The ultimate fix for your Sansa v1 problems

[muffinzrock]

This solution has worked with pretty much all sansa problems.

UPDATE [08-May-08]: The links to the american and european firmware were changed due to bandwidth problems. The previous links will no longer work.

UPDATED 08-May-08

DO NOT FORMAT FROM YOUR COMPUTER IN RECOVERY MODE!!!! EVER!!!! DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT DOING THAT!!!!! DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT THINKING ABOUT DOING THAT!!!!!! IT WILL MOST LIKELY BRICK YOUR PLAYER_OUT OF REPAIR!!!!

Also, despite what you might hear, it is ok to put a .mi4 and .rom in the 16MB recovery mode thing, just NOT ANYTHING ELSE.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
make sure you have backups of your music


enter recovery mode. if you dont know how to, you just need to put the hold switch on so you see orange, hold down the record button and turn the player on. keep holding the record button until you see:
Welcome to recovery mode
Please connect USB cable


plug your player in


open notepad, and save a blank text document named "sansa.fmt" and drag that into the 16MB recovery mode thing


Run this to downgrade the firmware (NON-R PLAYERS ONLY):
http://www.sandisk.com/Assets/File/D...fw01.00.12.exe

-----------------------
if you cannot downgrade the firmware with the .exe file, download and extract the correct firmware from this link:
http://mp3support.sandisk.com/firmwa...101.02.18a.zip
-----------------------

Safely remove your player. Let it reboot.


Add this firmware either normally in MSC mode, or in recovery mode if necessary.
if you have to add it in recovery mode again, also put the sansa.fmt file on the player:

if you have an AMERICAN player, download this:
http://mp3support.sandisk.com/firmwa...101.02.18a.zip

if you have a EUROPEAN player, download this:
http://mp3support.sandisk.com/firmwa...101.02.18e.zip - EU no FM radio

http://mp3support.sandisk.com/firmwa...101.02.18f.zip EU w/ FM Radio

if you have a RHAPSODY player, download this:
http://mp3support.sandisk.com/firmwa...-1.0.2.165.zip

unzip it, and drag-and-drop the .rom and .mi4 to the 16MB thing.


NOTE: this will force-format the player which will delete everything and install the newest firmware and bootloader.


hope this helps!


also, i attached my ultimate fix for quick reference so you dont have to come to this thread when you have a problem, and i attached the sansa.fmt thing in a compressed folder. it actually has the .fmt extension, which it has to have, i.e. it cant be sansa.fmt.txt. just unzip, and drag to the player when stated in the steps



How to get rid of the "synchronize to continue music subscription" message if it just appears out of nowhere on your player- this fixed mine when it gave me that message:

delete the STORE.HDS file in the system/wmdrmpd directory of your sansa (optional)

import your protected songs into WMP, and resync your protected music (with WMP) in MTP mode

play a protected song and let it rebuild the store.hds file (you will experience severe lag for about 15 seconds as it rebuilds) and the music should play.





How to fix your sansa if you have weird files and folders on it (corruption):

Plug your player in, in MSC mode.

Right-click on it.

Click "properties"

Click "tools"

Click "Error Checking"

Check both the boxes on the error checking window that pops up, and click start.

After it finishes, check your player to make sure it is normal.

[DIfF3ReNT]

So you seem to be pretty smart, so can you tell me what to do here. My Sandisk Sansa.. not sure which version, but I know its in the e200 series.. think its an e260.. is not working. I turn it on and it goes to the screen that says Sandisk, but then it just shuts off and turns back on again, and goes back to the main screen. The power button doesn't work, so the only way to shut it off after that is to wait for the power to die out or put it on hold. A computer won't even read it, because it won't turn on past the sandisk thing, so your idea doesn't work, and I was wondering if anyone knows what to do.

[warrior4thecross06]

If you put it in recovery mode, which you do by putting hold on and then pushing the record button while turning it on, your computer should recognize a 16 mb storage device. You can then proceed with the rest of these steps.

[DIfF3ReNT]

Originally Posted by warrior4thecross06

If you put it in recovery mode, which you do by putting hold on and then pushing the record button while turning it on, your computer should recognize a 16 mb storage device. You can then proceed with the rest of these steps.

Yah, it didn't quite work. It stopped doing the shutoff thing, but it says Load main image failed Switch to recovery mode. What should I do about that?

[muffinzrock]

try to put it in recovery mode again. if that still doesnt work, you might have to RMA it.

