# Why has my MP3 player decided it's read only? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 10, 2014, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-mp3-player-decided-its-read-only/690449 "2014-06-10T00:55:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-mp3-player-decided-its-read-only/690449/1 "2014-06-10T00:55:13Z")
It’s a recent development. I use Gnome Commander under Ubuntu Linux to transfer files, but I can no longer add or delete files or modify my permissions and get a “Read only file system” error. How do I go back to being superuser? It’s a POS Eclipse 180RD, which is getting to be about the most generic low-end MP3 player, with several brandings. Their website is no help. I have emailed tech support, also asking how to do a memory wipe, but don’t actually expect a response. ---
**Author:** ![Kris\_Lucif](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f14d63/32.png) [@Kris\_Lucif](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kris_Lucif)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-mp3-player-decided-its-read-only/690449/2 "2014-06-10T02:24:56Z")
I had my mp3 stuck on read only because I had it in the LOCKED mode- where I couldnt use buttons until I unlocked it. make sure its unlocked ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-mp3-player-decided-its-read-only/690449/3 "2014-06-10T02:40:09Z")
There is a read only switch on most devices as well as the memory card. Check both. If it has a removable media card, take it out and move the switch on the side of it back and forth until you are sure it is in the unlocked position and try again. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-mp3-player-decided-its-read-only/690449/4 "2014-06-10T03:12:44Z")
You guys think this thing is FANCY! I’ll put it this way: Fry’s has them in it’s claw machine. If I were talented I could get one for a buck. Funny news item: [Missing Nebraska Toddler Found Safe in Claw Machine](http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/missing-nebraska-toddler-found-safe-claw-machine-n81541) Speaking of MP3 players, remind me that I want to start a thread extolling the virtues of the unkillable Z80. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-mp3-player-decided-its-read-only/690449/5 "2014-06-10T03:32:23Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > You guys think this thing is FANCY! I’ll put it this way: Fry’s has them in it’s claw machine. If I were talented I could get one for a buck. > > Funny news item: [Missing Nebraska Toddler Found Safe in Claw Machine](http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/missing-nebraska-toddler-found-safe-claw-machine-n81541) > > Speaking of MP3 players, remind me that I want to start a thread extolling the virtues of the unkillable Z80. I am guessing (but I am an electronics expert in general), that the thing is either completely hosed or you are going have to take it apart to get it to work at all. Your one chance is that is has an SD card that you can access somehow that has its read-only switch flipped and you can switch it back plus put it together again. I take no responsibility if you try it and it trashes the whole thing but that is what I would try. ---
**Author:** ![WS64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a88e57/32.png) [@WS64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WS64)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-mp3-player-decided-its-read-only/690449/6 "2014-06-10T11:49:47Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > It’s a recent development. I use Gnome Commander under Ubuntu Linux to transfer files, but I can no longer add or delete files or modify my permissions and get a “Read only file system” error. How do I go back to being superuser? The file system is corrupt, and Linux does not allow writing to it anymore. Easiest way to repair it is to connect it to a Windows machine, right click on the drive letter and choose tools/repair. It should find (and repair) some errors, and after that it should also work on your Linux machine again. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-mp3-player-decided-its-read-only/690449/7 "2014-06-11T01:44:37Z")
I installed Testdisk, a Linux utility I’m surprised isn’t named “tit” for “testdisk is testdisk.” Didn’t manage to do anything with it because some of the commands (Sooprize, sooprize–I fucking hate Linux!) didn’t work, but the POS responded to **Shagnasty** ’s suggestion I take it apart by changing its mind about being broken. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-mp3-player-decided-its-read-only/690449/8 "2014-06-11T05:33:36Z")
> [@WS64](#): > > The file system is corrupt, and Linux does not allow writing to it anymore. > Easiest way to repair it is to connect it to a Windows machine, right click on the drive letter and choose tools/repair. It should find (and repair) some errors, and after that it should also work on your Linux machine again. That’s assuming the drive is NTFS, but that would be weird for a cheap MP3 player. If it’s FAT32, you can do a repair straight from Linux, and it would be just as good. Unmount, run fsck, and then remount. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-mp3-player-decided-its-read-only/690449/9 "2014-06-11T05:53:48Z")
The disk is possibly dying. All disks die, sooner than later. However the reviews are **[amusing](http://www.amazon.com/Eclipse-180RD-Digital-Player-Recorder/product-reviews/B003DYYPS8?pageNumber=3)**. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-my-mp3-player-decided-its-read-only/690449/10 "2014-06-12T01:10:06Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > However the reviews are **[amusing](http://www.amazon.com/Eclipse-180RD-Digital-Player-Recorder/product-reviews/B003DYYPS8?pageNumber=3)**. Oh, so they’ve used it! Well, the one- and two-star reviewers have. I think the five-star reviewers were reviewing something else.