when UNplugging dongle, display switches to AV out.. eh?

[cactusmelba]

hi all,
I've developed a problem with the creative zen vision m dongle, (sync adaptor).
when i UNplug it from the player, it tells me it's switching the display to av out, and the screen goes blank. this can be halted if i go into the photo/video settings and disable video out, but thats not the point..
I've done a reset, and a disk clean up, and rebooted, rebuilt the database, but still exectlythe same..
what the madness is going on?
anyone else had a similar problem?
any help gratefully appreciated.....

[CrowdAds]

[BobbyRS]

Do you have a cable plugged into the A/V slot when you remove it? Does it do this even if nothing is plugged into the dongle and you remove it?

[ZenChick]

If I am reading this right, and you're saying it switches to A/V Out after you've removed the dongle, then it sounds like there might be a misaligned pin in your player's data port. Unfortunately, this is not an easy thing to fix as one can easily do grave damage to the data port trying to fix a pin.

[BobbyRS]

it sounds like there might be a misaligned pin in your player's data port

That is along the lines of what I was thinking.... that or a faulty dongle that may inadvertently initiating the A/V out when removing.

[cactusmelba]

hi folks, and thanks for replying..

it does it whether or not anything's connected to the dongle or not.

but here's an interesting thing, i tried to use an e-bay cable (used it for couple of years no problem) to output video to the TV, and that worked just fine, switched to A/V out when needed, then when i UNPLUGGED the cable from the player, it remained on A/V out mode..

since that, I've done a soft reset, rebuilt database, fully formatted it, all to no avail, and now it's got to the point where it's docked to the PC, charging, fully recognised by the computer, I'm able to add files etc, but the moment i take the dongle out, it tries to switch to A/V out (unless i've disabled this in the menu) then starts switching between random play all, radio, file browser etc..

I think the technical term is kerPUT.

I don't think it's the dongle since it does the same with the cabe i have, but the bent pins might be right.. poo.

whadya reckon guys?

doorstop material?

[karaokegoalie]

Originally Posted by cactusmelba

then when i UNPLUGGED the cable from the player, it remained on A/V out mode..

Did you unplug the cable or the dongle first? If the answer is the dongle, that would probably be something else pointing to a bent pin.

Originally Posted by cactusmelba

doorstop material?

From your original post, it sounded like it still worked fine when you disabled the A/V out... did I misread that?

[cactusmelba]

Did you unplug the cable or the dongle first? If the answer is the dongle, that would probably be something else pointing to a bent pin.[/quote]

The first time I'd noticed it playing up was when i'd just transferred some 'arrested development' onto the player, i unplugged the usb cable from the dongle, leaving the dongle attached to the player. Then when i unplugged the dongle from the player, it said "switching to A/V out".. done that ever since unless the a/v out is disabled in the menu.


From your original post, it sounded like it still worked fine when you disabled the A/V out... did I misread that?[/quote]

It DID, but since then it's gone rapidly downhill, i've even updated the firmware, but now it'll behave itself for about a minute then start freaking out again, turning the radio on and scanning all the channels than quickly showing the "select music to play from the media library" screen then flipping back to the radio again etc...

I think it's had it....




flip. my window cleaning days will D R A G now without the zen to keep me distracted....

if this one's kaput, i'll definitely be buying another one soon as possible, i've definitely gotten my use outta this one, used most days for the last three years!

worth every penny i reckon.

[BobbyRS]

It DID, but since then it's gone rapidly downhill, i've even updated the firmware, but now it'll behave itself for about a minute then start freaking out again, turning the radio on and scanning all the channels than quickly showing the "select music to play from the media library" screen then flipping back to the radio again etc...

Are you sure you loaded the correct firmware version?

[cactusmelba]

erm... nope. i fancied the usa firmware for the extra volume, the file is entitled "ZENVisionM_30GB_PCFW_L21_1_62_02"

I presumed european or american were interchangable...

