Sansa E250V2 Freezes on Firmware Upgrade In Progress

I apologize if this has been posted elsewhere - I did search but couldn’t find anything directely addressing this issue. The problem:

Some time ago my Sansa E250V2 gave me a screen that said Refreshing Database. The Sansa would freeze at this point. I finally learned here that this problem could be solved by installing new firmware. I put the sansa into forced MSC mode and addedd the most current version, 03.01.16. Now I no longer get the updating database. Unfortunately I get a “Firmware Upgrade in Progress” that continues until i shut the unit off or the battery runs out. Any help you can give me would be very appreciated. Thank you!

MrLupin wrote:

 

Some time ago my Sansa E250V2 gave me a screen that said Refreshing Database. The Sansa would freeze at this point. I finally learned here that this problem could be solved by installing new firmware.

Not sure where you read this, but freezing during database refresh is rarely, if ever related to firmware updating. It is instead usually caused by bad (or wrong format) ID3 tags or corrupted files. When your player encounters something it cannot read or translate during the process of database refreshing, it simply freezes up, not knowing how to handle it.

MrLupin wrote:

I put the sansa into forced MSC mode and addedd the most current version, 03.01.16. Now I no longer get the updating database. Unfortunately I get a “Firmware Upgrade in Progress” that continues until i shut the unit off or the battery runs out. Any help you can give me would be very appreciated. Thank you!

The firmware update process will not complete until the unit is shut off and turned back on. I’d suggest re-doing the manual installation of the firmware using the same procedure you did before (the instructions are in the firmware update post here) and see if it won’t successfully install this time.

You definitely want to verify that you have a v2 device though . . . v2 firmware cannot be iinstalled on a v1 machine. :wink:

Tapeworm, let me first say thank you for helping me with this. I’ve tried numerous times to get this fixed on my own which simply hasn’t been enough.

Not sure where you read this, but freezing during database refresh is rarely, if ever related to firmware updating. It is instead usually caused by bad (or wrong format) ID3 tagsor corrupted files. When your player encounters something it cannot read or translate during the process of database refreshing, it simply freezes up, not knowing how to handle it.

I can’t tell you where I got the information - the firmware update was the first step in a process to stop the database refresh freeze problem.

The firmware update process will not complete until the unit is shut off and turned back on. I’d suggest re-doing the manual installation of the firmware using the same procedure you did before (the instructions are in the firmware update post here) and see if it won’t successfully install this time.

 

You definitely want to verify that you have a v2 device though . . . v2 firmware cannot be iinstalled on a v1 machine. :wink:

I was able to confirm that I have a V2 device by looking at the bottom left corner on the back of the device.  I went to the manual installation instructions and re-installed the firmware. I get part way through the following proceedure.

Once its been added, disconnect the device, it will then say that it is upgrading the firmware. It will eventually turn off. Once it turns off, turn it back on, and it should ask you for a language to select. Once the language is chosen, head to Settings > Info and verify that the “Version” is V03.01.16.

The device gets to the point where it sayshe “Firmware Upgrade is In Process” and hangs there. It will run a full battery down if I leave it on. I have tried turning it off and then back on when it hangs at this point and have the same problem - it just runs the battery down.

Two observations that may have nothing to do with the situation. 

  1. When I put the device into forced MSC mode I can see the device as a Sansa E200p in Windows explorer. It shows upalso as a Sansa E200P in Rhapsody. I can not see it as anything I recognize in the device manager.

  2. When I connect in MTP mode (hold button is off) I can not see the device in Windows Explorer but I do see it as a protable Device in the device manager as a Sansa E250. I can not see it in Rhapsody.

Message Edited by MrLupin on 07-22-2010 12:33 PM

Message Edited by MrLupin on 07-22-2010 12:34 PM

Hi Tapeworm,

I finally found a fix. It was frustratingly simple. I only had to format the root directory while in forced MSC mode. I then updated the firmware again and everything worked perfectly. Thank you very much for your time!

:smiley: