The computer can not find the sansa player - SanDisk Sansa E280 MP3 Player

No, Sansa players work with many types of music files and computers.
You may want to post details about your computer-- Mac, Windows, or Linux?
Also, what computer software do you use for music-- MediaMonkey? Windows Media Player?
Assuming you are using Windows XP--
You may already have songs on your Win XP computer, in Windows Media Player. If so, you can synchronize your player with Win Media Player-- This will load all the songs from your computer onto the Sansa, space permitting.

You can also copy files directly to the Sansa player, just as you copy files to a flash drive:

1) Configure the Sansa Player as a removable drive.
With player unplugged, go to Settings > System Settings > USB Mode
Select MSC

2) Plug the Sansa player into your computer.
The computer will recognize it as a flash drive, and will assign a drive letter.

3) Open Windows Explorer.
Find the directory on your computer that contains music files.
Copy and paste music files into the Music directory on your Sansa player.

4) Using the green arrow, bottom left on the system tray, safely shut down the Sansa player.

5) When you unplug it, the player will spend a minute or two updating its files.

6) Your music should be available to play.

If you are running things on a system other than Win XP, please post more details--
Someone may give you a more exact solution.

Best of luck!
--Zhapatos

Loading Music
You can transfer music from your computer to the Sansa® MP3 player using the drag-and-drop method or using music management software like Windows Media Player.
Drag and Drop (Windows)
Follow these steps to drag-and-drop music to your Sansa® Clip+ MP3 player:
1.
Connect your Sansa® Clip+ player to your PC.
2.
Select Open device to view files using Windows Explorer on initial connection or by going to My Computer.
3.
Double-click on the Sansa Clip+ MP3 player.
4.
Double-click on Internal Memory.
5.
Double-click on the Music folder.
6.
Drag and drop music files from your computer to the Sansa® MP3 player’s Music folder.
You can also drag and drop files to a microSD™ card inside your player by going to My Computer > Sansa Clip+ > External uSD Card.

do u have windows or mac system? if mac,
Although MAC OS is NOT a supported operating system, the Sansa player can still be recognized if the Sansa player is only plugged in MSC mode.

MAC computers do NOT support MTP
A Sansa player in MTP mode when plugged into a MAC computer will NOT be detected or recognized.

MAC computers supports Sansa players in MSC mode
Sansa players can only be recognized by a MAC if the USB mode on the Sansa player is set to Auto Detect or MSC.
See answer ID 207 for instructions on how to put your Sansa player in MSC mode.

See answer ID 1141 for instructions on transferring music to your Sansa player using iTunes on a MAC computer.

On your Sansa Go to "Settings" then "System Settings" then "USB Mode," change it to MSC, now try connecting it. If that doesn't work try the other modes just in case.
Hope this helps!

Unplug the Sansa from the computer. Uninstall all Sansa software using Windows' Add/Remove Programs feature. Reload the software, either from the installation CD or Sansa's website. Then, replug the player into the computer. If it still fails to recognize:
These are the most common methods for recovering Sandisk's Sansa Mp3 Players. I have been almost universally successful in recovering Sansa players using one or a combination of these methods. These methods do not work if you are having synchronization or music format issues - they are for recovering a player that will not power up, freezes, flashes, is not recognized by the computer, and a host of other issues.

Reset the Sansa Player first. On most models, restart is done by holding the power button in for 15 seconds or longer. Check your specific manual to be sure. The manuals are available from the Sansa website if they have been misplaced.
Download the Sansa Recovery Tool from the Sansa website.
Format - Erases Everything: Connect your Sansa player to the computer and open Windows Media Player. Click on the Sync tab. Pull down the drop down menu underneath the Sync tab by moving your cursor over the Sync tab and left clicking on the little black arrow underneath the Sync tab. Highlight "Sansa 1GB" (wording may vary slightly), and then select "Format." - this should erase everything.
Firmware Upgrade- Erases Everything: Get the latest firmware upgrade from Sansa - it updates the firmware and erases every song in the player all at once. Note: this method doesn't work if already have the latest firmware. Go to this website and click "Firmware Updater" to find out: http://www.sandisk.com/DriverDownload/driverList.asp
If these fail, then:
Try this: disconnect the player from the computer, turn it off, hold in the volume + button, and reconnect the player to the computer while holding the volume + button in. Keep holding the volume + button for an additional 5-50 seconds. Windows should eventually go into recovery mode and revive the player- it will pop up a window that says Found New Hardware Wizard.
If you get the problem where MTP Device keeps popping up continuously, uninstall the “MTP Device” by going to Start à Control Panel àSystem à Hardware à Device Manager (you computer may vary slightly, depending on Windows Version).
You may have to restart your computer after each of these methods to get them to work properly. Disconnect your Sansa player BEFORE shutting down your computer.
-Tha Mp3 Doctor

