Your title mentions looping through the loading graphic. Let’s look at the problem insead of getting upset with each other.
I think drlucky might suspect something going on with the most recent transfer, on the new device.
All we have to do is rule this out, right? Are you loading the exact same mp3 files as before? Did they play OK on the first device?
I’d better take a moment to elaborate, in the interest of avoiding any confusion or misunderstanding. The audio codec used can be any one of a variety of bit rates, fixed or variable, with any one of several ID3 tag formats, image sizes and resolution / color depth formats, or as we’ve seen, even an unsupported codec on occasion, like the multitude of WMA variants out there that can accidentally be selected when ripping.
By simply trying a proper file, it’s possible that your player may indeed work fine, saving you plenty of inconvenience and time. Let’s look at your description:
The device I received as a replacement, after one week of moderate use, is now acting up in different ways.
1) after an overnight charge, the battery indicator all of the sudden showed critically low.
2) Screen shutoff while music plays
3) volume and navigation buttons unresponsive
This is not all. Is “firmware” supposed to fix such seemingly deep-reaching flaws?
I have experienced this “critically low” error. Cycle the power on the Fuze+ and see if a normal indication is restored. The screen shutoff is next- can you describe what’s happening? The screen is supposed to time out after a selected interval, I have mine at the shortest (15 seconds), as it narrows the window when the touchpad is active too.
I’m more concerned with (3) in your list, in particular the volume buttons, as they’re a “hard input” rather than the touchpad. What is the player doing when this occurs, is the music playing, with the screen blanked? The very first touch of the volume is interpreted as a “wake up” signal, then the buttons should control volume.
The latest firmware is 1.32.00. If this is the installed version, it’s a little different; the firmware cannot be rolled back from this version currently. If you have an earlier version on your device, go ahead and update your firmware to this version. It’s quite stable on my end.
Murphy’s Law is one of the guiding principles im my daily life, so I understand all too well that it’s possible to have a different issue plague you on the second go-around. It’s just important to look at the issue and rule out some variables just in case. SanDisk is very good in the support arena, so I wouldn’t worry about that. Let me know a little more detail if you have a moment. When contacting support, you can let them know of the steps you’ve tried with the above issues. This way, if it is indeed another device that’s needed, you can discern this much easier.
Bob :smileyvery-happy: