I’ve tried to compose a playlist my Sansa m230 will use. I gave the text file an .m3u extension and it found it, but always says No Files no matter what I try. What’s the format for the playlist? Do the files have to be in the root?
I hope that somebody can answer this question, since I am running into the exact same problem.
Also, any other Media Monkey users run into this problem? I couldn’t find where MM placed the playlists, so I couldn’t see what format was being used.
Using Windows Media Player is about as pleasant as a punch in the face.
create a playlist using WMP and save it as .wpl then use WMP to sync the playlist to the device.
Message Edited by drlucky on 07-23-2007 08:01 PM
Thanks for the advice, I’ll try that. Do you happen to knoe if the playlist needs to be saved to the folder that the music files are in, or does it not matter?
it shouldent matter where it is saved because when you sync WMP will take care of putting it in the right place.
Sorry to be dense, but when you say “Create a playlist in WMP and save as a WPL, then sync”, etc., I’m not sure what you’re talking about.
I created a Playlist in WMP (by dragging and dropping the tunes from the M240 “Songs” list); I tried copying the .WPL file to the “Sync List” window in WMP and clicked on “Sync”, and all it did was flag all of the tunes with a red “X”. I still don’t show any playlists on the M240 under the “Playlists” category. I’m obviously missing something here, but how do you create a playlist on the M240 and load it with the songs you want?
Let me know if this helps, How To Video
I’m having the same problem and the video didn’t help. I have files on the player, but the player will not recognize playlists. I have tried using sync and I have tried to manually move the playlists to the player using windows explorer. When I view the files on the player using windows explorer I can see the playlists on there, but the player does not recognize them. I’m getting very frustrated and am ready to return this player.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
use the program Playlist Creator 3
set mp3 sansa usb in MSC mode and
look this…
video
Luck 
playlist used for it is .m3u i’ve all music files(mp3) on root and the m3u file is in the root too…
but using the program playlist creator there’s not problem with it, you can drag and dop the file that u want to add to the play list… m3u format file looks like it
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:108, - Wish
…\Lifehouse - Wish.mp3
#EXTINF:198,Just My Luck - I’ve Got You
…\Mc Fly- I’ve Got You.mp3
#EXTINF:256,Wonderland - Too Close for Comfort
…\CORRUPT-0-McFly - Too Close For Comfort.mp3
#EXTINF:207,Wonderland - Don’t Know Why
…\mcfly - don’t know why.mp3
#EXTINF:167, - - All About You
…\Mc Fly - All About You.mp3
#EXTINF:200, - - I’ll Be Ok
…\Mc Fly - I’ll Be Ok.MP3
#EXTINF:258, - Mc Fly - Not Alone
…\Mc Fly - Not Alone.mp3
#EXTINF:272, -
…\Mc Fly - You’ve Got A Friend.mp3
#EXTINF:205,Lifehouse - Undone
…\Lifehouse - Undone.mp3
it dont looks so good ehh…
use playlist crator 
For those who use linux (and might be useful for those who don’t), the playlist file can be created with xmms (or winamp in windows) but will need some tweaking. o load all the mp3 files in xmms o bring up the playlist editor (alt-e) o select all the files o right click on selection, then Selection->Read Extended Info o click LOAD LIST in the bottom right of the window, then SAVE LIST. o edit the resulting .m3u file with vi or vim o change the file format to dos (I think winamp defaults to dos format): :set ff=dos o get rid of all the directories (this may vary): :%s/[^#].*///g I loaded the same playlist on my player in lots of different formats and this is the only one that worked. Note that this is likely created fine with the other aforementioned windows based playlist editors.
(reposted properly formatted)
For those who use linux (and might be useful for those who don’t),
the playlist file can be created with xmms (or winamp in windows)
but will need some tweaking.
o load all the mp3 files in xmms
o bring up the playlist editor (alt-e)
o select all the files
o right click on selection, then Selection->Read Extended Info
o click LOAD LIST in the bottom right of the window, then SAVE LIST.
o edit the resulting .m3u file with vi or vim
o change the file format to dos (I think winamp defaults to dos format):
:set ff=dos
o get rid of all the directories (this may vary):
:%s/[^#].*///g
I loaded the same playlist on my player in lots of different formats
and this is the only one that worked. Note that this is likely
created fine with the other aforementioned windows based playlist editors.
I fought playlists on my m250 for weeks, watched all the videos and read forums both on Sansa and Google Groups. I finally found a way to add playlists every time and documented the steps. Here they are if you want to try it.
Part A: Prepare the Player and Windows Media Player
- With the m250 connected start WMP. Click on " Sync", then " Sync Settings". Uncheck " Synchronize device automatically". Click OK. Click on " Tools", " Options", " Privacy". Click " Clear History" and then " Clear Caches". Close WMP.
Note: Clear History and Clear Caches will erase all memory of the MP3 device in WMP so you effectively erase all mistakes you made in the past that kept playlists from working. Also, I had 2 m250s showing permanently on Windows explorer and this cleared that up. - With the m250 not connected to the USB, power it on. Press the " menu" button, select " settings", " USB" and make sure the checkmark is by " Auto Detect".
- Connect the m250 to the PC via a USB. Make sure the m250 displays MTP (Media Transfer Protocol).
- Right click on " Start", then " Explore".
