2GB Sansa Clip Does Not Show Music Files

My Sansa Clip 2GB I bought around 2006 or 2008 I think, does not show any music files when connect to myIt.  windows XP or Wildows 7 laptop though it used to do so.  It shows a blank page if I click the MUSIC folder and I was able to add two folders with mm3 and wma files in them but the 1357 other song folders do not show. But the music is all there. It shows and it plays on the Clip. But I would like to be able to access it on the laptops and cannot. Does anyone know why this is and what if anything I can try to get the music folders to show up? The 8 GB and the 1 GB clips DO show up but not the 2GB clip. Odd. It used to.

Check to see if the USB mode is set to Auto Detect. In this setting, it can connect in either MTP or MSC mode at will (and without your knowledge). While the player will still see and play files loaded in either mode, your computer can only see the files that were added in the mode it is currently connected in, not the other.

Set to either MSC or MTP and then connect. Are the “missing” files visible now? No? Then disconnect, switch to the other mode and try again.

For a long-term (and less confusing) solution, delete all the files (again, you have to do this is the mode they were originally loaded in); although best way to do this (without changing modes) is the format the player. Then pick 1 mode (MTP or MSC) and set your player to it, and then re-load everything back again.

Which one? Depends on your usage. Do you listen to DRM-encrypted files (Audible, protected .wma files, etc.)? Then use MTP mode. If not, and you own all the music, etc. use MSC mode.

For more info on these 2 modes, use the Search function here; there are literally hundreds (if not more) posts/threads on the subject especially with these older players that have these 2 USB mode choices. It is not advised to use the Auto setting.

For some reason it was set to Auto. I do not know why, who did it, nor undestand the settings. But I changed to MTP and still could not see them but when changed to MSC they were all there. I guess it must have been in MSC when I added them. The two I added in Auto were not there so I re-added them in MSC mode. Maybe it reverted to Auto for some reason-I do not recall changing or even looking at this setting. I only used minimal features so I could add or play music. Maybe I should read the manual and learn more through Search as you said. Thanks for the tip.

Good! Glad you got it sorted out.

Did you perhaps update (or re-install) the firmware at some point before the 2 files or maybe restore the factory defaults? The USB mode changes back to the default Auto setting when either of these 2 things occur.

Unless you’re using DRM-crippled files, MSC mode is the way to go. :smiley: