memory disappeard

osabros · #1 (**permalink**) 23rd Jun 2006, 8:26 am

i've got a 4GB ipod nano clone that's got ebooks, amv video, recording, mp3, and photos.
shortly after getting it i added some music and things to the player, and i managed to put 200MB~ on the player. then i formatted it, and i put 130 mb on it. next time i connected it to my computer it wouldn't access the drive claiming that it need to be formatted. i formatted the ipod and then it told me it has 109 MB. this is very strange since i already put more than that on the player and all of it worked ok.
how can i restore the disappeared memory??

razzer001 · #2 (**permalink**) 23rd Jun 2006, 8:33 am

Sorry (yet again) to be the bearer of bad news, but your got scammed, there aren't 4GB versions, what you have is a 128mb nano clone thats been "hacked" to look like it had 4GB.

When you formatted it, it restored itself to the actual memory. There isn't anything you can do, but contact whoever you bought it from and get a refund (if they say they'll exchange it for a new 4gb, you'll end up getting another hacked version).

If you got this of eBay and paid by PayPal you might be able to get your money back by filing a claim that it was signifacntly different than described (which it is).

osabros · #3 (**permalink**) 23rd Jun 2006, 8:36 am

but i formatted it once and it still said it has 4GB! only the 2nd time i was told it has 109. and i put on it more than 120 and it worked fine. :?

Superboto · #4 (**permalink**) 23rd Jun 2006, 5:32 pm

One thing you need to know is that the MP4 you have works with a FAT16 system, not FAT32 as your PC. So, you have to format it with some special program to do a FAT16 formating ok?

osabros · #5 (**permalink**) 24th Jun 2006, 2:07 pm

when i got it it was formatted in fat32. should i rather re-format it in fat16?? besides, my computer works with NTFS not Fat32.
and i also wanted to know if i can transplant another memory from another player. a friend of mine has a samsung memory of 512 from a dead chinese player similar to mine, and i'm considering buying t from him. also i want to know if the firmware is on the memory or on the player, so that if i replace the memory thing will i need to install the firmware on it.
thanx a lot for your help guys

tadad1 · #6 (**permalink**) 24th Jun 2006, 4:58 pm

osabros, I have noticed that some of the newer players work fine on FAT32, I have used it for sometime with no problems. Provided that you have the soldering skills neccessary you could swap the chip.

Superboto · #7 (**permalink**) 25th Jun 2006, 6:13 pm

If I were you, i would buy the dead mp4 player from your friend at a cheap price and try to revive it.. ^^
And about the FAT format, i don't know what is the recommended for your player.. If FAT32 showed problem, the I think you should format in FAT16.. =]

admin · #8 (**permalink**) 27th Jun 2006, 3:11 am

FAT (FAT16) file system has a limitation of 2 Gigs.

So to get your player to show up as 4GIGS, it would have been with the FAT32 file system.

I'm 99% sure you have a 'hacked' player, in that it was 'hacked' to show more memory than what the physically memory chip that is installed inside your player.

What did you get the 4Gigs player for? It should give you a good indication if you got it for a really good bargin price.

If you've only just had it, I would say take it back to the seller and ask for an exchange as I think they ripped you off (or maybe even the seller didn't know this?).

Good luck and let us know how you get on.....