20 Most Recent Cowon System iAUDIO X5 MP3 Player Questions & Answers

My player has gone in the same direction..

Hey,

Unfortunately, reprogramming - updating the firmware, is the deepest that you can go, software side.

So this is definitely a hardware issue, is the button broken or getting stuck? you would have to open the player and take a look - only if your outside of warranty.

If you are in warranty get it warranty repaired.

How to take apart a phone or a mp3 player?

I wrote this guide for a phone earlier http://www.fixya.com/support/r4333266-samsung_sgh_x150_disassembly_apart


All you need is a set of small screwdrivers, your fingernails or a plastic stick.

find all the screws and remove, them, check under any labels or soft objects.

then the last thing to do is to use your fingernails or a plastic stick to go around the casing to get it pop off, it is most likely held in place with plastic clips.

now even if you do get it apart, I can't guarantee that we can fix this, you can look at the buttons and see if its getting stuck. But it might be very much more complex than that.

no resetting will not delete any files

If your mp3 player has a record feature you can go up to a song and record it that way without using a computer. read your instruction manual about recording.

I also had this error. I assume this fix will also work on the X5 and maybe M3.
This can also be used to upgrade the HDD to a larger size!

I love my M5 and was gutted when it broke, it sounds brilliant and even in June 2009 it beats the competitions tiny, flashy, colour screen malarky by being solid, ugly, un-nickable and NO DAFT SOFTWARE! That last point is integral to fixing this fab machine.

Mine was caused by a chair leg placed on the unit... so I pretty much knew for sure the error truly was a HDD one.

- I bought a new HDD (hard disk drive), a Toshiba MK3006GAL (30gb) to replace the original MK2006GAL (20gb) off ebay. My fixed M5 is now 30GB! I'd be careful what drive you use to replace the original, I have no idea which work and which don't work. Stick with Toshiba probably.

- If you have an external drive caddy for 1.8" HDD's or some means of easily formatting the disk like a cable, format it to fat32 filesystem now. if it's secondhand your seller might do this for you if you ask nicely. Skip the linux steps if you can do this.

- Unscrew the back of the unit with a properly sized precision screwdriver, you don't want to ruin the heads on the screws mangling them with the wrong tools as they won't go back in!

- *gently* peel back the silver tape and move the red wire aside. The tape is conductive to stop static from the HDD messing things up and vice-versa.

- remove the back tape section and remember where it goes.

- remove the HDD and gently remove the delicate connector cable

- replace the HDD and put everything back as it was, making sure the black tape is in the same place and the silver tape is firmly attached (as it is meant to conduct electricity). Screw it all back up.

SKIP THESE STEPS if you previously formatted the HDD and continue where it says NOW:

- Windows was useless as it finds the device but you can't do anything to it, so I used the Ubuntu linux instead. There is probably a similar method for macs. Maybe you could use DOS, but god help you! If you hate linux, maybe Partition Magic for Windows can be used but this is only a suggestion and may be a totally useless one as I didn't try it.
- Get Ubuntu linux (or your own preferred distro) live CD (or install and enjoy a windows free life!).
- Load the livecd.
- Load Gparted (System>Administrator>Partition Editor, or "sudo gparted" typed in the terminal)
- Find the unformatted new HDD from the drop down menu e.g. SDA will be your computers HDD, don't touch that! SDB will either be your M5 or another internal HDD. You will recognise the correct drive by noticing it has 'unallocated' (i.e. unformatted) space of the same size of your replacement HDD, and won't be half full like your PC's drives (which you DONT want to format!).
- Format it to FAT32 (the same as a pendrive).
- Remember to 'unmount' the filesystem when you unplug or it may corrupt. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, leave it plugged in while you turn off the computer, and remove it when the PC is off.

NOW:

- Either using Linux or other means, you have an M5 with a new HDD formatted to fat32.
- Download the latest firmware from Cowon.
- Plug in the M5 into the PC
- The PC >should< recognise this is an IAudio M5, and you should be able to access the new empty disk. I did this step in Linux, so its probably best that you do too.
- Create a new folder on the M5 called "FIRMWARE"
- Drag the firmware file into the FIRMWARE folder.
- Unplug the unit safely (i.e. unmounted) and turn it on.

The unit runs a firmware update and recreates the software on the new disk.

Voila! You have a repaired M5!

Connect to a PC and add your music back on. You did keep a backup, right? ;-)

Hope I've helped everyone!

Dear, there is button for record, it is not functioning properly because it is not doing the right job, if you will try to fix it, there are great chances of future damage, because of the mini-circuit in this technology. I suggest you to visit repair shop for assistance, it would be better than fixing it yourself.

Best regards.

Try and restore the mp3 player by carefully following the isntructions that came with the product.

Hi CBORNSTEIN,

A good place to start would be contacting the manufacturer of the MP3 player. You don't mention the exact model or make so I can't refer you to the manufacturer's website but a simple websearch should do the trick. Most manufacturers offer a battery change service or a program that would allow you to trade your MP3 player in to receive a refurbished one with a fresh battery.

There are also some 3rd party repair shops that do battery replacements for MP3 players. Depending on the model your local Best Buy™ store may be able to assist you or you can search for other 3rd party repair facilities on the web.

Best Regards,
Ken
"Go Ahead. Use Us."

i'm shivam dang

try to send it back to Cowon company, or try to solder the joints, inside the mp3 player most likely it is at the top of the mp3 player, but know what your doing otherwise it can be destroyed, if you don't repair it the right way 

u can use JETAUDIO converter. . . set your profile to iAudio x5 
then click the convert button. . . 

Looks like damaged some internal device. You can try to reinstall the software/flash it. If that does not work, it does look like a serious problem, and you may have to take it in for servicing or buy a new one (whichever works out cheaper for you)..

Hope that helps.

i had the same problem, try to reset it or, if you got rockbox built in try to turn it on and off, i don't know if you might have 2 sides to your mp3 player but try that out, and definitely buy a new battery, they sell it most likely at any electronic store...the wires should be plugged in inside and if not try to connect them inside: connect them as this red, black, and red if you do that it should solve your problem

i found out a problem with it, i had the same problem if u have rockbox on their, u got to get rid of it, when it turns on plug the USB to the mp3 player, make sure it comes in the Drive of your computer, use a Windows XP, or any updated windows computer make sure that it's formatted into a FAT32 drive and format make sure u put the original firmware back into it, it can be downloaded from any Cowon Site, here is the steps if u want to know how to start it off Windows XP formatting instructions:
1. Connect your iAudio player to your PC's USB port and wait for it to detect.
2. Go to My Computer, click on Start then click on My Computer
3. Select the iAudio drive, then click on file and select format.
4. Click OK to format
Needs to be a FULL format and in FAT32. after that is done, it will reset all the folders, and wipe off the hard drive and it should be back to normal, from then on it should work, if it doesn't try to use this site to request for a RMA repair service http://jetdb.jetaudio.com/RMARequest/Request.aspxand if u want to, u could try the Rockbox again if it is on it, but just know it's not fully supported by Iaudio...and ill give the Firmware link too if u want it [X5 Firmware]http://www.cowonamerica.com/download/iaudio_x5_jsfw.htmlor if it don't turn on possibily u can try to reconnect the power wire into the solder joints that should help with that issue, the power wire is red...that should help turn it on

it don't take long, it depends on the file size you are putting into it, otherwise it might take a while based on that, or the amount of file you have in it, if it takes a while scrolling and you get a hour glass on your computer screen wait until it all loads up and it should work perfectly for you 

Yes you should get a new battery, it sounds like the battery you have must of died out, or is in bad shape, once you buy a new battery everything should work