Does the CD Freaks forum help w/MP3 problems?

[rme]

Hi. I bought my first MP3 player the other day, and it's posing some seemingly unsolvable problems.
Before I go into any more detail, I want to be sure that MP3 issues are addressed on CD Freaks. If not, can anyone suggest a good forum for that? I've had no luck with the forum on the MP3 player manufacturer's website.

Thank-you.

[slytrans69]

What is the problem?

[rme]

Hi. If you are asking, perhaps there's hope! Hold onto your hat, here goes...

Creative Zen Stone Plus 2 GB, most recent firmware (ends in "2, but didn't write that info down, can't figure out how to find it). Is supposed to work with WMA's as well as MP3's. I have updated the software from the website.

#1. I am finding that individual music files I have on my computer (WMA from ripped CD) will transfer over to the MP3 player, but will not play on it. The title displays, but the timer stays at 0.00. There is no copy protection.

#2. In ripping a commercial CD directly to the MP#3 Player, the first one I did had 6 tracks but on the Creative ripper software (as well as the MP3 display once it had transferred over) only showed 3 very long tracks. Again, no copy protection.

#3. I have successfully managed to rip a CD directly to the MP3 player, but it put itself into a folder, which displayed on the player and wouldn't play. The Stone displayed the first song that wasn't in a folder, started to play it. I forwarded to the CD folder again and it showed the name for a second, and then went back to the first non-foldered song. If there is some way to navigate into the folder on the MP3 player, and play the songs in it, I can't find it.

The only way I can get a song to play is if it's not in a folder, and comes directly from a CD-- and it won't necessarily play non-foldered tracks from a ripped CD. I have registered and used Gracenotes to get album info, but this doesn't help with these issues.

I don't know how tracks are supposed to display on an MP3 player. Is it meant to display folders that you can open to hear tracks? Or does an MP3 player just make you scroll through the track list to hear what you want to hear? This would seem rather tedious for those who have 100's of tracks and many albums.

I was wondering if perhaps I bought a faulty MP3 player...

Any help appreciated.

Thank-you.

[Southern Comfort]

More info needed, what vers. of windows, and does the player show up as a drive in my computer when connected?

[rme]

Originally Posted by Southern Comfort

More info needed, what vers. of windows, and does the player show up as a drive in my computer when connected?

Hi. I have Windows XP professional, version 2002, Service pack 2.
Yes, the MP3 player shows up as drive E.

I have figured out how to browse for tracks and folders now, but I still cannot get WMA files to play. A nanosecond of the WMA file (I've tried a few different ones) displays, then the MP3 player starts playing the first MP3.

Can't get any stations on the radio, either, unless I'm in the same area as the transmitter.


Any help appreciated as this is my first MP3 player and I have no idea how these things are supposed to work.
Thanks.

[jeff53404]

rme:

I have the Creative Zen Nao Plus but it's probably quite similar to yours. You might want to try resetting your player.

http://193.95.171.83/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WE...Case=obj(37434)

[rme]

Originally Posted by jeff53404

rme:

I have the Creative Zen Nao Plus but it's probably quite similar to yours. You might want to try resetting your player.

http://193.95.171.83/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WE...Case=obj(37434)

Thank-you, jeff 53404. The idea of resetting the player makes me a bit nervous. The link you gave me didn't quite work, but it got me close to a place that might've been what you were suggesting. Nothing for my particular model, but I've eMailed support at Creative, directly for advice. Hopefully they'll know exactly what the problem is.

I appreciate the tip.

Thanks to everyone who helped out.

[olyteddy]

I have figured out how to browse for tracks and folders now, but I still cannot get WMA files to play. A nanosecond of the WMA file (I've tried a few different ones) displays, then the MP3 player starts playing the first MP3.

Are these protected WMA files by chance?

[rme]

Hi.
No, they are not protected WMA files.

[MattWrenn]

have you tried a .wma file that you know for sure is not protected, because I read the Zen does not play wma that is PlayForSure protected

[rme]

Well, I'm pretty sure that they're not protected. I recall seeing somewhere that the status was "unprotected", and I've been moving them around from CD to CD, burning them, playing them on the computer, etc.

[jcusimano2]

Originally Posted by rme

Hi. I bought my first MP3 player the other day, and it's posing some seemingly unsolvable problems.
Before I go into any more detail, I want to be sure that MP3 issues are addressed on CD Freaks. If not, can anyone suggest a good forum for that? I've had no luck with the forum on the MP3 player manufacturer's website.

Thank-you.

The CD freaks forum halps with everything except how to tie your shoe

[rme]

Well, I guess if I ever have problems tying my shoelaces, I'll get slip-ons. ;-)

Anyway, I've decided to return the Zen Stone Plus to the store where I got it. I give up.

I appreciate all you folks who responded with advice.

Thanks very much.

rme.