MP3 Player Issues

i have a SanDisk Sansa MP3, which despite its good looks and intersting array of feautures is a totally useless mixture of metal and plastic.

firstly, it won't "accept" music with a licence, so anything i legitimately buy for my listening pleasure can't be used on it. however, any music i steal via downloading can be used. so this idea of saving the music industry is flawed.

the second problems is getting the music onto the tempremental thing. when i first got it, any unlicenced music went on fine, in fact it seems it even took on some licenced music but it wouldn't play it. it displayed a message and skipped the track. i then went through the music and deleted it as per the instructions.

to delete the music, you are told to connect it to the computer, then use explorer to view the files, and delete a you would any other file on your computer. i did this, and for a while the devide "said" it had all the music still on it, the song list had all the titles, but no actual music. this caused it to freeze until switched off. i tried formatting it. but got a message along the lines of "the device could not be formatted" however, all title/music was gone.

now i try to upload music and it doesn't work. media player puts the music into "error" drop downs in the sync menu. the problem? "unknown error"

so my question is this, how do i remove ALL the licences for ALL my music so i can put it on the device? (i will store a copy of the licences on CD)

and any ideas about this error, and how to rectify it?

i don't know a lot about computer, except hitting them makes me feel better.

oh, and to save making another thread. is there a program out there that will allow me to watch NTSC/region 1 DVDs on my euro-spec computer?

Thanks in advance,
Chris.

I replied to your PM quite a while ago but you never got back. So let me ask you again, where do you get you music. We need to know so we can tell you if its posibile and what specific sofware you need to remove your particular version of DRM.


So post the type of music files and where you got them from.

sorry about that. i forgot about it amidst "family issues" (long story)

they're all WMA files. media player converts them for me.

some are from CD, other are downloaded.


i know it's wrong, but it feels so right...

sorry about that. i forgot about it amidst "family issues" (long story)

they're all WMA files. media player converts them for me.

some are from CD, other are downloaded.


i know it's wrong, but it feels so right...


when you rip from Cd you should just rip them as unprotected wma (setting in media player for ripping) or use another piece of sofware to rip them as regular unprotected mp3s.

for the stuff you DL use this on wma files:
http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/FairUse4WM/1156529648/1

Thanks.

what does it mean by "recover keys" i don't understand that.

EDIT- it found some keys. seems it's ok.

can i just convert all my music in one go? or do i have to go through each album and do it that way?

i have 8gb of music and it'll take weeks to do it manually.

well i never used that since i never touch anything with that kind of drm so i'm not sure if it has a mass drm removal feature.


If its file by file i guess the best would be just to remove the drm on the files you need to listen on the mp3 player right then.

How is yout entire collection drm'ed though. Stuff you ripped from cds should not be unless you selected to add drm in wmp while ripping. In that case i would recomend re-ripping your cd colection with something else (flac would be nice if your player has support). and use that software just for the DL stuff.

ahh crap...the "acquire licences" thing was enabled.

what happens if i find the file with the licences and delete it?

ahh crap...the "acquire licences" thing was enabled.

what happens if i find the file with the licences and delete it?


you will most likelly lock yourself out of those files. Those licences allow the DRM'ed files to be played.

well that sucks...

well that sucks...


welcome to the world where our "Fair use rights" under the copyright laws mean squat due to corrupt piliticians overiding them with new laws. *cough* DMCA

Yes law abiding citizens that pay for music can't use it ain't it great.

Best thing you can do is vote with your wallet and pay only for non DRM music DL or non DRM Cds. you have to hurt them where they care, do not give them money to screw you over.


Anyway it looks like you'll have to re-rip those cds of yours and use that program to remove the drm on the files you DL.

i'll hit them where it hurts, i'll steal my music.

i don't see why the MP3 player companies can't just make players that allow DRM files to play. it's rediculous.

i'll hit them where it hurts, i'll steal my music.

i don't see why the MP3 player companies can't just make players that allow DRM files to play. it's rediculous.


no no they make players that play drm files. Its jut that they decide what drm works or not. take apple for example they made sure only the Ipods can play iTunes music. Microsoft is doing the same thing with zune (won't even support their own "Plays for sure" stuff - the irony).


Its all about vendor lock in

gah!

i'm going to buy another HP handheld, like my old one (which i sat on...) because it worked flawlessly (until i sat on it) and played all my music without any problems.

screw the stupid SanDisk thing. it can spend another month on my desk untouched.

i love my sandisk, i get all my songs off limewire, put them on my sync list in windows, and walla...

i hate you.

my 60 gig ipod works great.

my 60 gig ipod works great.


LOL:grinno: well i'm sure it works for you but in this circumstances I would go on and guess that his WMA DRM files might not work so well on an iPod.;)


Not to mention the whole itunes/iPod platform is probably the best example of drm abuse by a monopoly.

haha!!! rip them using a very old CD attachment via USB. um, ill find out details and get back to you. but that's how we got past the "protection".

it's like, grandfathered in or something. i wasnt sure how it worked, but it did. we did it awhile back and since then i just havent bought a CD so idk.

my 60 gig ipod works great.

i hate all Mac products they are the work and spawn of the devil.

i did have an ipod, for a whole 5 days. it sucked because i couldn't put the music i wanted on it. then i sat on it and it broke. took it back and got my money back.

piece of crap.

I think part of your technology problems may stem from your tendency to sit on or smash small electronic devices.

gah!

i doubt it. i think it's time someone invented an electronic device (other than my flawless Nokia 6230i) that actually works.

Nokia owns.

Nokia does own. Of all the phones I've ever had, my Nokias gave me the least trouble. My mom still has her old school Nokia running like a champ!

mine just works. never had a problem. it's awesome.

maybe i should jsut buy the fancy headset thing with the screen and a bigger memory card for it instead of all this complicated crap.

nokia ftw!!!

archos ftw!!!

mac sucks!!!

nokia ftw!!!

Yes.

archos ftw!!!

No.

mac sucks!!!

Yes.

Is your MP3 player working now?

There is a program called AnyDVD that will allow you to watch NTSC movies on your PAL (or whatever else) DVD drive. PM me if you'd like assistance acquiring it.

Chris, just google "Tunebite", it has a free trial period. basically, it just re-records DRM files and saves them as un-protected files. then just delete the DRM files, and you've got the un-protected replacement

it's ok, the program i'm now using replaces files with the non-DRM ones.

Thats why i returned mine and got an ipod nano, I pod soesnt really have any good features yet they sell. Makes no sense to me .