• Step 1:Free a USB port on your desktop computer. Now, grab the USB cable for your SanDisk Sansa MP3 player and connect the player to your computer.
• Step 2:Wait for your computer to find and recognize the player. This may take a few moments. Once you receive a confirmation message, open your computer and scan the icons for the SanDisk MP3 player.
• Step 3:Open the SanDisk Sansa MP3 player on your computer. The music files that you currently have saved to the player’s memory are displayed.
• Step 4:Open a folder containing music files that is stored in your desktop computer’s memory. Scan the files for songs that you want to transfer to the SanDisk Sansa MP3 player.
• Step 5:Left-click on a song file and drag to the SanDisk Sansa window. Drop the file and let your computer complete the transfer. The transferred file appears at the bottom of your music list.
• Step 6:Unplug your SanDisk Sansa player from your computer. Turn the player on and allow the file transfer to update to the internal memory of the MP3 player.

Tips & Warnings

• When properly connected, the SanDisk Sansa MP3 player displays a USB Connected message on its LCD screen.
• The music files in the SanDisk Sansa MP3 player will have different icons next to their filenames which will tell the file type at a glance (MPEG, MPEG layer 3 or WMA, for example).
• Some songs feature copyright protection which may interfere with your ability to transfer music to the SanDisk Sansa MP3 player.

Substitute REC fo volume + in the following:
These are the most common methods for recovering Sandisk's Sansa Mp3 Players. I have been almost universally successful in recovering Sansa players using one or a combination of these methods. These methods do not work if you are having synchronization or music format issues - they are for recovering a player that will not power up, freezes, flashes, is not recognized by the computer, and a host of other issues.

Reset the Sansa Player first. On most models, restart is done by holding the power button in for 15 seconds or longer. Check your specific manual to be sure. The manuals are available from the Sansa website if they have been misplaced.
Download the Sansa Recovery Tool from the Sansa website.
Format - Erases Everything: Connect your Sansa player to the computer and open Windows Media Player. Click on the Sync tab. Pull down the drop down menu underneath the Sync tab by moving your cursor over the Sync tab and left clicking on the little black arrow underneath the Sync tab. Highlight "Sansa 1GB" (wording may vary slightly), and then select "Format." - this should erase everything.
Firmware Upgrade- Erases Everything: Get the latest firmware upgrade from Sansa - it updates the firmware and erases every song in the player all at once. Note: this method doesn't work if already have the latest firmware. Go to this website and click "Firmware Updater" to find out: http://www.sandisk.com/DriverDownload/driverList.asp
If these fail, then:
Try this: disconnect the player from the computer, turn it off, hold in the volume + button, and reconnect the player to the computer while holding the volume + button in. Keep holding the volume + button for an additional 5-50 seconds. Windows should eventually go into recovery mode and revive the player- it will pop up a window that says Found New Hardware Wizard.
If you get the problem where MTP Device keeps popping up continuously, uninstall the “MTP Device” by going to Start à Control Panel àSystem à Hardware à Device Manager (you computer may vary slightly, depending on Windows Version).
You may have to restart your computer after each of these methods to get them to work properly. Disconnect your Sansa player BEFORE shutting down your computer.
-Tha Mp3 Doctor

unplug mp3 player from pc
uninstall the Sansa software
reinstall the sansa software
replug the mp3 player

-Tha Mp3 Doctor

These are the most common methods for recovering Sandisk's Sansa Mp3 Players. I have been almost universally successful in recovering Sansa players using one or a combination of these methods. These methods do not work if you are having synchronization or music format issues - they are for recovering a player that will not power up, freezes, flashes, is not recognized by the computer, and a host of other issues.

