Folder Help...

SanDisk MP3 players All other MP3 players
1

I was told the Sansa Clip Zip natively supported folders; that it used playlists & ID3 tags to be sure, but that it also was so great because one could just drag & drop folders. I cannot get the Zip to recognize any of my folders. (I have already tried switching to MSC mode). I was also told from a couple of sources that the Zip is great for audiobooks because you can just drag and drop your books into the ‘audiobooks’ folder and you’re good to go. Well, I can’t do that. I want to be able to drag “War and Peace” into the audiobooks folder and see a new folder called “War and Peace” that then shows all the individual files. Drag “Thye Great Gatsby” into the same ‘audiobooks’ folder and I would then see two folders under ‘audiobooks’ - one for each title and on and on. Doesn’t this seem simple and logical?

For music, I want to be able to drag and drop a folder (maybe a ripped CD) and simply drag that folder, let’s say the album “Best of the Beatles” and then right underneath, drag a folder for the Eagles CD “Hotel California”…etc. etc. Again, seems logical, right? Well…

This all seems so simple that it’s silly one would have to ask how to do this. Folder-based MP3 players were once all there were. Now, they are hard to find and I was told, by more than one person, that the Clip Zip is folder friendly and supports folders natively and I could forego all the ID3 stuff that is more than I want. For me, folders are just too simple. I don’t care about duplication (I always hear that as a reason for tags)…I just want my folders. I was just sure I had found the perfect player with the Sansa Clip Zip from what I had heard and read.

Like I said, this sounds like such a simple thing that having to ask seems silly. But, I guess I’m just old-fashioned enough to need to ask. So….help?

P.S…Things I have already tried based on reading the forum.

  1. Switched to MSC

  2. Drag folders under ‘Album’

  3. Drag folders to root folder (I know that can’t be done - but I wanted it so bad I tried and hoped)

  4. Drag folders to ‘Music’

  5. Drag folders to external card hoping I could just go to ‘Card’ on the main menu and see all my folders of music.

Needless to say, none of the above worked and I am in need of help. In advance, thank you for taking the time to read this and maybe help me bring in 2012 a Happy Folders-Using, Sansas-loving guy who feels stupid having to ask all of this. Thanks again!!!

2

I’m not sure I follow, but even if you drag and drop, the display still uses the files’ ID3 tags, as a general matter (there are some exceptions), on the display.  Best to have the ID3 tags filled in. 

Also, note 2 ways to navigate on the Clip:  via the various database lists (e.g. artist, title, album, etc.) and also via folder, at the bottom of the Music listing.

Perhaps this helps some?

3

Also:  drag and drop indeed does work, of individual files as well as entire folders, including folders containing sub-folders.  This is the only way that I transfer my files (no syncing or music management system for me!). 

4

@zipclipper wrote:

P.S…Things I have already tried based on reading the forum.

 

  1. Switched to MSC

 

Good.

 

  1. Drag folders under ‘Album’

 

Wrong.

 

  1. Drag folders to root folder (I know that can’t be done - but I wanted it so bad I tried and hoped)

 

Yes, you can. It’s not the gest organization-wise, but it will work.

 

  1. Drag folders to ‘Music’

 

Correct.

 

  1. Drag folders to external card hoping I could just go to ‘Card’ on the main menu and see all my folders of music.

 

Yep, you can do this too . . . except you can’t just go to the Card menu and find your files. That will display the info from the ID3 tags which you’re trying to avoid.

 

  1. Try reading the manual. It’s obvious from what you’ve written that you haven’t done this. You might be surprised what you might learn about the player and how it works by spending 10 - 15 minutes with it. Because . . .

  2. To see your folders, you first must go (on the player) to the Music menu and scroll down (or up) to Folders. Now you should be able to navigate as you want to.

5

@zipclipper wrote:

P.S…Things I have already tried based on reading the forum.

 

  1. Switched to MSC

 

Good.

 

  1. Drag folders under ‘Album’

 

Wrong.

 

  1. Drag folders to root folder (I know that can’t be done - but I wanted it so bad I tried and hoped)

 

Yes, you can. It’s not the best method organization-wise, but it will work.

 

  1. Drag folders to ‘Music’

 

Correct.

 

  1. Drag folders to external card hoping I could just go to ‘Card’ on the main menu and see all my folders of music.

 

Yep, you can do this too . . . except you can’t just go to the Card menu and find your files. That will display the info from the ID3 tags which you’re trying to avoid.

 

  1. Try reading the manual. It’s obvious from what you’ve written that you haven’t done this. You might be surprised what you might learn about the player and how it works by spending 10 - 15 minutes with it. Because . . .

  2. To see your folders, you first must go (on the player) to the Music menu and scroll down (or up) to Folders. Now you should be able to navigate as you want to.

6

1. Try reading the manual. It’s obvious from what you’ve written that you haven’t done this. You might be surprised what you might learn about the player and how it works by spending 10 - 15 minutes with it.

