Help with firmware upgrade/replacement

Hey guys, need some help, new at this.  Have a Sansa Clip+ that was bought in prison, firmware is custom BOP firmware with lots of restrictions on it.  How do I get it off the player and update the firmware so I get back all the features.  Thanks.

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Have you downloaded the firmware .zip file, extracted it and followed the manual installation instruction in the firmware post near the top of this board?

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Using library computer won’t let me run updater…but will try to copy manual update. Please direct me to them once more in case I can’t find the.  Have to download to flash drive as security won’t let me save to player.  Boy BOP has the player on tight lock down, thought this would be easy.

Thanks for your help!

Followed instructions when extracted the zip file only file shown was m300a.bin, soon as I copied it onto player and removed player from computer it deleted the file.  BOP has real tight firmware so it won’t allow me to save any files to the player, unless authorized.  What if I delete all files from player and start over, problem with that is that the library computer won’t show me hidden files.  PLEASE HELP!

GlennW wrote:

 

Hey guys, need some help, new at this.  Have a Sansa Clip+ that was bought in prison,

 

GlennW wrote:

Followed instructions when extracted the zip file only file shown was m300a.bin , soon as I copied it onto player and removed player from computer it deleted the file. 

Here’s your problem. You’re trying to put the wrong firmware on. The Clip+ firmware once extracted should reveal a file named clppa.bin that you drop into the player to update (or re-apply) the firmware. You can get it here.

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Thanks, got the right file but the player still won’t allow me to drag it to it, when disconected it deletes the file.  No clue why, tried several times.  Anyway to delete all files from player and just put on new firmware?

Thanks and sorry for all the challenges.

The .bin file will disappear after the firmware updates. That is normal. Are you getting a “updating firmware” or “firmware update in progress” message on the player’s screen after unplugging from the computer? The player should then shut down. When you re-start it, it will ask you to select you Region and Language. Once selected, the firmware update is complete.

No, once I disconect the player from the computer it deletes any file I added.  Problem is probably I’m using a library computer that won’t allow me to run the updates.  This is so frustrating, has to be an easier way, even if I must lose all my songs.

Please help, in 4 days the player shuts down (another BOP restriction).    Thanks

I wonder if this is a library computer issue. As noted, once you put the bin file on the player and disconnect, the player should update and then turn off. One thought: if your player’s USB mode, under Settings, is not set to MSC mode, you might try switching to that and updating then.

@miikerman wrote:
I wonder if this is a library computer issue.

Very well could be. Most public accessible computers like those at a public library are restricted from actually downloading anything from the internet to protect them from viruses, trojans, worms and of course anything illegal.

If this libray the OP talks about is one in a prison (as he said the device was bought there), I’m sure their library computers are locked down even tighter. In fact, since things around this were not clarified at the start of the thread, the OP could be trying to circumvent the specialized firmware on his player that is there for a reason, and we could be collaberating in an illegal, or certainly un-authorized “hack” just by discussing how to modify this system.

Hopefully, the OP is not trying to do anything he is not supposed to, the unit (or the OP) is no longer in prison and will reply and assuage these suspicions.

Hi, and thanks again for your help.  First, yes I am doing everything allowed, I was recently released from prison and brought the player into the free world.  Secondly, while part of the problem was the Public Library issues, the bigger problem is that the firmware on the player will not allow me to write, copy, modify any files on the player.  So, while I’ve tried to run updater, and tried to move the clppa.bin file onto the player, the player will not allow it to stay on it once I disconect from the computer.  So, the only files I see (including hidden files are MTABLE, RES_INFO, SYS_CONF, version.sdk ( FW: V01.03.23P ), and DID.bin.  If I need to delete everything, even music from player, so be it, but otherwise the player will cease to work in five days.  The company will fix it for me at a cost of $25, but I’d think it could be done for free.

Thanks everyone!

Why will the player stop working in 5 days, and what company is going to charge you $25 to fix it? In the end, you might want to telephone SanDisk Customer Service and walk through the issue, and what they recommend. http://www.sandisk.com/about-sandisk/contact-us/

The company is Advanced Technology Group (DBA Corrlinks). They sell the players in Federal Prisons for $70, then charge $15 + $10 p/h to fix them (remove security features when you are released.  Total rip off, but what can you do.  E-mailed support desk, so they may have an answer for me thanks for the suggestion and help.

Keep in mind that you can get free Customer Support from SanDisk, including a warranty replacement of the player if it is still under warranty (1 year in the U.S.) and faulty–SanDisk even covers the postage both ways.  SanDisk’s contact info.:  http://www.sandisk.com/about-sandisk/contact-us/.  Easiest to telephone them, and you can talk through any issue.  Good luck!

Hi,

Did you get this resolved?  I have a BOP sandisk too, that I’d like to unlock and not have to send it in to have it done!

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I FINALLY figured out how to get my music off my BOP edition sansa clip!  this does not unlock the unit so that I can use it after it expires, but I was able to get the music off it for free, and upload into itunes, where I can do with it what I want…

I used a disk recovery program, which people use when their hard disk drives on their computers go kaput…  These programs scan the hard drives attached to a computer, and allow you to “recover” them…

The one I used was minitool power data recovery (http://download.cnet.com/MiniTool-Power-Data-Recovery-Free-Edition/3000-2094_4-10561431.html),,) which will allow you to recover the first 1 gig for free, which covers about 250 songs I think.  I’m sure there are other programs out there that will allow you to recover all of them, or you may just want to buy the full version of this one, but at least you don’t have to send money to corrlinks!

Later.

Thanks for the information. I haven’t tried it, but I wonder if the well-regarded Recuva data recovery freeware would be able to handle this issue as well.

Hey,

I know this is an ancient thread, but I have some questions about the Sansa Clip player you were able to rescue your songs from.

  1. Was the file structure on the disk pretty straight-forward?  Like a “Media” folder with Artist then Album folders nested in them?

  2. Were the files themselves standard mp3’s and playable through iTunes with no problem?

Thanks for any help you (or anybody else with similar experience) can offer.  Good to know the songs you already paid for weren’t completely lost as the manuals say. 

Hey people, the BOP firmware is a monster and won’t be easily replaced.  Here is link to a do it yourself but it does take some patience.

http://www.wikihow.com/Unlock-a-Federal-Prison-Sansa-MP3-Player

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Rigger hill
If you were able to use the disk recovery tool to find then remove your music, could the process because reversed to add more/different music onto it?

Mine is a mini clip sport and I made a copy of its disk content before erasing it to try and load my own music and podcasts onto it (only worked teice). So your method looks interesting.

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