Update Firmware and Vista

SanDisk MP3 players Sansa® Clip | Sansa® Clip+
1

Successful update of firmware, but then Vista changed its own settings, so it can no longer properly see the directories on the sansa, and has it’s own set of directories in capital letters e.g.

AUDIO BOOKS

PODCASTS

How can I get Vista to read the directories as it should?

Thanks

2

Is everything in the directorys the same as it was before?  If so and playback is fine, dont worry about it.  It might be a little annoyance but my vista has always done this. I dont think you need to worry.

3

Hi I get the same.  I downloaded stuff to my clip and the directories looked different before I upgraded.  Now I see no evidence when connected to the computer of the files I have on there, other than the capacity being used.  I don’t know where to drag other albums etc now to, to join the others.

4

I’ve just found the answer.  Go to settings and USB mode and change to auto detect - bingo!

5

There is an inherent danger with Auto Detect. That is if you plug-in using auto detect, your player and computer determine what mode you are in MTP or MSC. So if you go to another computer, or your computer changes, you may not be able to see your music on your player when you open it in Windows explorer.

6

I’ve updated the firmware, have Vista.  I thought this would fix my problem, but it hasn’t.  I’d like to get the audiobooks into the audiobook folder, currently under music.  When I try to move these folders, I get a message that the sansa clip is not connected.  Is there a fix for this since I would like to be able to use the bookmarks.  Thanks!

7

@tbov wrote:
I’ve updated the firmware, have Vista.  I thought this would fix my problem, but it hasn’t.  I’d like to get the audiobooks into the audiobook folder, currently under music.  When I try to move these folders, I get a message that the sansa clip is not connected.  Is there a fix for this since I would like to be able to use the bookmarks.  Thanks!

You need to make sure the genre of the file is Audiobook or Speech. If its not either of these then the files wont stay in those folders.

8

Please forgive my lack of knowledge with this, but how do I do this?  This is my first player and I really am starting at scratch.  I get my audiobooks thru the local library using Overdrive. 

9

is it normal to have 60mb in use out of 7.6GB total space, with all my files using 2MB file space?

I always use MSC mode. 

I have no music loaded, i noticed this after using format. 

Message Edited by icsterm on 03-06-2009 03:34 PM

10

Just an update, someone on Amazon answered this question and just thought I would pass it along. 

Posted on Mar 6, 2009 6:40 AM PST

Here is how you get books into the audiobooks folder on the Clip if your using Overdrive…

In the Overdrive software transfer process, the second screen that comes up has an “Advanced Options” button. Pressing that button brings up a screen that includes the download directory path, in a field named “Player Folder.” That path reads: “Music/AUTHOR/TITLE” (Author and Title being the actual author and title). If you take your cursor, highlight the word Music and replace it with the word Audiobooks, voila, the book will be deposited in the Clip’s Audiobook folder and the auto bookmark feature will work.

I still prefer to manually set my book marks as I have had a few issues with the “resume feature” failing me when switching between multiple books. I hope they add a manual bookmark feature in future firmware upgrades but other than that it is a great little player. And if your listening to just one book at a time it should be perfect for you.

11

I can still see all my files when viewing my Sansaclip on its own, just as I always could with the appropriate names e.g. Artists, Albums, Podcasts, Audiobooks etc.  

BUT when I try to see it under Vista, all it shows me is AUDIBLE, AUDIOBOOKS, MUSIC, PODCASTS, RECORD.  All these directories have “nothing in them”.  I tried a sneaky by making another directory called Audiobooks, but it said that that directory already existed, so it seems that case is not important (as it is in Unix).

There may be ways around this, which I have not discovered or tried yet.   The thing is, this shouldn’t happen.  I change the content quite a bit, as I use it for podcasts and audiobooks rather than music.

So I’m not sure whether I should be snapping at SanDisk or Microsoft.    To all intents and purposes, my hitherto fabulous sansaclip is now useless.

12

Jlbgreen-

Note that the folder labels are all in capital letters?  Your device is in MSC mode.  Yes, you have run into TWO happy Microsoft issues.

There is a virtual wall between files transferred in MSC versus MTP modes.  From the computer side, you cannot access or see files transferred in the alternate mode.  This is different from the familiar “hidden files” issue.

I’d bet that your device has dropped the MTP connection in favor of MSC.  If Auto Detect is selected on the device, it will select MSC if the MTP connection is not available or supported.

On the Clip, go to Settings > USB Mode > MTP and plug in.

Open a Windows Explorer window via [Windows key] + E, or My Computer.  Where do you see your wee Clip?  If it’s listed under other , as a media device, it’s in MTP mode, and it won’t have a drive letter assigned to it.  MSC devices will show up under devices with removable storage , as a flash drive, and will be assigned a drive letter.  Another hint is that MSC device mode involves all-capital ID for files and the logical drive designator.

Did you just update your firmware or make an operating system change on your PC?  If Windows Media Player 11 isn’t installed, go ahead and upgrade to it.  WiMP10 or WiMP11 have the requisite drivers for MTP mode.  In fact, MTP is a virtual mode that is integrated into the player code, to support secure wma format (DRM).

If WiMP11 is installed, you can go to the Device Manager, uninstall the Clip, and then unplug.  I prefer to reboot at this point, learned from years of fighting the Windows Registry, but you can plug in again and watch Windows reacquire the player.  You should see the happy Found New Hardware balloon.

Windows is so “happy joy joy”, isn’t it?  Perhaps, they should have made the Vista logo look more like a turkey?

Bob  :smileyvery-happy:

13

Ah! Bliss!  It’s back.

Thank you neutron_bob for that very full explanation.   Someone earlier had suggested that I should change the USB settings, but I had not got around to exploring until I saw your input and just had to give it go.   So now all is OK.

I had just updated the firmware, so that’s where my problems began.

Many thanks.  J