# Help me read the contents of my mp3 player, please. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 21, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-read-the-contents-of-my-mp3-player-please/536811 "2010-04-21T01:32:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-read-the-contents-of-my-mp3-player-please/536811/1 "2010-04-21T01:32:31Z")
I have a Nextar mp3 player. If I plug it into my computer, a wondow pops up and says ‘Display contents of files’ or something like that…similar to what comes up when a flash drive is inserted. So, whenever I click on ‘display…’ button, a window pops up, that is called Audio Player, looking like a standard window. Inside the file field, is a picture of a device, and the notation of 493 mgbytes, or however much I have on it. When I click on the picture, I get two file folders. When I click on either of them, I get nada. I know I have music files on there, because I listen to them regularly. Can you tell me how to open a list of my music files? Thanks, hh ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-read-the-contents-of-my-mp3-player-please/536811/2 "2010-04-21T02:01:12Z")
I don’t know the specifics of your mp3 player’s menus, but you need to: 1. Switch it to MSC mode from MTP mode. 2. Enable hidden files in Windows, which is done under File Options in Explorer. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-read-the-contents-of-my-mp3-player-please/536811/3 "2010-04-21T10:22:28Z")
> [@Palooka](#): > > I don’t know the specifics of your mp3 player’s menus, but you need to: > > 1. Switch it to MSC mode from MTP mode. > 2. Enable hidden files in Windows, which is done under File Options in Explorer. I did number two, and it gave me some success! However, I don’t understand what number 1 is-can you advise me further, **Palooka**? Thanks, hh ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-read-the-contents-of-my-mp3-player-please/536811/4 "2010-04-22T04:09:52Z")
trickier…and scarier! I can’t find any of my files that have names. Only ones labeled 'track 1, 2, etc…" . In the windows, on the way to opening them, they look normal. when I click on the icon, it shows\>albums\>artists\>populates songs. About 3 hours of stuff are missing on the window. Still on the mp3 player, tho. Any more help? Thanks, hh ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-read-the-contents-of-my-mp3-player-please/536811/5 "2010-04-22T04:18:35Z")
btw, none of these are protected, or anything. Just recordings of mine onto WAv\>mp3. hh ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-read-the-contents-of-my-mp3-player-please/536811/6 "2010-04-22T04:19:06Z")
Like I said, I don’t know which Nextar player you have, but for some of them, you can switch into MSC mode by pressing the Play/Pause button while it is connected to the PC. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-read-the-contents-of-my-mp3-player-please/536811/7 "2010-04-22T05:12:34Z")
> [@Palooka](#): > > Like I said, I don’t know which Nextar player you have, but for some of them, you can switch into MSC mode by pressing the Play/Pause button while it is connected to the PC. Well, I just did that. All I can see is MTP and a diagram of computer–MTP–and the audio player device. The computer has FS written on it. Says 'VER 3.10.00" When I press play again, nothing happens, just keeps the mtp diagram on it. What next?? Thanks a lot, **Palooka**! hh