HELP! Windows formatted e280 v1 mp3 player

[dma44]

Hello,
I accidentally windows 10 formatted  (Quick format) my Sansa e280 v1 mp3 player that had rockbox on it. (I thought I was formatting the external microSD card).   Now it turns on to black screen and blue ring,  and windows is not recognizing the player (not assigning a drive letter).

I have a backup of the entire player from the root directory down on my computer, but since windows is not assigning a drive letter, I can't get at it to restore from backup.

Is there any way to get windows 10 to recognize the player?
Is there anything I can try?

I'd really appreciate any suggestions...

Thanks for considering.

[saratoga]

I thought if you formatted the disk you could still boot into the Sandisk firmware.  Does that fail too?  If so (and only if so), you can try the recovery mode instructions here:

https://www.rockbox.org/wiki/SansaE200Unbrick

[dma44]

I cannot boot into Sandisk firmware (hold left arrow button as power on).

I cannot seem to get into Recovery Mode either from the instructions:
    Power off
    Turn ON lock/hold
    Hold down record            (on left edge of e280 player)
    Hit Power/Menu Button   

I had done a QUICK FORMAT  (not a hard format) from windows, so all the original files should still be present on the player itself (just the file table should have changed).

When I turn it on it just goes to the black screen, blue ring.

When I plug it into computer I hear the windows audio that I always got before, but windows does not assign a drive letter, so I can't access the device. 

I can't imagine how even "undelete" utilities (like EaseUS) could get at it if there's no drive letter assignment from windows.

Wondered if you had any other suggestions to try...

[saratoga]

I cannot seem to get into Recovery Mode either from the instructions:
    Power off
    Turn ON lock/hold
    Hold down record            (on left edge of e280 player)
    Hit Power/Menu Button   

What happens when you try?

When I plug it into computer I hear the windows audio that I always got before, but windows does not assign a drive letter, so I can't access the device. 

If the device isn't booting, then the storage isn't physically even powered on.  You need to get firmware to load before you can do things like that.

[dma44]

When I try to enter Recovery mode the device powers up to black screen and blue ring.  Then no buttons have any effect.  Cannot even power off.  I have to remove battery to shut it down.

[saratoga]

What does it show up as in Windows device manager?

[dma44]

I don't see it appearing anywhere in device manager... even opening each category there.

[Bilgus]

try downloading https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usb_devices_view.html
USBDEVVIEW is quite a bit more comprehensive than windows built-in
device manager when it comes to USB devices

[dma44]

Bilgus,
Thanks for the link to USBDview.
I've attached an image of the leftmost screen of USBDview.
Can the UNKNOWN or MASS STORAGE device lines be uninstalled without harm?

[Bilgus]

you can remove anything apart from your keyboard and mouse without consequence

[saratoga]

Tango digital media platform means you're in manufacturing mode. This usually only happens if the storage chip popped out of the device or if you were in recovery mode and you did something bad to the firmware partition.

[dma44]

Thank you Saratoga, for your post on Tango Digital Media Platform.  I clearly have done something bad to the firmware partition:  I ran windows quick format on the drive containing that partition.  I am trying to find some way to salvage the player.  Does anyone know of anyone recovering an e280 player after a windows (quick) format ?   or is this hopeless.

[saratoga]

I clearly have done something bad to the firmware partition:  I ran windows quick format on the drive containing that partition.

What exactly did you format? 

  I am trying to find some way to salvage the player.  Does anyone know of anyone recovering an e280 player after a windows (quick) format ?   or is this hopeless.

Yes it can be fixed, I am trying to figure out what steps to tell you to take next.