[DIfF3ReNT]

Originally Posted by muffinzrock

try to put it in recovery mode again. if that still doesnt work, you might have to RMA it.

RMA it? and yah I tried it like 6 more times. but what does RMA stand for cuz I'll do anything just so it works again.

[muffinzrock]

RMA stands for "Return Merchandise Authorization" or something. basically, you send your player to SanDisk, they send you back a new one.

[DIfF3ReNT]

Originally Posted by muffinzrock

RMA stands for "Return Merchandise Authorization" or something. basically, you send your player to SanDisk, they send you back a new one.

ok thanks for your help. I'm gonna search around and see what I can do about it, but if nothing happens, I'll take it into Best buy to see if they can repair it. I don't think Sandisk has a warranty on it do they?

[muffinzrock]

the sansa comes with a one-year warranty

[kennyj]

Make sure that when you copy these files to the player in recovery mode, you DO NOT DO ANYTHING ELSE with it, ie. copy other files, format the drive first, etc. Also, on some computers you may need to use Safely Remove Hardware to unmount the player before you unplug it. I've seen this make a big difference on a few occasions.

Oh, and if you have the Rhapsody version of the e200, you need to download a different file entirely from the one above. You can get the e200R's firmware directly from the e200R product page on sandisk.com.

[artmaven]

Hi DIfF3ReNT, I'm new to posting here but I've been reading posts since Sunday (3/11). Both my sansa players started problems when frozen at database refresh, then the e260 just gave me black screen. The e280R hadn't progressed that far yet. I'm guessing it was just a matter of time.

Found a fix for my e260 in one thread but couldn't find a fix for my e280R that worked.

For my e260, the steps posted by Captain Morgan helped get me up and running. Found it in this thread
http://www.anythingbutipod.com/forum...4450#post84450

After a google to fix e280R, I found a thread that solved all my problems.
http://real.lithium.com/real/board/m...cending&page=1
The e280R is working better than ever.

Scroll to the last post on the page by mdscriber3. That's the one that was the winner. The added info by xhozt on page 2 also made the difference.


For both players, the solution did require more than one try, just like the posters wrote. If reformating doesn't work the first time, do it again and have patience. It pays off b/c now I have two Sansa players that work.

Hope it helps.



Many thanks to all the people who post here and elsewhere. You guys are great.

[cocobongo]

into the 16MB recovery mode thing

Is there something I can do if my computer doesn't even recognize the sansa enough to show me the 16MB Recovery part?

[muffinzrock]

do you have a PC, cuz if you have a MAC (DARK SIDE... lol, A.z) it wont recognize the 16MB "thing"

[Frost]

Just wanted to say thankyou for the "unbricing instruction"!
It totaly solved my problem whit my sansa!!!
Thankyou again!!

[muffinzrock]

no prob! just ask if you need any more help
BTW, Frost, did you make your avatar yourself? cuz its cool

[DIfF3ReNT]

Originally Posted by artmaven

Hi DIfF3ReNT, I'm new to posting here but I've been reading posts since Sunday (3/11). Both my sansa players started problems when frozen at database refresh, then the e260 just gave me black screen. The e280R hadn't progressed that far yet. I'm guessing it was just a matter of time.

Found a fix for my e260 in one thread but couldn't find a fix for my e280R that worked.

For my e260, the steps posted by Captain Morgan helped get me up and running. Found it in this thread
http://www.anythingbutipod.com/forum...4450#post84450

After a google to fix e280R, I found a thread that solved all my problems.
http://real.lithium.com/real/board/m...cending&page=1
The e280R is working better than ever.

Scroll to the last post on the page by mdscriber3. That's the one that was the winner. The added info by xhozt on page 2 also made the difference.


For both players, the solution did require more than one try, just like the posters wrote. If reformating doesn't work the first time, do it again and have patience. It pays off b/c now I have two Sansa players that work.

Hope it helps.



Many thanks to all the people who post here and elsewhere. You guys are great.

Hey thanks for replying, but uhh I called them and they did step through step through it and it didn't work, so they just gave me a new one.

[tactic]

quick question,

should it be "sansa.fmt.txt"

or just "sansa.fmt"

May help some people


and i bought my player in america
and its an e250R


do i put both the american and rhapsody?

[kennyj]

Just Sansa.FMT

sansa.fmt.txt will not work.

[nicole_11]

ok i did everything exactly step by step and i turned it on and it said "not enough space for music db" what do i do?

[kennyj]

Put it in MSC mode and format it via the computer.

If you can't get into MSC mode, repeat the earlier procedure.