check that jci-autoupdate and START_HERE.html appear as soon as you open the drive, matching the layout above.
6. Eject the drive from Windows, then unplug it.

Double-clicking the ZIP only previews it. Use Extract All so every file copies correctly.

macOS: format, unzip, copy, clean, and eject

Format the drive

Use Apple’s Disk Utility. A Mac with only USB-C ports needs a USB-C to USB-A adapter for the flash drive.

1. Insert the USB drive and open Disk Utility.
2. Select View → Show All Devices.
3. Under External, select the USB drive itself. Choose the top-level device, not the indented volume below it.
4. Select Erase.
5. Enter any name, such as MIATAFY.
6. Set Format to MS-DOS (FAT).
7. Set Scheme to Master Boot Record.
8. Select Erase, then Done.

Check the drive before selecting Erase

Formatting erases the selected drive. Make sure you selected the USB drive under External.

If you do not see the Scheme menu, return to step 2 and select the top-level USB device.

Unzip and copy

1. In Finder, open Downloads and double-click ScreenTune-<version>.zip. macOS creates a ScreenTune-<version> folder next to it.

   Safari unzips downloads automatically by default. If you see the folder and no ZIP, use the folder.

2. Open the ScreenTune-<version> folder and press Command+A to select every file.

3. Drag the selected files onto the USB drive’s name in the Finder sidebar.

4. Open the USB drive and check that jci-autoupdate and START_HERE.html appear at the top level, matching the layout above.

Clean and eject

A Mac adds hidden files to the drive, and they can stop the car from seeing the update. This Terminal command deletes them and ejects the drive in one step, before macOS can add them back.

Do not eject the drive in Finder

Leave the drive connected after copying. Already ejected in Finder? Plug the drive back in and run the command.

1. Close any Finder window showing the USB drive.

2. Open Terminal from Applications → Utilities.

3. Copy the entire command below, paste it into Terminal, then press Return:

   curl -fsSL https://miatafy.com/downloads/miatafy-macos-clean-eject.sh | sh

4. Wait for Done. The USB drive is safe to remove. The helper has now ejected the drive.

5. Unplug the USB drive, then plug it directly into the car’s USB-A port.

Run the command again whenever you copy or change files on the drive. The helper refuses to run unless it finds one external, ejectable drive containing a Mazda Connect installation or update marker.

If the helper reports No install or update drive was found, the files are not at the top level of the drive. Fix the layout using the table above, then run the command again.

Linux: use one FAT32 partition on MBR

Create an MBR/DOS partition table with one partition. Format that partition as FAT32. Then extract the package straight onto the mounted drive and confirm the layout:

unzip ~/Downloads/ScreenTune-*.zip -d /media/$USER/MIATAFY
ls /media/$USER/MIATAFY    # should list jci-autoupdate and START_HERE.html

Replace /media/$USER/MIATAFY with your drive’s mount point. Run sync, then unmount the drive before unplugging it.

If the car still does not recognize the drive, try another 8–32 GB flash drive and see USB not working.