[BobbyRS]

Did your ZVM already have the European firmware loaded on it when you updated? The European version of the firmware has to be removed before you can install the American version. Don't just try doing an update. The only way to do this is to (with the ZVM off) reset it using the reset hole, boot into Recovery Mode (hold power switch in the on position), select the Reload Firmware option (which will remove the currently installed firmware), and then select Reboot. Once it reboots the ZVM should be ready for the new firmware. Connect it to the computer and either run the exe file you mentioned or use Creative's Recovery Tool.

[ZenChick]

Even then, it doesn't explain the behavior of the player. It's as if the player's wired remote receiver is getting spurious signals...

Quick experiment: Next time the player starts becoming demonically possessed, unplug the headphones and see if the problem stops. Post back with the results.

[BobbyRS]

Maybe, but I have seen a "possessed" player due to a similar but incorrect firmware load before (as well as stuck or damaged controls or touchpads). Not on a ZVM, but on an older Samsung Yepp. I am not familiar if the existing firmware would cause such issues or not if it wasn't properly removed before loading the version he installed. If there is a possibility that he may be switching between firmware loads incorrectly, it should also be addressed to make sure it isn't at least contributing to the main problem.

[cactusmelba]

Hi all, and thanks for all the suggestions so far..

Here's the latest..

I DID have the european firmware, but have NOW got the American firmware, and i DID install it correctly by going into recovery mode and all that.
After this, it was still doing the same, switching between radio and track lists, skipping channels etc, just going mental, unusable.
So I left it for a couple of days. and tried it again. and now it works perfectly again. I've done NOTHING else to it, i SWEAR it's got me completely baffled, but I'm SO glad it's back up and running!

I think maybe after using it nearly every day for three years the poor old thing just needed a bit of a holiday... I shall post again if anything untoward happens, but it's certainly looking good at the mo....

Thanks again for all the help folks...

[ZenChick]

Mmmm, gotta love gremlins! Glad it's working for you again.

[BobbyRS]

Yeah, good to hear. Hopefully it keeps working fine.

[cactusmelba]

ok, here's an update again...

I got another two months out of it, now it's doing the same again!

EXACTLY the same set of freaky problems.. connects fine, recognised in PC, can add files and all that, but the moment you unplug either the dongle or the AV cable, it switches the display to A/V out (unless i've disabled that option in video settings menu)... weird.. and behaves itself while docked, but within minutes/seconds of unpluggnig the dongle, starts going mental again...

i find it a little odd that i can't seem to find anyone else who's had the same problem before.. SCOURED the web.. surely i can't be unique?!



I've run disk clean up, reformatted, even given it a holiday for a few days, but this time no luck so far.. i might buy it an icecream, it's such a random thing to do, it MAY respond to it!

oh and P.S, Zenchick, unplugging the headphones doesn't make any difference, it goes mad whether anything's in the headphone socket or not...

help?!!!

[ZenChick]

Okay, the problem is in the data port. Sounds like there might be a misaligned pin either in the data port or on the dongle (where it plugs into the data port). When you plug or unplug the dongle, it might cause that misaligned pin to touch another briefly.

[BobbyRS]

Post 4:

that or a faulty dongle that may inadvertently initiating the A/V out when removing.

Yeah, I'm thinking more along the line of something intermittently failing within the dongle. There are plenty of A/V pins with solder points that can easily become undone and cause an intermittent problem.

[cactusmelba]

but surely, it's happening when I REMOVE the dongle that it switches to A/V out, so must that mean it's more the pins INSIDE the player where the dongle plugs in that are likely at fault? cos the thing seems to output to Teevee just fine when either the dongle or output cable are plugged in....
and would these pins touching one another cause the frwakish behaviour of the player in general?

[BobbyRS]

When you remove the dongle, it could be putting pressure in just the right spot to cause a loose/bent pin or solder point to move/touch enough to cause the issue.