Hi Forum,
This a is a great little player - this is the only MP3 player that has never given me any trouble.

I started getting some corruption in a few mp3 files, so I formatted the player using the winXP quick format feature, using the existing format, Fat32.

Now when I start the player I get the error message "Flash error, to format" onscreen for 1 sec, then it powers off.

Can this be recovered, or have I bricked it?

Thanks for your advice,
Paul

Hello Paul,

The "flash error" message sounds like the result of an attempted/failed firmware update. Such an error is not typical after a normal format using the operating system disk utility. If a firmware update was attempted with an incompatible firmware, it may well have bricked the player.

Try connecting the player to your computer. Is it still recognized properly? If so, try a full format instead of a quick format. See below for details...

1. If the player uses a AAA battery, remove it before proceeding with the format.
• If the player is connected to your USB port, first Safely Remove it, then unplug it from the USB port.
• After battery is removed, reconnect player to USB port.
2. Format the MP3 Player.
1. Click Start, then click 'My Computer' (Win98/ME/2000/XP) or 'Computer' (Windows Vista/Windows 7)
2. Right-click the icon for the USB drive, then click 'Format'
3. Leave all format options at their default setting with one exception; uncheck the option for Quick Format (if it is checked)
• Optional: set the 'Volume label' to your preference
4. Click on 'Start' to begin the format.

See also... Storage and Function Troubleshooting

Thanks for posting the info about making sure the "quick format" option was unchecked - a regular format did the trick and the MP3 player's interface came up normally.

Cheers
Paul