- Locate the m250 device (listed with the disk drives), right click on it and select " Format".
Part B: Load your Playlist on the m250
- With the m250 not connected, build the playlists in WMP you want to load. The total of the songs on the playlists should not exceed the size of the player minus about 4 meg. (The m250 shows 1.9 GB total storage. After loading 1.87 GB of songs, WMP aborted and said I had 480 kb left.) It’s best to play it safe and allow for WMP’s eccentricities.
Note: If you have a song referenced by multiple playlists, that song will only be loaded once. - With the m250 connected start WMP. Click on " Tools", " Options", " Devices". Highlight the Sansa device you have connected (m250, etc.) then click on " Properties". Uncheck " Create folder hierarchy on device" and " Start sync when device connects".
Notes:
(1) If “Create folder hierarchy on device” is left checked, WMP creates a folder for each artist. If you have several artists, WMP will give a message that you are out of space on the m200 when it actually has lots of room left. Unchecking this allows you to fill your device. (2)“Start sync when device connects” is really a choice type of setting. I turn it off, because the m200 locks up so often and needs a re-format I don’t want to have to sit and wait through a sync when I’ll have to format the device anyway.
(3) These options have to be checked only once after each re-formatting - Click on " Sync", then " Set Up Sync". Check “Synchronize device automatically”. Select the playlist(s) you want to transfer to the device. Click " OK". Synchronization begins.
Note: This can take quite awhile. It starts quite fast and slows down as the device fills. Takes an hour plus to fill my m250.
You should now have a playlist on your m200 that works. To update this playlist or add additional playlist(s), go through Step B above. You should need to repeat Step A if your device locks up or starts doing weird things. Sansa support recommends formatting the device occasionally to remove fragments, residual data, etc… They also recommend formatting the device in MSC mode before starting on Step A above.
Note that the formatting only needs to be done once, but I do it when I want to reload the unit. It’s much faster than waiting for WMP to delete each file individually.
Walt:
They should make your post a sticky!!! Thank you for posting the instructions for getting playlists to work on Sandisk players. I have spent a ridiculous amount of time and energy on this and your solution was easy and painless.
You would think that Sandisk themselves would have posted a solution like this.
Thanks again!
I see how to create a list with wmp but I’m not a fan of WMP. I like to have my own control of data.
Does anyone have an example of a Playlist that works I could look at with a hex editor?
If some one would be so kind as to email me a Working Playlist to mailto:itiworks@yahoo.com I would appreciate it.
I can’t seem to get XMMS or winamp playlists cleansed and working.
Thanks
yeahoo
The format of your playlist on the m200 and the name of the file depends on the firmware level. On my version 4.1.08A m250 it is in a file named MTABLE.SYS (645 KB) in the root directory of the device. I have been unable to find it in my version 1.3.0A m240. Obviously SanDisk hid it somewhere with the firmware. The playlist on the v4 unit has lots of hex characters between each field (filename, song name, artist name, album, etc.) so it may be a little difficult to make your own. Also, after the playlist, the file seems filled with hex characters (all open blocks) until near the end of the file, then more variable information.
The documentation for the m200 series states it is designed for Windows XP and Windows Media Player 10, and they didn’t waste any time or money making it easy for anything else.
@pizzalilly wrote:
Walt:
They should make your post a sticky!!! Thank you for posting the instructions for getting playlists to work on Sandisk players. I have spent a ridiculous amount of time and energy on this and your solution was easy and painless.
You would think that Sandisk themselves would have posted a solution like this.
Thanks again!
the instructions given are exactly the same as the how to video linked by mrsmileyface in this thread. the instructions are nothing new.
thanks for posting a written version though.
hey thanks for the info. I too have looked at the Mtable.sys… I haven’t given up yet.
Yes, drlucky (Sansa Professor), there are videos on the Sansa Support website. But I watched the formatting videos for both FTP and MSC modes. I also watched the “playlist” video. I still couldn’t put a playlist on my m240. Also, even when my m240 was not connected to the PC, there were 2 m240 devices showing in Windows Explorer. This was a new device from the factory (Circuit City).
I finally fixed it in WMP 10 by opening Tools, Options, Privacy, and checking “Clear History” and “Clear Caches”. I see over and over in the forums, “I’ve followed the videos and still can’t get playlists to work”. Your videos do not cover Part A, Step 1 of my instructions, which is critical to getting playlists to working on some of the m200’s as they come from the factory.
I have compiled a few “guides” and misc. information, such as a photo of the m200 circuit board with major components identified if anyone is interested.
Hey Walt,
not everyone has broadband and can watch/download an online video, so I really appreciate your written instructions (and I’m sure I’m not the only one with slow dialup). They work for my M260.
I haven’t tried it, but I’m wondering what happens if I delete playlists/files on my computer, and then try to load a new playlist/files onto the Sansa? Will the existing playlists/files get deleted on the Sansa? My goal it to keep the old playlists/files, but it looks like you have to have the old playlists still on your computer.
And again, how would I edit a playlist/files on the Sansa that aren’t on my computer anymore?
Just thought I’d ask before I experiment.
I read on one site that you can take the existing files on a Sansa and make a playlist for them on WMP (I’m using WMP 10, and Sansa m260). I tried that but it didn’t seem to work.
