Sansa Clip turned off and has never come on again

So about a year ago, I was using my Clip when the screen turned off. This was just the LCD, the controls were still lit. I turned it off and plugged it in. When it turned back on, the screen stayed on for about 20 seconds and then went off. Again, controls were still lit. It kept doing this every time it was turned on or charged. A couple of weeks later, I tried it again, but this time, it wouldn’t come on at all. Zip. Nothing. It’s not recognized by the computer either. I tried charging it and it will not come on, not even the lights. I have tried holding up the power switch for 2 minutes straight and that didn’t do anything. I’ve tried holding up both the power switch and the home button. Again, still completey dead. I left it to charge for 3 days straight and it would not turn on. I’m at a loss here. Is my Clip dead forever? If you have any knowledge as to what this could be, please tell. If it involves replacing a component, I’m handy with a soldering iron. I have loads of music on the thing that I don’t have backed up and I don’t want to lose. 

Make sure the little tab inside the micro USB socket is upright and not crushed off-center inside the socket.

@dfeld2005 wrote:

Make sure the little tab inside the micro USB socket is upright and not crushed off-center inside the socket.

Nice idea, but almost certainly not having anything to do with the issue here, sorry.  (Having said that, stranger things have happened . . . .)

It sounds like it is probably a worn out battery. 

@jk98 wrote:

It sounds like it is probably a worn out battery. 

A bit unclear from the original post if the player will come on at all when connected to a PC–if so, unlikely it’s a worn-out battery issue, could be a disconnected lead to the battery.