RCA Lyra RD2212A turns off even though batteries are fresh...why?

hi Arnie, 1. make sure you put the battery in right way first before I can help further.
2. for this player to come on you just push play button(which is a on button,if you push it again meaning you pause) and if you push stop button meaning is stop and if you hold on it for few seconds the player goes off.

First off, let's talk about the bad news: there are a lot of people who complain about just how picky the Lyra is about which SD cards it can work with. Indeed, the later model Lyra devices on the RCA site itself say "now supports more SD cards" as a feature. Ouch.
Go to a popular memory card vendor like 4AllMemory and you'll find that a search for Lyra-compatible SD cards shows barely a half-dozen matches Lyra-compatible SD Cards
Another issue: Firmware Update 615 you might need to update your firmware to gain better compatibility with various SD cards:targets this specific problem.
While we're listing all the potential problems, it's also worth reporting that there are some reports of Lexar memory cards that require a higher voltage than regular SD cards, meaning that the Lyra either wont start at all, or its battery drains faster than usual.
Comment from the web on this: "Some Lexar memory cards require at least 2.7v to operate. Some Lyra models only use a single AA battery (1.5v). This MAY mean the mp3 player doesn't have enough power to run the card (depends on if RCA used the right parts to temporarily boost the internal voltage to 3v through a booster circuit or capacitors). This may vary between models and even between different releases of the same model. This also may explain why you can hook the device up via usband send/receive files to the card fine but then have problems after you disconnect (a USB wire can provide some amount of power. My previous nexxtech player would actually turn on without a battery when I plugged the usb wire in). "
Generally, you should be hooking your Lyra up to your PC, then running the standard PC disk formatting utility. But even then, here's what RCA warns:
"We have recently discovered an incompatibility with the RD1080/RD1090, windows XP(Service Pack One) and some newer SD cards. We are presently working with microsoftto identify the best approach to correct the issue. Until a solution is implemented, we suggest that you use MMC cards instead of SD. "
To format an external device in Windows XP, just find the device in your "My Computer" window, then right-click on it and choose Format.... You'll see something like this:
(since I don't have a Lyra, this shows the default for my second hard drive. Your settings would be similar, but probably a bit smaller!)
RCA offers zero assistance on the best way to format an SD Card for use with the Lyra, as far as I can tell, so I'll say that my expectation is that NTFS will work, you should use a short, letters-only volume label, and you should not choose either "Quick Format" or to "Enable Compression".
When you're ready, click on Start and it should only take a few seconds for the SD card to be ready to roll with your Lyra.
If it works.

please rank if this helps

Did you try formatting it?

If YES, download and update the firmware. It will be fine.

If NO, check if the HOLD/LOCK button is fine and in the right position.

Does the computer show a device is connected when it's plugged into the computer?

I used to own this mp3 and have had it for many years and it has froze up a few times but not like you describe it.

I can answer 2 and 3
2. I dont know what DSP stands for but it optimizes the sound for the genre you select. I personally liked the Rock DSP because it raises the bass.
3. Mode changes the playback mode dice is the shuffle and the circle thingy is if you have like 1 or 2 songs on it and don't want to keep pressing play after its done it automatically keeps playing until the battery dies. I personally don't use the circle mode because if you accidentally leave it on in that mode it drains the battery because it doesn't stop playing.

This happens to me on my Lyra MP3 player when my battery is low. If you have a fresh AAA battery in it, and it is in the right way and your lock on the back of your Lyra is OFF, and you still only get a blink, then you have a defective unit. Return it to RCA and get another one.

-Potter4

Hmm... guest that post is worthless. Okay, first of, go to http://www.rca.com/manuals.. perhaps it SHOULD come up as guest states, however it does not. Now go here: http://www.rcaaudiovideo.com/en-US/Downloads.html?ProductID=RD2212 Those are all of the downloads for that unit. And for the manual: http://www.rcaaudiovideo.com/en-US/DownloadsLanding.html look at the bottom. Digital Audio Players then expand to MP3. A full list of models. Hoewver the RD2212 is not listed. Good news though, I posted to get the SOLVED! vote so here goes.. (This was HARD to find) http://www.retrevo.com//search/f/63ab6b1dd8904d2a639e43818a91cbbc.pdf

If you go on to rca.com and type in MC5102 you will get the support page and the mp3 player does not suppord windows vista

Hi, I would suggest that the Battery is faulty.. a common occurrence I have found... Try a brand new or fresh charged know good battery.. I think ya may find thats the culprit.. Also check & clean the Batt Cons inside the unit.

https://www.rca.com/secure/service/contactrca/1,,,00.html Try that Good Luck