Do I need firmware update?

[bwphotos]

Is new firmware something everyone should keep up to date on or should I wait until there is a reason such as functionality issues? What does new firmware do?

[CrowdAds]

[skip252]

You can look up your player on the firmware update pages here. The release notes and links to the firmware updates are there. Updating manually is highly recommended. The sandisk firmware updater is buggy and eats up processing cycles watching for an update that's unlikely to happen.

The Clip and Clip+ are past any further firmware updates. It's possible there will be another for the Clip Zip but it's so late in it's release cycle I doubt it will see anymore updates either. I'd update to the latest and then wouldn't worry about it any more. If another is released it will be announced here.

[Mikerman]

Typically, new firmware will fix bugs and sometimes even add some extra functionality. I find it a good practice to have the most recent, but it generally isn't something to be concerned about--just get to it when you can. The exception being if there is something in the firmware you're using that is buggy, etc.

[WalkGood]

Most of us here on abi will jump on new firmware to test it out based on release notes, but it’s not always needed. Very rare that new features are introduced late in a product cycle, it’s more bug corrections/fixes. If everything is running fine and you have no trouble you really don’t need to update, it’s your call and as skip states I’d learn the manual method.

[monel58]

I recently tried the new Sandisk updater software (was really bored that day) and it did a good job of updating my clip+, I could swear I hear a bit of an improvement in the sound.

[skip252]

Originally Posted by monel58

I recently tried the new Sandisk updater software (was really bored that day) and it did a good job of updating my clip+, I could swear I hear a bit of an improvement in the sound.

Total and absolute placebo. It installs the same firmware. There's no way that can improve the sound. That's like that silliness that CD rips done at different speeds that produce the same files sound different.

If you want to spread something like that please post RMAA results or similar objective test results. This isn't the place to be starting that type rumor from your subjective impression.

[Tapeworm]

Originally Posted by monel58

. . .it did a good job of updating my clip+, I could swear I hear a bit of an improvement in the sound.

[Marvin the Martian]

zipit.gif

[Ceramic]

[dj christian]

Originally Posted by monel58

I recently tried the new Sandisk updater software (was really bored that day) and it did a good job of updating my clip+, I could swear I hear a bit of an improvement in the sound.

Sandisk updater didn't install for me. From where did you download it?

[Tapeworm]

Originally Posted by dj christian

Sandisk updater didn't install for me. From where did you download it?

It's actually just as easy and fast (if not more so) to manually update the firmware rather than use the Updater. Not only is it a resource hog, slowing down your sytsems's start-up time, but every time you plug in your player, it phones home to look for any updates, essentially amounting to nothing but "nag-ware".

Add to this the fact that there won't be any more firmware updates for this model, and there is just no reason to install it at all.

[dj christian]

Originally Posted by Tapeworm

It's actually just as easy and fast (if not more so) to manually update the firmware rather than use the Updater. Not only is it a resource hog, slowing down your sytsems's start-up time, but every time you plug in your player, it phones home to look for any updates, essentially amounting to nothing but "nag-ware".

Add to this the fact that there won't be any more firmware updates for this model, and there is just no reason to install it at all.

Well it's just buggers me why this problem get installation fails everytime i try to install it.

[skip252]

Originally Posted by dj christian

Well it's just buggers me why this problem get installation fails everytime i try to install it.

The advice not to install the updater isn't casual. It's really, and it's hard to say this too strongly, REALLY bad software. It's fully capable of rendering your system useless. It's not just what it does, it's the changes that may be required to run a one trick pony that still doesn't do what it should reliably.

The last few times someone I know personally ignored my advice and installed it anyway when an update was issued the updater failed. It either didn't find the new update and/or failed to install it. The one time it did try to perform an update it locked the PC so hard it required a power off reboot and messed up the DAP so badly it had to be formatted and the firmware manually reinstalled. That was after writing dozens of registry changes, needing to disable or alter the settings of the firewall, antivirus and antispyware.

It then sat there in the system tray for months, eating up cpu cycles, slowing boot time and causing general instability. Then when it was showtime, the damn thing didn't work.

[Tapeworm]

Originally Posted by dj christian

Well it's just buggers me why this problem get installation fails everytime i try to install it.

Could be your A/V software or firewall blocking access to the SanDisk Updater's server. That's happened before.

[dj christian]

Originally Posted by Tapeworm

Could be your A/V software or firewall blocking access to the SanDisk Updater's server. That's happened before.

MS firewall is off and no router/firewall in between.

[Tapeworm]

Your A/V software program has no firewall?

[dj christian]

Originally Posted by Tapeworm

Your A/V software program has no firewall?

I don't even have a A/V program installed. And I'm running win 7 64.

[Tapeworm]

Originally Posted by dj christian

I don't even have a A/V program installed. And I'm running win 7 64.

Guess you like to live dangerously!

[Mikerman]

I hate 1-shot pony updaters--they just sit on one's system consuming resources and delaying start-ups. Am much happier just manually updating with SanDisk--very easy to do.

[Marvin the Martian]

Originally Posted by Mikerman

Am much happier just manually updating with SanDisk Rockbox--very easy to do.

Fixed!