Sansa Clip Zip Firmware 01.01.15

MP3 players All other MP3 players
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Firmware is the software code that powers your Clip Zip. You can think of it as the operating system.  SanDisk actively and periodically updates the capabilities, functionality, and reliability of the Firmware.  For an optimal experience with your Clip Zip, SanDisk recommends that you update your Firmware with each new release.  It’s fast, easy, and free!

SanDisk has just released firmware version 01.01.15 for the Sansa Clip Zip. Download links and the release notes are available below.

Windows Users can Connect the device in any Mode and follow the instructions below.

Mac and Linux users can connect their Fuze in MSC or Auto Detect mode and follow the instructions below. 

MSC mode instructions:

  • Turn on the Clip Zip
  • Navigate to  Settings  on the menu of the device 
  • Scroll down to  System Settings
  • Scroll Down to  USB Mode
  • Select  MSC

 Sansa Clip Zip Firmware 01.01.15 Download and Installation instructions

Update using the Sansa Firmware Updater

For Sansa Firmware Updater - Click here to download 

Manual Firmware Update (Download and Instructions)

Manual Firmware Update (All Regions) - Click here to download

All languages are now in one firmware version. After firmware update you will need to select your Language and Region preference.

• Remove any external card from the Clip Zip before performing firmware update

• Ensure your battery is > 50% full. 

• Plug in your Sansa Clip Zip to your computer. 

• Extract the  clpza.bin  file from the .zip file you just downloaded into a folder on your computer.

• Once extracted, drag the file to the root directory of your Sansa Clip Zip. 

• Disconnect the Sansa Clip Zip and let the firmware update begin. 

• Once it finally finishes doing its update, it will turn itself off. 

• Turn the Clip Zip on, Select your language and region preference 

• Once its back to the main menu, head to “Settings” >“System Settings”> “Info”, and verify the “Version” is now 01.01.15"x".

                    Sansa Clip Zip Firmware 01.01.15 Release Notes

This new firmware has various bug fixes, including key fixes listed below, as well as enhancements. Upon completion of the firmware upgrade, the device will turn off; power on the device to complete the upgrade process.  If the device does not initiate or complete, press & hold the Power switch for 15 seconds to reset the device and then press and hold power button again to restart. 

Enhancements

  • System Settings is moved to the top for easy access
  • Volume button function is enabled when device is in Locked state
  • Play Previous is added to Music menu for music playback resume
  • Play/Pause icon visibility is improved during FM recording playback

  

Bugs Fixed

  • Static noise is heard between some song changes
  • Notification messages cause device to freeze while plugged in AC adaptor
  • Non-music files show up on device when transferring M4A songs using Mac
  • Add to Go List message shows up when press and holding on Shuffle List
  • Device hangs if backlight is timed out during Date and Time adjustment

Known Issues

  • Pressing Back button does not return to previous list when playing an album after first song is played (Work around:  User can go to Music menu and follow the highlighted choices to go back to previous list)
  • AAC files encoded with Microsoft mp4-2 variable bit rate cannot be played (Work around:  User can use different encoder or encode songs to different supporting formats)
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Good to see this, although I can’t apply it right now because I am in the middle of an AAC battery life test.:wink:

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One potential issue…when trying to download the update, this is what shows on my computer…

454×398 15.2 KB

The circle highlights where I clicked, which is the link for the manual firmware update link.

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Yes, the link does appear to point to the same .12 firmware version, which is already posted in the Clip Zip board.

6

I had not updated the link yet. no worries this will be moved to the public boards today. 

7

HI,

Thanks for the new version.

Can I change the letter already to the G format , to remove the radio?

 I would really appreciate it.

9

Thanks again for the upgraded firmware. 

I’ve just updated the firmware and I have discovered a problem in 01.01.15 and 01.01.12 firmware.  I have used a SlotCard and a Transcend 32GB class 4 card and the player repetitively hangs on “Refreshing your media.”  Both cards play and refresh well in Sansa Fuze and Clip+.  Any one else have this problem? If I don’t get this resolved, I will have to return Clip Zip.

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@therockies wrote:

  I have used a SlotCard and a Transcend 32GB class 4 card and the player repetitively hangs on “Refreshing your media.”  Both cards play and refresh well in Sansa Fuze and Clip+.  Any one else have this problem? If I don’t get this resolved, I will have to return Clip Zip.

