Rhapsody Channels disappeared

Hi. I’ve had the Clip/Rhapsody for 2 days now. I have connected the clip to the PC/Rhapsody over a dozen times - possibly 2 dozen times. So far I have only seen the Channels feature allowing transfer and updating to the clip appear while connected 2 times. I added some channels the 2nd time this feature appeared. But since then the channel tracks appear as in playlists and the actual update/transfer channels to the clip feature is missing again.

I have so far:

Updated Rhapsody to version 4.311

Updated the Sansa Clip firmware to V01.01.30 (4 GB)

Updated Windows Media Player to V.11 (XP)

Updated the Microsoft Windows Updates

I really want this Channels feature for my clip. I’m on a free trial with Rhapsody. I haven’t been able to find anyone else having this problem. No idea what the problem is

While connected, The CIA had a look at your channels, and determined that they were not for you.

Just kidding.  My favorite PC Poltergeist, Windows Media Player, has taken your playlists from the Rhapsody folder and reinstalled them in the general playlist folder.

I enjoy grappling with my WiMP friend.  To do so properly, you must litter your desk with Fritos and drink Diet Coke until pretty colors start to dance around in your peripheral vision.  In this Altered State, you can mind meld with the Microsoft programming team, and understand the application responsible (and necessary) for the MTP transfer protocol.

How to repair a zorched Rhapsody Channels system:

In this case, the RhapPFS system is messed up, yielding no Rhapsody Channels feature when subscribed.  Note that your regular Rhapsody downloads ( “to go” ) transfers may still be available.

With the device connected, and available in the Rhapsody 4 client, note that the Channels sub-folder is not displaying below your Sansa in the sources pane.

Fear not.  You may lose a bit of hair if you attempt to solve this one via Rhapsody support.  You’ve come to the right place.

Close the Rhapsody Client for now. 

Leave the Sansa connected, since we can do this surgery in either MSC or MTP mode.

Open a Windows Explorer window via [Windows key] + E, or under “My Computer”.  Your Sansa will pop up. If it is in MTP mode, the only difference is that you’ll need to double click on Internal Memory to expose the root directory of the Sansa.

While you’re in here, you can drag and drop any music data to a separate folder on the desktop, and save files, or if there are copies in WiMP’s “My Library”, you have backups for convenience.  Rhapsody tracks can simply be reloaded from the server, or from your PC if you have files set to cache on the PC.

Let’s go deep.  In the list of folders, see the Service Folder?  Delete the Rhapsody folder inside it.  If you’re curious, within the Rhapsody folder, you’ll see the subscriptioninfo folder with your Rhapsody account data, a playlist folder with your genuine Rhapsody Channels nested within it.  The Sansa stores the Channels in here, keeping them hidden from the regular population of music files.

If there’s a folder duplication visible in the root directory, as in two Service folders or Rhapsody folders, delete the empty ones.

Now for an important step.  Did you install the latest firmware using the Sansa Updater, or manually?  I hope it was manually, as you’ll be familiar with the process.

You’ll need to drag and drop another copy of the firmware into the root directory of your Sansa.  From the Sansa Clip Firmware thread, you can download a copy of the firmware as a zipped library.  Unzip this file, and you’ll have a firmware binary called m300a.bin that you simply drop in the root directory.  This is the open Windows Explorer window showing all of those folders- simply place the file in the box, but NOT into any of the folders.

Unplug your Clip, and firmware update in progress will display.

After that’s done, open the Rhapsody 4 client again, and sign in.

Installing the firmware prepared the Sansa for a fresh account installation, with a new folder tree generated in the process!

The Clip will appear in the sources pane in the upper left.

Right-click on the Sansa, and select Authorize.  Oh, did you notice that the Rhapsody Channels folder is back, below the Clip listing?  Good stuff, huh?

The Sansa Clip is a RhapPFS compatible device, meaning that it automatically becomes a Rhapsody device when authorized, giving you the Channels feature in the main menu too.

Now, enjoy filling up your restored Clip.  Choose your channels from your Channels list, and drag them over to the folder, or choose ones directly from the Music Guide.

These wee beasties are pretty resilient.

Enjoy your music once again!

Bob :smileyvery-happy:

Message Edited by neutron_bob on 10-19-2008 09:18 PM

Message Edited by neutron_bob on 12-04-2009 06:34 AM

:smileyvery-happy: worked exactly as you said, Thank you very much!

sorry i goofed up the ‘accepted solution’ icon…