Question mp3 player works only if formated in XP

[windranger]

I have a mp3 player.

When I connect it to PC by USB, I can see it in Windows Explorer, like a normal USB flash drive.

If I format it FAT32 in Windows XP and then load mp3 files, the player shows the uploaded files and it can play them normally.

If I format it FAT32 in Windows 7 or 10 and then load mp3 files, the play can't see the files and won't play them.

Whenever I want to format it I have to pull out the old XP laptop which I would actually want to get rid of, and it's always a nuisance.

I was wondering where such a difference come from.

And is there a way to make formatting work on Windows 10 too?

Any tips would be appreciated.

 

[TerryLaze]

The player probably needs a special driver to be seen as a real mp3 player and it's only available on XP,you should check on the player's website to see if there are drivers for newer versions of windows.

If not you could setup a Virtual machine with XP so you won't need a physical machine to handle the player.

 

[windranger]

Thanks, but player doesn't need a special driver. It can be recognized on all Windows versions the same, in Explorer.
Yeah, setting up a Virtual machine with XP would be another solution but I prefer not to implement for resources reasons.
Maybe if I understand the root cause of the problem a solution could come in sight..

 

[SkyNetRising]

Why do you need to format it all the time?
Format only once.

 

[Alabalcho]

Format it with XP, plug it into 7/10, open command prompt, and execute "chkdsk F:", where F: is the drive letter. Take note of "... bytes in each allocation unit". When you format it with 7/10, make sure you change "Allocation Unit Size" to match that number.

 

[onespeedbiker]

I've never formatted an MP3 player. Usually there is a method to reset the player (eg inserting a the end of a paper clip into a reset pin hole) which clears the memory so you can load more files.

 

[need4speeds]

Win7 uses exFat32 which is a new version of Fat32 for any usb drives or mem cards, ect. over 32gigs. However it can go way above 32gigs, this is just a thing Microsoft started with Vista.

I found a program online once called guiformat that allows you to format in the ones that you want.
It's much easier than manually typing stuff.
-For MP3 files you will also want to pick a allocation unit size that is about 1/4 the size or so of your average MP3 song file size so it uses the driver's space more wisely. If you copy a tiny 5kb file to a 8mb allocation unit, it uses the whole 8mb's for that file.

You can also type in a command in either Command Prompt, or Powershell.
DriveLetter: /FS:FAT32 /q (/q is for the much faster quick format instead of doing a really slow full format.) It can be others too like say FAT16, NTFS, exFat.

CAREFUL, IF YOU FORMAT THE WRONG DRIVE LIKE SAY "D" , YOUR steam folder\file DRIVE GETS WIPED OUT!!! Be 120% sure it's the correct drive and driver letter. Double, Tripple check, be so sure... If you format the wrong drive you will CRY... Make sure it's right.. If that happens do nothing, and search with a separate computer on how to do a unformat. If you don't change anything on a HDD you normally can get it back. ( I did that once back in the windows XP days and that is something scary to do on your computer so you will never forget that. )

 

[need4speeds]

It confused me at first but you actually have to click on the picture to get it to download the file.

http://www.ridgecrop.demon.co.uk/index.htm?guiformat.htm

 

[onespeedbiker]

OP never said the size of his mp3 player, if 2 GB or lower could he not also use FAT(16).

 

[windranger]

Hi, thanks for the tips.
It seems it is not about the formatting software.

I couldn't get it working yet.

I forgot to mention a couple of details:

● Player's memory is 1GB.

● When I format on XP (full format, not quick) the time it takes is very short - about 5 seconds.
But when I format the same way on W10, it takes a long time - around 10 minutes.

It is clear that formatting is done in a different way. If a full formatting is used, then it is normal to take a long time, like n case of W10.

XP takes such a short time, you'd think it doesn't perform the formatting 'properly'; however, the player works only with XP's way of formatting and that puzzles me a ton!!

 

[onespeedbiker]

The default format by XP for such things is FAT, not Fat32. I'm wondering if XP is actually formatting your mp3 FAT, and FAT is not an available format with Windows 7-10. My bad I was thinking Windows 98

 

[windranger]

Yes, player needs FAT32 (not FAT), so on XP I choose FAT32; same as on W10