Reset the Sansa Player first. On most models, restart is done by holding the power button in for 15 seconds or longer. Check your specific manual to be sure. The manuals are available from the Sansa website if they have been misplaced.
Download the Sansa Recovery Tool from the Sansa website.
Format - Erases Everything: Connect your Sansa player to the computer and open Windows Media Player. Click on the Sync tab. Pull down the drop down menu underneath the Sync tab by moving your cursor over the Sync tab and left clicking on the little black arrow underneath the Sync tab. Highlight "Sansa 1GB" (wording may vary slightly), and then select "Format." - this should erase everything.
Firmware Upgrade- Erases Everything: Get the latest firmware upgrade from Sansa - it updates the firmware and erases every song in the player all at once. Note: this method doesn't work if already have the latest firmware. Go to this website and click "Firmware Updater" to find out: http://www.sandisk.com/DriverDownload/driverList.asp
If these fail, then:
Try this: disconnect the player from the computer, turn it off, hold in the volume + button, and reconnect the player to the computer while holding the volume + button in. Keep holding the volume + button for an additional 5-50 seconds. Windows should eventually go into recovery mode and revive the player- it will pop up a window that says Found New Hardware Wizard.
If you get the problem where MTP Device keeps popping up continuously, uninstall the “MTP Device” by going to Start à Control Panel àSystem à Hardware à Device Manager (you computer may vary slightly, depending on Windows Version).
You may have to restart your computer after each of these methods to get them to work properly. Disconnect your Sansa player BEFORE shutting down your computer.
-Tha Mp3 Doctor

These are the most common methods for recovering Sandisk's Sansa Mp3 Players. I have been almost universally successful in recovering Sansa players using one or a combination of these methods. These methods do not work if you are having synchronization or music format issues - they are for recovering a player that will not power up, freezes, flashes, is not recognized by the computer, and a host of other issues.

Reset the Sansa Player first. On most models, restart is done by holding the power button in for 15 seconds or longer. Check your specific manual to be sure. The manuals are available from the Sansa website if they have been misplaced.
Download the Sansa Recovery Tool from the Sansa website.
Format - Erases Everything: Connect your Sansa player to the computer and open Windows Media Player. Click on the Sync tab. Pull down the drop down menu underneath the Sync tab by moving your cursor over the Sync tab and left clicking on the little black arrow underneath the Sync tab. Highlight "Sansa 1GB" (wording may vary slightly), and then select "Format." - this should erase everything.
Firmware Upgrade- Erases Everything: Get the latest firmware upgrade from Sansa - it updates the firmware and erases every song in the player all at once. Note: this method doesn't work if already have the latest firmware. Go to this website and click "Firmware Updater" to find out: http://www.sandisk.com/DriverDownload/driverList.asp
If these fail, then:
Try this: disconnect the player from the computer, turn it off, hold in the volume + button, and reconnect the player to the computer while holding the volume + button in. Keep holding the volume + button for an additional 5-50 seconds. Windows should eventually go into recovery mode and revive the player- it will pop up a window that says Found New Hardware Wizard.
If you get the problem where MTP Device keeps popping up continuously, uninstall the “MTP Device” by going to Start à Control Panel àSystem à Hardware à Device Manager (you computer may vary slightly, depending on Windows Version).
You may have to restart your computer after each of these methods to get them to work properly. Disconnect your Sansa player BEFORE shutting down your computer.
-Tha Mp3 Doctor

Get software from Sandisk's website

These are the most common methods for recovering Sandisk's Sansa Mp3 Players. I have been almost universally successful in recovering Sansa players using one or a combination of these methods. These methods do not work if you are having synchronization or music format issues - they are for recovering a player that will not power up, freezes, flashes, is not recognized by the computer, and a host of other issues.

Reset the Sansa Player first. On most models, restart is done by holding the power button in for 15 seconds or longer. Check your specific manual to be sure. The manuals are available from the Sansa website if they have been misplaced.
Download the Sansa Recovery Tool from the Sansa website.
Format - Erases Everything: Connect your Sansa player to the computer and open Windows Media Player. Click on the Sync tab. Pull down the drop down menu underneath the Sync tab by moving your cursor over the Sync tab and left clicking on the little black arrow underneath the Sync tab. Highlight "Sansa 1GB" (wording may vary slightly), and then select "Format." - this should erase everything.
Firmware Upgrade- Erases Everything: Get the latest firmware upgrade from Sansa - it updates the firmware and erases every song in the player all at once. Note: this method doesn't work if already have the latest firmware. Go to this website and click "Firmware Updater" to find out: http://www.sandisk.com/DriverDownload/driverList.asp
If these fail, then:
Try this: disconnect the player from the computer, turn it off, hold in the volume + button, and reconnect the player to the computer while holding the volume + button in. Keep holding the volume + button for an additional 5-50 seconds. Windows should eventually go into recovery mode and revive the player- it will pop up a window that says Found New Hardware Wizard.
If you get the problem where MTP Device keeps popping up continuously, uninstall the “MTP Device” by going to Start à Control Panel àSystem à Hardware à Device Manager (you computer may vary slightly, depending on Windows Version).
You may have to restart your computer after each of these methods to get them to work properly. Disconnect your Sansa player BEFORE shutting down your computer.
-Tha Mp3 Doctor