My computer won't recognize my Sansa Clip +

When I plug it into my computer, it won’t charge and the computer doesn’t even read that it’s there. I have a black Sansa Clip + 4 GB and I’m using Windows 8.1. It worked fine until a few months ago, but I can no longer put music on it from my computer.

  1. Try a different USB port.

  2. Check in Device Manager to see if it shows up there.

  3. Try resetting the device by holding down the power button for 20-3- secs. (while uplugged from the computer). Release the power button, then press again to start it up.

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I tried the 3rd option and it worked. Thanks.

Great!

My first post here and I have the same problem. Among others…
I have two identical Sansa Clip 4GB. The first one (red) has served me well but the battery is not so good anymore, the clip on the back is broken and it looks a litte scrappy. But I’ts working fine. I have a (Sandisk) 16GB card in it. 

Recently I bought a slightly used black one. It came with a 2GB (Sandisk) memory card (not installed). 

First of all: when any of these card is used in the black player, it hang during startup when the logo is displayed the second time. Resetting will not make any change. 

Without extra memory card it starts up. So I plugged it in to my computer and transferred some songs. No problem. 

But: next time I tried it says “USB-device not recognized”. I get the Connected message on the device and the symbols as well. 

I have tried another computer, other USB-ports (no hub), other cables - nothing works. I have also tried to re-format the unit and reset to default settings. No change.

USB is set to MSC (have tested both and also Auto). 

FW is 1.02.17F - but can not be upgraded since I can’t acces the device.  

I have Windows 10. Device manager says: Unknown USB-device (request descriptor failed). 

I’m running out of options. What is you best shot? 

No one has any suggestions? 

From personal experience with my Clip Sports and from reading messages in this Forum, I have learned that the micro USB cable that comes with Sansa players will always exchange data with the USB port of a computer. Many other random micro USB cables will only be able to charge these players.  (I discovered that my Garmin micro USB cable wiill also work with my Clip Sport.)

   Here is a brief discussion about this topic I discovered using The Google.

   https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/140225/how-can-i-tell-charge-only-usb-cables-from-usb-data-cables

Also with some (older?) computers, the rear USB ports may provide more reliable data communication than the front ports.

What happens when you use the micro USB cable that came with one of your Sansa Clips?

Not all micro USB cables are constructed to allow data communication, just charging.

See this link for a brief discussion:

    https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/140225/how-can-i-tell-charge-only-usb-cables-from-usb-data-cables

What happens when you try using  a micro USB cable that comes with your Sansa Clip+  

Not all micro USB cables are capable of data communication with Sansa players.

See this link for a brief discussion.

    https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/140225/how-can-i-tell-charge-only-usb-cables-from-usb-data-cables

Maybe try using the micro USB data cable that comes with each Sansa player. Many other random micro USB cables are capable of charging these players but they lack the extra internal wires for data communication.

Well, it’s the cable I’ve been using. The original cable. And since I have two Sansa Clip I’ve tested both. 

My hope is to send some kind of “reset” to the player. I think/hope that will do the trick. But how? 

Take a look at the solution submitted by Forum member “jonmyrlebailey” in March 2012.

    http://forums.sandisk.com/t5/Sansa-Clip-Sansa-Clip/HELP-My-Sansa-Clip-is-no-longer-recognized-by-my-PC-when/m-p/270229#M40951

Thanks for the tip but it didn’t work. I never got that far as in the link. 

My (black) Sansa Clip will never show up on Device Manager as a Mass storage device or a Portable device. My red does. 

Only as a Unknown device. 

“Windows has stopped this device becuase it has reported problems (Code 43)”

I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place…

I had the EXACT SAME PROBLEM with my SanDisk SansaClip 8GB (my “Clip”): Windows 11 stopped seeing my Clip. I dutifully scoured the internet and found no information to help me, but I solved the problem myself and so I’m sharing my experience in hopes other people won’t have to spend their time the way I have spent the last hour. Apparently sometimes one’s Windows computer just stops being able to see the Clip. My cable, as well as multiple other micro-B-USB cables I tried, had no trouble connecting the Clip to charge it, but refused to establish a data transfer connection so that my computer could see and send data to and from my Clip. Resetting the Clip, restoring the Clip, and all kinds of fiddling around or troubleshooting or even downloading a third-party driver update app, none of that worked for me at all. Nor did changing my cable. What DID work for me was, with the USB end already plugged into my PC, to repeatedly plug and unplug the micro-B end of my cable, with a little extra manual pressure, as if trying to force the micro-B end more firmly into the recalcitrant and inexplicably not communicative Clip until finally, after the 75th time or so, the stupid Windows computer finally established a perfectly good and stable data transfer connection (as opposed to a charge-up-the-Clip connection). I have no idea why this didn’t work before the 75th time. Once I had my connection, I was sure to go to the lower righthand corner of my Windows 11 screen and click on the up arrow near the time/date and internet connection icons to show the hidden icons and there was a icon that looks like a USB connection with a checkmark. EVERY TIME before unplugging your Clip from your Windows computer, it is VERY IMPORTANT to click on this USB connection icon, which will Eject your Clip SAFELY from the computer. The first time you SAFELY disconnect this way, the next time you plug in, the computer will see the clip (will establish a data transfer connection and not just a charge up the clip connection). I safely disconnected, and lo and behold! next time I connected my Clip, Windows recognized the Clip right away and invited me to specify what the computer does whenever it sees the Clip. I selected the option to open the file manager (which seems to be the only way we can tell Windows to open a data transfer connection) as opposed to doing nothing (which seems to be Windows’ version of establishing only the charge-up-the-clip type of connection). I hope, if you’re reading this, that my experience saves you, diligent SansaClip user, from wasting an hour of your life the way I did trying to get the Clip and Windows to get along together. Thank you.