I have had no problems with either 16GB or a 32GB SanDisk cards, nor a SlotRadio card.

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Found the solution!  After stating my problem with “Refreshing your media” causing my ClipZip to hang and reading your responses, it dawned on me the problem can’t be the SlotCard or the empty Transcend SDHC card as they continue to work well on my previous Sansa products.  Since refreshing the media is a database function, I decided to reformat the ClipZip using its menu and now it completes the refresh cycle. 

Thanks for the collective effort that led to some good ole root cause analysis!  :slight_smile:

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Boy, I’m really glad they had an update. I was getting the static between songs, which this update fixes, and it was very annoying.

I hope my new Clip Zip’s jack for the earphones last longer than either my original E280 or my Sansa Fuze+. I decided to downgrade to just simply an mp3 player.

-LBA

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I an trying to use a 32GB SanDisk class 4 cards with my Clip Zip.  If I put more than 2-3GB of content on the card the player hangs on “Refreshing your media”.  The progress bar only gets to about 35% or so and then the screen goes dark and even if you wait an hour for the refresh to finish it never does.  You then have to do a hard reset to start the player again.  If you have not removed the card before you do this the whole problem starts again and you are stuck in an endless loop until you remove the card.  

I tried this on 2 different 4gb Clip Zips and had the same problem with both.  Card is essentailly useless at this point.  I have spent over four hours with SanDisk online support on this issue, but have not gotten them to take owenrship of the issue yet.  They want me to get another memory card to test.  The nerve of them!

I am using the 01.01.15 firmware and it made no difference with this problem.  It failed with the new and the old firmware.

My files are a mix of m4a and mp3 with some having data rates up to 384kbps.  The player could not handle the m4a’s with greater than 320kbps data rates.  They play fine until the screen goes dark and then they degrade to unlistenable.  These files all played fine on my iPod Shuffle.  These two issues have me disappointed in the Clip Zip so far.

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@gph wrote:

I an trying to use a 32GB SanDisk class 4 cards with my Clip Zip.  If I put more than 2-3GB of content on the card the player hangs on “Refreshing your media”.  The progress bar only gets to about 35% or so and then the screen goes dark and even if you wait an hour for the refresh to finish it never does.  You then have to do a hard reset to start the player again.  If you have not removed the card before you do this the whole problem starts again and you are stuck in an endless loop until you remove the card.  

 

I tried this on 2 different 4gb Clip Zips and had the same problem with both.  Card is essentailly useless at this point.  I have spent over four hours with SanDisk online support on this issue, but have not gotten them to take owenrship of the issue yet.  They want me to get another memory card to test.  The nerve of them!

 

I am using the 01.01.15 firmware and it made no difference with this problem.  It failed with the new and the old firmware.

 

My files are a mix of m4a and mp3 with some having data rates up to 384kbps.  The player could not handle the m4a’s with greater than 320kbps data rates.  They play fine until the screen goes dark and then they degrade to unlistenable.  These files all played fine on my iPod Shuffle.  These two issues have me disappointed in the Clip Zip so far.

I would guess there is a problem with a file. Run the checkdsk utility on your computer and scan your files if there is a corruption fix it. Every player is different so some corruptions will cause a hang on your CZ while not on an iPud. 

Something else to consider is that the card (If its new and un tested could be bad. The odds of 2 bad cards are miniscule but could happen.

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Thanks for the tips Conversionbox,

Unfortunately, I can’t use chkdsk on my Mac, where my iTunes library is located. It’s a PC only utility. As far as some sort of corruption of a file, with 3000 files to load, it is a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack with no feedback from the Clip Zip (CZ) as to why it fails to load my files on the card.  With the screen the CZ provides I would have hoped SanDisk would actually display some sort of error messages on the screen if certain problems were encountered “Refreshing the media”.  They could trap errors due to unreadable files, incompatible formats, image files too large, etc. and use the display to help a customer out with some clues why operations are a no go, but I guess that is too much to expect these days, where products are rushed to market with inadequate testing and get replaced by a new model within a year or so. 

The whole point is for the CZ to successfully compete with the other established audio players, the CZ should be as good or better than those established players.  On paper the CZ is a better player than my shuffle, but right now I can only load about 5GB of my 29GB iTunes library to the CZ and even then any m4a files > 320kbps in data rate will all have to be reformatted to be playable on the CZ.  For me that is about 300 files I will need to convert, because the CZ isn’t up to the task. So much for as good or better.

