Format Error on some MP3 files

My MP3 player is getting more and more choosy about what it plays.
In the past it has rejected most of The Podcast Network's MP3s, but never any of Adam Curry's Daily Source Code, until it rejected a few recently, but not all of them.
It plays all IT Conversations MP3s.

But here's the weird one and perhaps the solution to what's going on.
I listen to both RumourMill and Sportsweek from the BBC.
Until 2 weeks ago, they both played perfectly on my MP3 player.
The last 2 weeks, RumourMill plays and SportsWeek has "Format Error" when I press play.
The file shows up ok, and plays on my laptop when I use the MP3 player as a disk drive.

So what has changed on SportsWeek that hasn't changed on RumourMill over the last 2 weeks?
The bitrate and audio sample rate are the same, and the file sizes are similar.

What the hell is going on?

Comments

[Doug Kaye]

What make and model is your MP3 player? We've learned a fair amount from doing this for 2+ years. Some players (including Flash) only work with sample rates that are a multiple of 11,025Hz (22,050Hz, 44,100Hz, etc.). Others won't play mono MP3s, only stereo. Check the sample rates and see if that's the reason. Sony Clies are particularly fussy, as I recall.

Doug Kaye, IT Conversations

[Tony Goodson]

Doug,
It's a Haldex MP3 Audio player, http://www.haldex.com.au/Client_pages/Downloads/Egoman%20262%20MP3.pdf
By coincidence it stopped working yesterday!
So I'm looking for a new player.
Where's a good place for recommendations, maybe time to step up to something like an iRiver.

I did try to buy a replacement a few weeks ago, and it seems so far to have the same problem. http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/42fc86ec0b0a985e273fc0a87f9c0746/Product/View/A2381

[Peter Byrne]

Tony, it's time to buy an iPod. We both know you want to get one, and with it you can hold not only your small, eclectic mix BUT you can probably store every podcast you've ever listened to and many of the ones you're ever going to listen to. Bite the bullet.

[Naomi]

ACK! I have a haldex mp3 player too (got it as a gift) and it was working fine until I decided to format it and put some new songs on it (it doesn't hold that many songs you see, and i felt like some fresh tunes).. and now, even if it's full of songs, it says that there are no mp3 files on it when I go to play a song.

I can't really afford an mp3 player at the moment, and I'm so pissed off I was blessed with this shitty piece of SHIT!

[Sam]

Hello!
it seems i have been having the same problems with everyone else, Each time i put the mp3 player in my computer most of the times it comes up with the formating problem, after when i take it out and i go to play songs No file comes up!
Help what can i do to fix this problem?????

[TK]

I have an Haldex 256mb mp3 player and after about 2 months it kept delteing my files, re-formatting itself and now it doesn't even turn on. When i turn it on sometimes it will come up with a blank screen. My brother has the same mp3 player and is starting to have problems with it aswell.
As far as we can tell you can't fix the fromatting problem unless you can find a program on the internet that can up date the software that is stored within your mp3 player.

[Mike Fitzmaurice]

The only one I have a problem with is Ricky Gervais. It says format error on my flash player. The PC is OK. The first 2 eposidoes of his podcast were OK. Now I convert them to WMA files and they are OK on the flash player. But is is a hassle.

Mine is non branded but works really well, holds a Gb.
Mike.

[Julie]

I'm able to upload songs that have been downloaded onto my computer from a CD. I am however unable to upload songs that I downloaded from Napster. They are both WMA files. So I am totally confused. Both MP3 players say that there is a Format Error. These were made in China, (I believe). One of them did come with a "User Manual". It does call this MP3 an IP 836AR. Not that that would mean anything to me, I am hoping it will mean something to you!
I don't know what else to tell you????????
HELP PLEASE! My kids won't leave my room until I get this done. And 5 kids in one room is a little tight if you know what I mean.

Julie

[saba]

I have got MP3 player, though got in gift.I have tried a lot to copy songs to it but whenever i tried to listen, the message on the display is formate error and can't play any song.It has got fm radio as well.thats fine but don't know how to down load or copy songs to it.It is 256 Digital Audio player.Can anybody help me to copy/download songs to it.
Thanking in anticipation

[rebeccadowell]

I have an MP3 player, brand new and the songs I downloaded from internet display format error, what do I do now?

[Betinho]

Hi everyone!!!
My name is Betinho, i'm acctually lookoing for help.
my MPman512MB,WMA/REC/FM. MP3 player says Formar error! i dont know what to do about this i've tried to do a few things but stil wont play. so i was wondering anyone can help me.
Betinho from Africa

[tete]

my mp3 keeps saying format error and i just GOT IT TODAY! HELP!

