NW-A45 file deletion on microsd transfer. Fixes?

[dapolwa]

I wrote a lengthy post a moment ago about the issue of NW-A45 devices not transferring data but i couldn't get it posted.  The message board kept deleting it.

The problem concerns the issue of the NW-A45 deleting files from the MicroSD card.  You put in the card and the files are there up to a certain point.  But then they just disappear, apparently deleted.  Several people have had this issue.

The gist of my original post was that you can find detailed information on the errors that are reported by the system by going to program data folder, then Sony Coporation folder, then OpenMG folder.  From there is a file called msc that will give a full list of what errors given for the cause of the issue.

It seems the software is checking data on the sd card and returning failed values.  In short, it can see the card but doesn't know its properties.  Have a look at your own msc files if you have this issue.

tried and failed:

-Installing on Media Go and Music Center.

-Installing via different card readers, and the walkman itself.

-Formatting with 'SD Card Formatter' software.

-Installing files in bulk, in smaller chunks, and one album at a time.

-Installing from different drive libraries.

-various other efforts that I've forgetten.

I'm using a Samsuing 250GB EVO plus card for this.  In the past I've used a Samsung EVO 64GB card and had no issues.

Any ideas, suggestions, or methods tried to workaround this issue (even if they failed) would be most welcome.

[IamNic]

Hello @dapolwa,

I unfortunately didn't see your original post, yet to me the description sounds like a fake SD-card more than some issue with any software or the player itself.

Did you check if your card is genuine?

- Nic

[dapolwa]

Thanks for the reply, Nic.

As far as I can tell the card is genuine.  It was bought from Amazon, not from ebay, and came in original Samsung packaging.  I've tested it on my other Sony Walkman (a different model A15 that also accepts 250GB cards.)  The A15 recognises all of the data, all of the folders, using exactly the same transfer method.  It works with my A15 but not with my NW-A45.

In other words, the same card using the same transfer method works perfectly on a Sony A15 but not on a Sony NW-A45.  I formatted the card on the NW-A45 first, transferred the data, and it failed.  I formatted it on the A15, transferred the data to the A15, and it worked on the A15.  The card was formatted under each walkman before the same data transferred and tested.  A15 works, A45 doesn't.  This implies that the fault lies with the A45, not with the card.

I believe in one post you say you had a problem with a fake card.  In fact, you may have mistakenly assumed the card was at fault.  You may have had a perfectly good card that simply would not work because there is a flaw in the A45's operating system.  Also, even if you did have a faulty card, it might be wiser not to assume other people have a faulty card.  If my card was faulty it would not work with any of my Walkmans.  It works with one not the other, so the card is not to blame. 

Lets fix the problem.  The card is good.  It works.  It transfers data correctly, and the data is shown to be transferred correctly.  It works in another Walkman, and if I transfer the data and check it before installing it in the A45 it is clearly on the card and functional.  A good card. 

Something happens when I install the card in the Walkman and it tries to build a database.  The data is scanned, some of the files appear, but some of the files that were on there are then deleted.  This is not due to an error in the card as these files were working perfectly before they went on the walkman.  The database build corrupts the card.

If you go check the .msc file in the location I gave in the original post you can see that there is a log provided by Music Center when the file transfer goes wrong.  This file is generated when Music Center sends the data to the Walkman and the Walkman rejects it.  The message board won't let me show the contents of the .msc file as it says its HTML data, but it basically shows the walkman struggling to recognise the properties of the card.

To be clear, the card is good.  There is something finicky about the NW-A45 that makes it reject certain brands or formats of SD card.  The card I'm using is a Samsung 250GB Evo Plus microSDXC.  This should not fail.  The previous card I used on the Walkman was also a Samsung, but a 64GB card.  That worked perfectly.

Other people have experienced this problem and have commented on it.  If all the cards that have this trouble are fake, why do all of the Sony cards work?  Is that because no one fakes Sony cards?  Or is it simply because most, if not all, of the cards that have this fault are genuine but not supported?  I suspect its the latter.

So if its not the card, it must be something else.  Any ideas on how to get this fixed?

[dapolwa]

Further tests and interesting results.

I put the card from my A15 Walkman which was working into my A45.  There was about 65GB of files on there.  Although the card was formatted in the A15 it was recognised by the A45, and as before some of the songs were listed.  But some of the songs were gone as before, apparently deleted.

I put the card back in the A15, and hey presto!  The files were back.  

This would suggest the fault lies in the process of building the database.  The database algorithm, for whatever reason, is failing.  It stops at a certain point and from then on all files are marked as missing.  But they are all there, on the card, and by swapping back to my other walkman they reappear.

I feel like we're making progress on this.  The card is good, but the build process on the A45 is bugged - at least for certain card formats.

I'm going to try some other workarounds.  I know I changed the properties on some of the albums I imported (changing the name of the artist to make them easier to search.)  I wonder if this might have something to do with the database error?

Anyone out there who has the same issue please make yourself heard.  I have a feeling this can be fixed, or a workaround found, if we all put our heads together.

[dapolwa]

Humble pie.  I might have been looking at music on the system disk when I thought it wasn't deleted.  I'm going to have to repeat the process.

I've double checked.  The files are still deleting, and when I put them in my other Walkman they have fully deleted.  In other words, the problem of deleting files still exists, and its still a mystery.

[917_Langheck]

I'm having this problem with NW-A45. I've tried drag 'n' drop, Music Centre & MusicBee to transfer. During file transfer the SD card is also unmounting & when it does it deletes some but not all of the transfered files.

The NW-A45 was bought 8th May 2019 & I'm trying to use a Samsung 128gb evo plus card.

[IamNic]

Hello @917_Langheck,

do you have a normal card-reader as well which you can use to try to transfer the files to directly?

If that also doesn't work, I would say that the card is to blame - if it does work though, maybe the slot in your player is broken/damaged/dirty.

- Nic

[dapolwa]

I have another card reader.  I've tested the card on the card reader and its fine.  It also works on my other Walkman.

The Walkman also plays my 64GB perfectly well, so its not a dirty or damaged reader.  I've been using a 64GB Samsung card with it for a long time now and had no problems reading data.  If I put the old card back in it still reads it perfectly.

I would say the hardware is not at fault.

Sorry, I see you were replying to Langhek.  I would expect his issues to be similar to mine - ie. not faulty hardware.

[917_Langheck]

I've tried everything @dapolwa has & I'm sure it's not the hardware - my NW-A45 is three weeks old & the card was purchased on Friday. I've tried formatting the card again & I'm only able to transfer 12GB to a 128GB disk.

@dapolwa  What's the make of the 64GB card you are using?

[dapolwa]

The 64GB card is also a Samsung Evo.  Its not a plus version - just the plain Evo.   I've had no trouble with it.