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What to Do When Your PC Doesn't Recognize Your MP3 Player

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MP3 players have a USB connectivity port that enables them to be connected to a PC. Normally, when you plug your MP3 player into a PC, Windows automatically recognizes it. But sometimes, it may be recognized as an "Unknown Device".

If your Windows PC does not recognize your MP3 player, there could be device driver compatibility issues. This FAQ will walk you through how to solve this problem.

How To Make Your PC Recognize Your MP3 Player

To begin, open Windows Explorer and go to Tools > Folder Options > Display. Locate the Hidden files and folders section, and check Show hidden files and folders.

Right-click on the My Computer icon from the desktop, then click Properties > Hardware > Device Manager. Right-click on the line marked Unknown Device, and click Update Driver. In the wizard that prompts you to update the hardware, choose No, not this time.

Click Next > Install from a list or specific location (Advanced) > Next > Do not search. I will choose the driver to install. Choose from the list of hardware USB hub, then click Next > Disk.

In the window that opens, click Browse. Then, go to C: /windows/inf, and select usbstor.inf > Open. The path of the selected driver will appear in the previous window. Click OK. The driver will be installed, and you will have an option called Device USB Mass Storage.

Select Storage Volume > Next > Disk > Browse. Go to C: /windows/ inf, and select volsnap.inf > Open. The path of the selected driver will now appear in the previous window. Click OK. The driver will be installed, and you will receive an option called Generic Volume.

If the problem persists, click Start. In the search box, type cmd, and press Enter.

The Command Prompt will be opened. Enter the following commands: 

set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1 


cd\ 


cd windows\system32 


start devmgmt.msc

Device Manager window will be opened. There, click View > Show hidden devices > +. If you get any greyed entries, right-click on them and select Uninstall.

After you restart your PC, your MP3 player should be recognized by your computer.

Image: © veronchick84 - Shutterstock.com
Jean-François Pillou

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