Sansa e280 v1: accessing 8 GB SDHC card after Rockbox 3.3 download?

[inframajin]

Hi,

I'm a newbie here, not only to this forum, but to Rockbox and the world of mp3 players (in general) as well, so please, be gentle.

I recently bought online (new) a Sansa e280 and a couple of SanDisk 8 GB micro SDHC cards, but only found out afterward (from reading through the Sansa help forum and here) about v1, v2 and vR models, and the fact that v1 models can't officially read micro cards above 2GB. Naturally, when I checked the back of my player, it turned out to be v1.

I heard that Rockbox allows use of higher memory cards on the v1, and that with the new Rockbox version 3.3, this can be done without the use of a card reader. So I downloaded it a little while ago without any apparent problems. However, I don't know how to access the inserted 8 GB micro card.

Here's what I've got right now, with the e280 connected to my Windows PC via USB:

in "My Computer", there are icons for "Sansa e280 (I:)", and the 8 GB SDHC card is shown as "Removable Disk (J:)". If I left-click on the latter, I get the message "Please insert a disk into drive J". If I right-click on it, and try to format it (which SansDisk says isn't necessary, since their product is pre-formatted), I get a similar "There is no disk in drive J. Insert a disk and try again." message. Dragging and dropping a music file into (J:) results in... nothing, other than another "Please insert disk into drive J" message.

Am I doing this all wrong, somehow? Do I still need to use a card reader? Have I made myself a laughingstock and consequently sealed my own doom? Help!

[Llorean]

Are you seeing the Rockbox connection screen or the Sandisk connection screen on your player?

[inframajin]

I'm seeing the SanDisk connection screen.

[Chronon]

If you have Rockbox booted then it should remain in Rockbox following insertion of the USB cable.

[inframajin]

Odd. Here's what happens when the player is turned off, and I insert the USB cable:

1. the Sandisk logo briefly appears

2. after a white flash, the Rockbox boot version 5.0 logo replaces it

3. it fades to white (incrementally, via horizontal lines)

4. the Sandisk logo appears again, briefly

5. the Sandisk "settings" menu pops in, for a split-second

6. the Sandisk connection screen appears, and remains for as long as the player is plugged in.

If I then disconnect the cable:

1. a "System Restart" message in a green box pops up

2. quickly followed by the Sandisk logo

3. quickly followed by the Rockbox version 5.0 / version 3.3 logo

4. then it goes to the Rockbox "files" page, and stays there, until I select something.

[Llorean]

As he said, you should be inserting the cable after Rockbox has booted.

[inframajin]

Oops, sorry, I misconstrued Chronon's meaning.

So, having the device turned on, Rockbox booted, then inserting the cable... solved everything!

Rockbox connection screen? Check.

Removable Disk (J:) ready to go (new hardware detected)? Check.

Audio files able to be dragged and dropped into (J:)? Check.

Everything works! Thanks much, guys! You've saved me a lot of grief.

And a big THANK YOU to all those who put together and continually tweak Rockbox!