iFP FAQs

Software / Hardware

Q. The prompt “No Files” appear on my iFP player after downloading my WMA files to the player or, My WMA files do not playback within the iFP- Player.

A.   The iFP players will only play back MP3 and non-protected WMA files. If you have downloaded WMA files into your iFP player but are unable to play them, they are most likely digitally protected within Windows Media Player based on DRM (Digital Rights Management).

When WMA have been protected within Windows Media Player, the files are then unable to be copied and sent to the iFP player. This will cause the files to be seen within iRiver Manager’s downloaded section, but will not appear or playback within the iFP player.

To un-protect WMA Files:

Windows 98 (Second Edition) and Me / 2000:

1. Open Windows Media Player and go to Tools / Options / CD Audio.
2. Once CD Audio, un-check the option titled ‘Enable Personal Rights Management’.
3. Click on ‘Apply’ then Click ‘OK’.

Windows XP (Pro – Home)

4. Open Windows Media Player and go to Tools / Options / Copy Music.
5. Once Copy Music, un-check the option titled Protect Content’.
6. Click on ‘Apply’ then Click ‘OK’.

*PLEASE NOTE!

The WMA files that have been previously copied onto your PC will remain protected because they were originally copied / recorded with the protected option checked.

You will need to re-copy the files (to your PC) in order for them to be sent to the iFP player and become playable. When new files (CD’s) are copied / recorded within Windows Media Player, they will be un-protected and will be capable of being sent to the iFP player*.

Q. What operating systems are the iFP players compatible with?

A. The iFP players are compatible with Windows 98SE (Second Edition), Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Mac OS 9.2, and Mac OS 10.2 and higher. The iFP players cannot be used with Windows NT (NT does not support / recognize USB based devices), Window 95, or Windows 98 original version.

To check the version of Windows you are running, go into My Computer / Control Panel / System.

Q. When I open iRiver Manager, a message “Cannot Connect to the iFP player appears on the screen.

A.1 Please ensure that your USB cable is properly connected from your PC to the iFP player, and that the iFP player is ON (USB Connected).

A.2 Within the CD-Rom, there are two main folders – the Driver Folder and the iRiver Manager software. The error message is based on the Driver Folder which has not been fully installed during the initial set-up / install of iRiver Manager from the CD-Rom. This can occur on earlier versions of Windows (98 Second Edition) but can also occur on later versions of Windows as well (ME, 2000, XP). The solution is to manually have your computer recognize and install the Driver Folder from the CD-Rom.  This is achieved by performing the steps below:

For Windows 98SE / Me:

1. Ensure the Player is connected properly to the PC and is turned OFF. Please close the iRiver Manager application.

2. Place the iRiver CD in the CD tray (If you already have installed iRiver Manager, do not allow the application to re-install.  Please click Cancel / Exit Set-Up when available.

3. From your Desktop, open My Computer, go to Control Panel, click on System, and then click on Device Manager.

4. Within DEVICE MANAGER, go to the bottom of the list and open Universal Serial Bus Controller. Turn on the iFP player and check for a display within the Universal Serial Bus Controller list titled: “iFP-100 Series - Internet Audio Player” (or similar for other series).

5. If you are not able to see the listing, try clicking on the ‘Refresh’ tab.*The listing might also appear within a list titled ‘Unknown Devices’ or ‘Other Devices’*. Once found in either listing, right click on “iFP-100 Series - Internet Audio Player” and go into ‘Properties’. Within the Properties section, you will see General and Driver as sections. Go to the ‘Drivers’ section and click on the option “Update Driver”.

6. You will then be prompted with the Install New Hardware Wizard to begin the install procedure.

7. On the first page of the Install page, simply click Next to begin the installation.
   
   
8. Upon your second screen, please choose to ‘Display From a List’.

9. From the Displayed list, find the listing titled ‘Other Devices’ or ‘Unknown Devices’. This listing should be highlighted by default. Click Next and continue onto the next screen.

10. From the next screen, you will then choose the option “Have Disc”. The click on Next.

11. From the next page, click on ‘Browse’ which will launch a small browse screen. Locate the iRiver CD within a Drive on your PC (E, D, M). Click on drive that would contain the CD. This will open the Disc where you will see the iFP driver folder. Click on the iFP driver Folder, and then click OK or Next. The Driver folder is then read and you will then be led back to the screen where you originally browsed from the Have Disc option. You should be able to view the file path that you have chosen within the small blank screen. Example: Install from: D:\\ iFP-Driver. Click on Next and you will then be taken to the page in which the Driver is ready to be installed.

12. The Driver will then install with the prompt “Building Driver Information Database”. Once complete, click on Finish, and the Driver is now installed. Exit all screens previously opened and begin to use iRiver Music Manager.

For Windows XP (Pro / Home) (Text Instructions Below)

Click Here for Windows XP Image Based Instructions!

Insert the iRiver CD-Rom into your PC. Do not allow the software to re-install is it is already installed. Please connect the USB Cable to your PC and iFP player. TURN ON THE PLAYER. Within the iFP player’s LCD screen “USB Connected” will be shown. Do not have iRiver Music Manager ON (launched).

From your Start menu on your Desktop, go to Control Panel.

Open “Performance and Maintenance” and or “System”

From “System Properties”, go to “Hardware”.

From the Hardware section, click on “Device Manager”.

1. Within Device Manager, please go to ‘Universal Serial Bus Controllers’ (bottom of list) and click on the + sign to open the sub-listing of Universal Serial Bus Controllers.*At times, the sub-listing is already opened showing the contents of Universal Serial Bus Controllers*.

2. Within sub-listing you should be able to see “iFP-100-iRiver Internet Audio Player” or iFP-300 Series – Internet Audio Player. If you are able to see this, right click on the iFP player listing, and enter “Properties”. Go to next step.
3. If the Player is not listed within Universal Serial Bus Controllers, check for a separate listing titled Other Devices or Unknown Device within Device Manager. The Player might be listed as “Other Device” or “Unknown Device” within either of these possible main listings. When the listing is located, right click on the Player’s listing and choose “Properties”.

4. Within Properties, choose the ‘Driver’ category, and then choose the option Update Driver. This will then launch the Install New Hardware Wizard.

5. From the first page within the Install Wizard, choose the second option: “Install from a list or a specific location”.

6. From the second page, check the following three buttons: 1) Search for the best driver in these locations; 2) Search removable media (Floppy - CD-Rom); 3) Include this location in the search. Once checked, click on Browse.

7. A “Browse for Folder” screen will be launched. Open My Computer, and then locate the CD-Rom Drive (E / D / F/ M / L / etc) that contains the iRiver CD. Once located, click on the folder titled “iFP-Driver” once. Once the folder is highlighted, click on OK on the Browse screen where you will be taken back to the previous screen. You will be able to see the file path below the “Include this location in the search” screen. Example: D: //iFP-Driver

8. Click on Next then proceed to run the Driver install. If you get the XP warning message, please click on Continue Anyway as this hardware will not harm your PC / operating system. It is 100% completely compatible with Windows XP. The Driver will then install. Click on Finish and exit all previous screens opened. Begin to use iRiver Music Manager.

Q. I have Windows XP and get a “Hardware Installation” message while I am performing the installation. Should I quit or continue?

A. All iFP players are 100% compatible with Widows 98 Second Edition / Me / 2000 / XP Home – