Apple Mac to MP3 and MP4 player problems.
Discussion
I have a couple of those really cheap USB memory stick style MP3 players and a cheap 1GB USB MP4 video player that all seem to have the same problem. The devices are all different brands.
Whenever I connect them to my Mac and drag and drop music or video to them, just using Finder, the files look to transfer OK when viewed on the Mac. However, once i've disconnected the player and switch on, the player sees two files for every one i transfer.
i.e.
I drag and drop chesney_hawks.mp3 onto one of the devices and disconnect the devise.
I then switch on the device and browse what's on it
Device shows two files, chesney_hawks.mp3 and .chesney_hawks.mp3
Note the second file has full-stop before it's name and is only a very small file size, the first file is the correct size
If I browse the contents of the device via the Mac i can't see these small duplicate files.
The MP3 players will still function and i can navigate the device to delete the .xxx.mp3 files
The MP4 player wont function now, I can't delete the mystery files from and my Mac will now not recognise the device exists since i transferred an MP4 file to it.
I have no problems with either my Ipod or, digital cameras or normal USB memory sticks.
Anyone any idea what might be happening and how i can stop it?
Whenever I connect them to my Mac and drag and drop music or video to them, just using Finder, the files look to transfer OK when viewed on the Mac. However, once i've disconnected the player and switch on, the player sees two files for every one i transfer.
i.e.
I drag and drop chesney_hawks.mp3 onto one of the devices and disconnect the devise.
I then switch on the device and browse what's on it
Device shows two files, chesney_hawks.mp3 and .chesney_hawks.mp3
Note the second file has full-stop before it's name and is only a very small file size, the first file is the correct size
If I browse the contents of the device via the Mac i can't see these small duplicate files.
The MP3 players will still function and i can navigate the device to delete the .xxx.mp3 files
The MP4 player wont function now, I can't delete the mystery files from and my Mac will now not recognise the device exists since i transferred an MP4 file to it.
I have no problems with either my Ipod or, digital cameras or normal USB memory sticks.
Anyone any idea what might be happening and how i can stop it?
Can't help with the MP4 problem, but those files you're seeing on the MP3 player are the Mac's resource files which include icon information and folder settings.
Get a copy of FinderCleaner and run it instead of just ejecting the MP3 - it will clear the resource files off the MP3 player and then eject it, leaving it nice and clean.
Get a copy of FinderCleaner and run it instead of just ejecting the MP3 - it will clear the resource files off the MP3 player and then eject it, leaving it nice and clean.
mmm-five said:
Can't help with the MP4 problem, but those files you're seeing on the MP3 player are the Mac's resource files which include icon information and folder settings.
Get a copy of FinderCleaner and run it instead of just ejecting the MP3 - it will clear the resource files off the MP3 player and then eject it, leaving it nice and clean.
Get a copy of FinderCleaner and run it instead of just ejecting the MP3 - it will clear the resource files off the MP3 player and then eject it, leaving it nice and clean.
Many thanks, that seems to have solved it. That stops any new resource files being created on the devices.
The only problem now is that I can't remove the resource files that have already embedded themselves on the MP4 players internal memory. Is it possible that by deleting the the main MP3 file but leaving the associated resource files on the player, that i have somehow damaged/corrupted it? My Mac simply does not register the device as a removable disk anymore. The player itself is refusing to allow me to delete the resource files I can see on it.
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