---------------------------

Tapeworm, I know you were attempting to help and I thank you. The tone of your admonishment for how “obvious” it is I haven’t read the manual was a tad condescending and flat out wrong. You assumed too much as I  have read the .pdf users manual. The manual hardly mentions folders - look yourself, it really doesn’t. 

You make it sound like using folders is so easy…yet…I see posts all over the Internet asking abou how to solve the folder troubles with the Clip Zip. Most end with no real answer - at least not a universal answer that makes folders - just.work. 

The posts before yours made it sound as if I could put folders pretty much anywhere. Not true. So, folders is a weak spot for the manual. If you take 10-15 minutes to read it, you would be surprised how little it refers to using folders at all.

To clarify, when I say ‘pure’ folders here, I mean creating a folder on the PC - say an album title and populate that folder with the files from that album - continue to the next album, do the same, sub-folders if necessary ad-infinitum. They then show up on the mp3 player exactly as I created the folders - same names, etc. It doesn’t sound like I drag a ‘pure folder’ to “Music” and that happen at all.

So, the way I understand Tapeworm is that the only way to use ‘pure’ folders is through the ‘folders’ function. Which is a multi-step process to do something ridiculously simple.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems to be a six-step process.

  1. Navigate via the menu to ‘Music’

  2. Push the menu button to access ‘Music’ options

  3. Arrow down to ‘Folders’

  4. Push the menu button again to access ‘Folders’ options

  5. Arrow to ‘Internal Memory’ or ‘External Memory’

  6. Push menu button again to (hopefully) see my ‘pure’ folders

By the way, many people have trouble accessing folders from the SD card and it keeping the correct names. It reverts back to ‘New Folder’ for many.

The manual isn’t the answer for everything. I read the manual. The problem wasn’t reading the manual. The problem is that the Clip Zip Manual doesn’t tell you that one will encounter problems with dragging and dropping folders nor does it mention the trouble with the SD card and folders. Simply, this player isn’t as folder-friendly as I had several people tell me. Others seem to be running into similar problems.

What a shame. In packing the little player with functions like a sports timer (?) Sansa missed doing the one thing the player should be able to do with ease and simplicity. 

7

@zipclipper wrote:

Tapeworm, I know you were attempting to help and I thank you. The tone of your admonishment for how “obvious” it is I haven’t read the manual was a tad condescending and flat out wrong. You assumed too much as I  have read the .pdf users manual. The manual hardly mentions folders - look yourself, it really doesn’t. 

 

 - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

So, the way I understand Tapeworm is that the only way to use ‘pure’ folders is through the ‘folders’ function. Which is a multi-step process to do something ridiculously simple.

 

Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems to be a six-step process.

 

  1. Navigate via the menu to ‘Music’
  1. Push the menu button to access ‘Music’ options
  1. Arrow down to ‘Folders’
  1. Push the menu button again to access ‘Folders’ options
  1. Arrow to ‘Internal Memory’ or ‘External Memory’
  1. Push menu button again to (hopefully) see my ‘pure’ folders

  

Sorry, I was not trying to be condescending and I shouldn’t have assumed you didn’t read the manual. But the information is there . . . maybe not as detailed as what you (or others) might like, but it is there. 

Your ‘procedure’ to access Folder mode is indeed correct; there is no shortcut. And while you may consider this archaic and backward, please realize that most mp3 players do not support folder browsing at all; it’s all ID3 tag-based. In fact, SanDisk players were like this too until just a couple of years ago. It was only after numerous requests here on the forum that the development team added it to the current player at the time via a firmware update. Subsequent models either had it from the start or it was added in a firmware update also. This level of response to customer’s needs and requests are pretty rare among manufacturers these days and SanDisk should be commended for it.

It may not work like you think it should and yes, it could be made easier or more straightforward, but that’s the way it is. If it doesn’t fit your needs, maybe you should shop around and see if you can find something more suitable. Maybe those recommended this player to you didn’t fully understand your expectations.

8

I still don’t understand–or haven’t experienced–a folder transfer issue. 

I easily transfer my folders (each containing a ripped CD, with ID3 tags in place for each file) simply by right clicking, on my computer, on the folders (which may include subfolders) I want to transfer, choose copy from the menu that then appears, open one of the the Music folders on my Clip (for either the internal or external memory) using my computer, right click on an empty spot in the folder and choose paste.  Voila, they’re there.

As to how to access the folders via folder navigation (as versus via the database option in the lists that appear under the Music listing:  artist, album, etc.), yes, you have that correct.  I’m unsure as to why you find the folder selection methodology complex–it’s just like selecting a folder on your computer, going down through the folder hierarchy until you get to what you want.  That’s pure folder navigation. 

If I’ve sometimes heard of a folder transfer issue, it’s been when the Clip changes folder or file names, adding extra characters, etc.  The best way to avoid this is to set the Clip’s USB mode to MSC, which works more trouble-free than USB MTP mode (or the Auto mode). 

Maybe this will help.