Why would an MP3 player show 95% full but have NO FILES on it...?

[fire-stick]

My dad's MP3 player has NO files on it, (I told the computer to view hidden files and I did a search on the G: drive for *.*, or everything, and it still said "no files found")

The MP3 player (also the G: drive) shows 242 MB of used space, and 844 KB of free space. (It's a 256 MB drive..)

Everything seems to be working fine but it will only hold 844 KB (out of 256 MB)

Hope someone can help...

Any suggestions will be sppreciated...

Thanks

 

[AlexGT]

Recycle bin full?

System volume information directory full?

Format G:?

 

[Secur1]

I think your dad did the same mistake as my gf did with her mp3 player by placing mp3 files on the root dir instead of the designated folder.
These files cannot be accessed or deleted... So the only way around is to format the player.
What brand-model is it ?

 

[65535]

Format the player and go to their website to download the firmware.

 

[LuxLuthor]

You may have corrupted the file allocation table....or where it is stored has developed a failed hard drive sector. What kind of unit is it, and if it is a M$ (FAT) system, try running a chkdsk /f to check and repair errors on it first.

 

[Dr Jekell]

The MP3 player (also the G: drive) shows 242 MB of used space, and 844 KB of free space. (It's a 256 MB drive..)

Everything seems to be working fine but it will only hold 844 KB (out of 256 MB)

As it is only 256 Mb drive there is no need for FAT so your best bet would be to format the drive (first check the Mfg website support pages to make sure this can be done safely)

Also I am assuming that the player uses a flash drive instead of a HD due to its small size, If so then if it has been used heavily or is more than 8 - 10 years old then it may just be that the storage has become corrupted as it comes to the end of its lifespan.

 

[LuxLuthor]

As it is only 256 Mb drive there is no need for FAT so your best bet would be to format the drive (first check the Mfg website support pages to make sure this can be done safely)

Also I am assuming that the player uses a flash drive instead of a HD due to its small size, If so then if it has been used heavily or is more than 8 - 10 years old then it may just be that the storage has become corrupted as it comes to the end of its lifespan.

Oh yeah, it is most likely in the RAW format, not FAT. CHKDSK won't work on a RAW format drive. Sorry for misinformation.

Disk Management under Administrative Tools ==> Computer Management should give feedback on its status. Follow Dr Jekell's info, as I was thinking of my HD based MP3 players.

 

[stephenmadpotato]

Oh yeah, it is most likely in the RAW format, not FAT. CHKDSK won't work on a RAW format drive. Sorry for misinformation.

Disk Management under Administrative Tools ==> Computer Management should give feedback on its status. Follow Dr Jekell's info, as I was thinking of my HD based MP3 players.

I thought most mp3 proccessors could handle file compression now?

 

[Dr Jekell]

Most can

Digital audio players are generally categorized by storage media:

* Flash-based Players – These are non mechanical solid state devices that hold digital audio files on internal flash memory or removable flash media called memory cards. Due to technological advancements in flash memory, these originally low-storage devices are now available commercially ranging up to 16 GB. Because they are solid state and do not have moving parts they require less battery power and may be more resilient to hazards such as dropping or fragmentation than hard disk-based players. Basic MP3 player functions are commonly integrated into USB flash drives.

* Hard drive-based Players or Digital Jukeboxes – Devices that read digital audio files from a hard disk drive (HDD). These players have higher capacities currently ranging up to 160 GB. At typical encoding rates, this means that thousands of songs – perhaps an entire music collection – can be stored on one player. Because of the storage capacity, devices that also display video and pictures are often hard disk drive based. Such multi-media devices are usually called portable media players (PMPs).

* MP3 CD Players – Portable CD players that can decode and play MP3 audio files stored on CDs.

Wikipedia

The difference is what file system they use FAT (File Allocation Table) for HD Based Players Or Various Flash File Systems

 

[fire-stick]

Recycle bin full?

System volume information directory full?

Format G:?

I took the player to my aunt's house and plugged it to her computer (hers is win 2K mine is XP) and her PC showed that the drive had a full recycle bin...

I deleted the recycle bin and it works fine, but why did this happen? My dad has had the player for a few years now and this has never happened. What did he do different this time?

THANKS!!