I keep trying to reformat my sansa e 260

format and reset to factory settings

The 260 you can remove the screws on back cover and remove the battery and replace to reset, not sure on the 250, you might also want to go their website and download the latest firmware updates.

Ouch !

can you say FORMAT ? lol

This is the exact situation I've been talking about , make sure that you check each file with an mp3 encoder checker such as encspotbasic 2.0 before loading them to the E260.

you could try MOVING the bad tracs , instead of delete , and you can try to OVERWRITE the bad tracs with a fresh copy of the file ( one checked with the encoder checker )

these silly methods may or may not work out , let me know what happens.

Shalom >:D<

The bad track error just means you need to reformat the player, the database got corrupted somehow, no worrys, just reformat and reload, you should be good to go.

Click here for instructions

If you want to delete EVERY track off the player, then reformat the player in Windows Media Player - it's a shortcut - see my "tips and tricks" on formatting mp3 players

If there are artist, album traces, then you need to click on every subfolder under your device in Windows Media Player and delete every trace that way - tedious, but effective

-Tha Mp3 Doctor

There are 2 ways to format an mp3 player - if you were formatting the mp3 player from "My Computer," then try reformatting from Windows Media Player instead - I have a "tips and tricks" entry on How to Format an Mp3 Player for details

If that doesn't work, then double-click on My Computer, double-click on the Sansa player, and go to the various folders that it lists - music, voice, etc. Delete the songs ONLY - do not delete the dat, bat, ini, inf, or other system files

The songs are in the wrong format or have expired licenses

There are 2 ways to format an mp3 player - if you were formatting the mp3 player from "My Computer," then try reformatting from Windows Media Player instead - I have a "tips and tricks" entry on How to Format an Mp3 Player for details

If that doesn't work, then double-click on My Computer, double-click on the Sansa player, and go to the various folders that it lists - music, voice, etc. Delete the songs ONLY - do not delete the dat, bat, ini, inf, or other system files

You will probably have to reformat the player, but the "bad track" message could also be caused if the songs you are trying to download have an expired DRM license.

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

use windows reformat utility. go to my computer and locate the mp3 player. right click it and click reformat. and then reformat it.

Two possible methods:
Go ahead and do this, in case the DB is corrupted:
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/Retail/DriverDownloads.aspx