[Aquitisa Perreira]

just bought a mp3 2gb-istage version?--it's reading format error after songs have been downloaded and played for 2 days. now it wont play,and the pictures on it aren't as clear.how can i find the correct format version?

[dhonz perry]

Hi,

When I copy a song from my computer to my ipod, why is it some of the songs are format error. Just like when I copy video to my AMV, and Format Error again.Why is it happen? I cannot also load more songs even if their is more space in my memory. Please help me to solve this problem.

Thanks a lot!

[KAYSON]

hey i have a sony walkman mp3 player i need i firmware for it how do i find one

[lytchett_lad]

heya, I get "file error" when i try and play some mp3 files on my mp3/mp4 player? Any one know what to do?

Also dose any one know where i can upgrade or get firmware?

chears

[Michelle]

It sounds like I'm not alone. I too bought a cheap mp3/mp4 player off ebay. It played fine for a while, then some of my albums came up as format error. I ended up deleting them and trying to start over. Now it tells me the disk is empty, but shows that 30% of the memory is used. Now, I can't download anything. Is there a way to reformat this?? Or do I just count my losses?

[Anthony Suffolk]

I have a cheap Chinese Mp3 player with all manner of bells and whistles. Yeah, every now and then I get format error when I try to add perfectly suitable files. I just reformat it as if it were a drive. FAT 32 is fine. I did first back up the contents (but not the offending new file) Most times it works just great. They are cheap and cheerful little toys and I love mine. BTW mine works best if the power is switched off while adding new music or video files.

[shiva]

i have a cheap Chines(!!) Mp3 player. When i copy mp3 songs some of them are not playing. Is there any solution for this???

[kimiya]

I have sony mp3 player.the model is nw-e003f. It xorks with a soft ware named SONYstage.Iformat the MP3 player.since then it doesn't work and show format error on screen.
Is there any solution for it?

[Hootie]

WOW! 30 questions NO answers! I too have a "Chinese Junk" player and get this message randomly, more often than not. PLEASE HELP ME!!

[Tony Goodson]

Yes, I seem to be a place to gather the mp3 issues, and I never did get a solution, I dumped the player and bought a SanDisk SDMX1 off a friend, and I've never had a problem since. Waiting for it to stop working so I can look at more up to date players, maybe including other Sansa players, which is what I think SanDisks'mp3 players are now called.

I've been very happy with the SanDisk for a few years. The only things I'd improve are a faster switch-on time, and a faster fast-forward to move into big mp3 files. If I lose my place in the middle of a file, it can take forever to get say, 40mins into the file.

[Manish]

I have the same same problem , and the main problem is i took this MP3 from my GF to down lode some new hindi songs ..she will kill me !!! Help !!!

[Jack]

I have a Chinese 8Gb MP3 player that refuses to connect to a Toashiba Satellite M70 laptop but conects OK to an Acer Aspire desktop. I loaded 6Gb of files via Windows Media Player synch and received the "format error" when I tried to play the music. My music files were 320kbps. I downoaded Switch and converted all the files on the original computer to 128kbps and now everything works. So maybe it is the Mp3 sampling rate that is causing the problems?

[Diala]

Hey everyone,
i found the solution to this problem from the sony support website but it doesn't seem to work...
check it out:
http://www.kb.sony.com/selfservice/documentLink.do?externalId=C394649
and keep me posted if it works

[Zeeshan Ahmad]

Here is the solution:

when you connect your mp3 player to your pc it shows it as a drive. Simply go in My computer and right click on your mp3 player drive and use format option. After format copy mp3 files again and try playing them. Hope fully it will work.

Remember to backup your data before formatting as it will remove all the data from your mp3 player.

[Sharon]

The same thing happened to me. I have an Eclipse and it is cheap. I payed $20.00 for it. I downloaded one album to it. It played fine. After that, I downloaded another one and both of the files I added now come up as format error when I press play. It seems that the only music I can play on it are the few songs that it originally came with. It's frustrating and ridiculous.

[Sharon]

I found a website that provides a good explanation for this problem. The explanation is written as an I Paper. The article is easy to understand and provides clear explanations some problems that occur frequrently with MP3 players. I hope this helps.

Here is the address: http://www.scribd.com/doc/6014020/Common-Mp3-Player-Problems-and-Solutions

[waleed]

hi everybuddy,i bought one apple ipod mp3 player which is china piece and after some days when i put songs in the mp3 which is in mp3 format,it doesnt play.it displays on the screen "format error".what do i do now?please help pleaseeeeeeee.

[used computers]

I think the bitrate and audio sample rate are the same, and the file sizes are similar.