Potentially faulty MP3 player

October 16, 2009 3:37 AM

Can my usb-using MP3 player be saved?

I own a Creative MuVo V100 MP3 player, and have had it for roughly two years or so. It has seen some wear and tear over the years but has none the less served me well.

However, or the last two months or so I haven't been able to upload music on to it. Whenever I insert the device into the USB port of a computer it will recognise the device but come up with a hardware failure notice. This happened with all the computers I've tried, not just my own, so I'm certain the fault lies with the MP3 player itself. The only unusual thing is that the device will sometimes connect correctly but generally it doesn't (roughly 90-95% of the time it won't).

Is there anything I can do to salvage my MP3 player? I admit I could do with upgrading to a better model mainly for the bigger memory, but that won't be happening in the foreseeable future. If any further information is required to help diagnose/fix the problem, I'll do my best to provide it.

posted by Inner Universe to technology (4 comments total)

Check your manual on how to set the player in 'Recovery mode' and then try connecting through USB. If that doesn't work, check for instructions on resetting the player and connecting in recovery mode. Final resort, download the latest firmware from the manufacturer's site, and after a reset, flash the drive the first time you do get a proper USB recognition. Good luck.
posted by Gyan at 4:34 AM on October 16

Occasionally the firmware will become corrupt on these players. Creative has an MP3 Player Recovery Tool for you to download (only works with Windows XP or Vista). It will update your player to the latest firmware, check the file system and reformat if necessary.

I have Muvos like this and occasionally just formatting them will fix any glitches. You can do this in file manager, but make sure you use the FAT32 format.
posted by SteveInMaine at 5:13 AM on October 16

Some close examination and cleaning of the USB port may be in order. Has it collected dust/lint/grease/etc. that is partially/completely bocking one or more of the USB contacts?

Does it get its recharge power from USB as well?
posted by de void at 9:20 AM on October 16

Gyan and SteveInMaine - I'll give those suggestions a shot, hopefully either one or both of them will work.

de void - I've cleaned the port recently, but another careful clean can't do any harm. The device is battery powered, rather than recharging from USB, so it still plays fine thankfully - the only issue is connecting to a computer to add/remove tracks.
posted by Inner Universe at 11:42 AM on October 16