The memory card issue really irks me because I specifically went out of my way to get a SanDisk brand card that runs at the faster rate (4 level) for use with this player. Right now this card sits unused due to the refresh cycle shutdowns, thus limiting me to playing a small fraction of my 29GB music library. 

As far as the memory card being the potential problem, it appears to format fine from my PC or from my Mac or from the CZ itself. I have successfully used it to transfer 20GB of video files between my Mac and PC without an error, so I am still inclined to blame the CZ card refresh routine for the issues I have experienced.

I guess I was foolish believing switching from an iPod (or iPud as you call it) to a CZ would be straight forward and relatively painless.  My plan to use a 4GB CZ with a 32GB card to hold my 29GB music library and still leave room for voice recording, podcasts and audio books only looks good on paper.  When it comes to my actual User Experience, the CZ has not delivered what I expected.  It remains a disappointment, but I do appreciate your feedback.

My plan now is to load my iTunes library to the Clip Zip in 3GB chunks until the entire 29Gb of files have been test loaded to the Clip Zip 4GB player.  If the files all load through the players Refresh cycle then I will know the files are not the problem.  This will leave the card or the player card refresh cycle as the most likely cause of the load problems.  We’ll see what comes of this test.

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You have an excellent plan there, loading the card in several-gigabyte chunks.  I always cringe at mass transfers, as the odds increase markedly for problems.  I remember the days of filling a backup 10MB hard drive all at once.  Ah, the old days.

Now, we’re into the gigs!

Let us know how the process goes!  It will be eaasier to locate a problem by loading in increments.

Bob  :stuck_out_tongue:

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@neutron_bob wrote:

You have an excellent plan there, loading the card in several-gigabyte chunks.  I always cringe at mass transfers, as the odds increase markedly for problems.  I remember the days of filling a backup 10MB hard drive all at once.  Ah, the old days.

 

Now, we’re into the gigs!

 

Let us know how the process goes!  It will be eaasier to locate a problem by loading in increments.

 

Bob  :stuck_out_tongue:

I loaded 59GB (yes, fifty-nine) onto a player today in one shot :dizzy_face:…granted, it took quite a long time.:wink:

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@gph wrote:

Thanks for the tips Conversionbox,

 

Unfortunately, I can’t use chkdsk on my Mac, where my iTunes library is located. It’s a PC only utility

I am a mac too. Its just eaiser in most cases to give PC related suggestions. I struggle with my player doing anything fancy using my mac (I cant use audible, I have to drag and drop, etc) 

 

 (or iPud as you call it)

This was just a type-o 

 

Good Luck with your player.

20

On the sansa + when you go to options, it says, “return to music list,” on the sansa clip zip, It doesn’t have this. Is there a way you can fix this and the known issue mentioned. thanks. 

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@ross2011 wrote:

On the sansa + when you go to options, it says, “return to music list,” on the sansa clip zip, It doesn’t have this. Is there a way you can fix this and the known issue mentioned. thanks. 

Just press the Back button

.

Which ‘known issue’?

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thanks.

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System Settings should not be top of the Settings list.  The previous firmware configuration was optimal in this regard.  Previously a single key tap (scroll up) took you from Settings to the System Settings.  This had the dual benefit of deeply nesting critical settings for protection, as well as providing easy access for someone who knows exactly what they are doing.

The lock / unlock function has become even more fragile by allowing the volume control to pass through.  A lock function should be just that; a lock.  With this new firmware, not only can you inadvertently unlock the unit by a single tap, you can now inadvertently increase / decrease volume.  This gives rise to conditions where you blast your ears (health issue) or you appear to lose all sound output (giving impression of erratic operation).  The lock function should lock everything.  The unlock function (and probably the turn on function also) should be a two key operation.  Eg. While holding Select key, press power key.  A settings switch that permitted both modes of operation might suit everyone.

The Sansa menu system has been well thought out and I suspect extensively tested.  I would encourage you not to make ad hoc changes that degrade its design.

A bug is still present that relates to the accelerated scrolling function.  When attempting to scroll to “S” it jumps back to the Shuffle command and ignores the existence of songs or albums starting with an S.  Can I Suggest putting a period or a dash ahead of the word Shuffle so that this does not occur.

Keep up the good work.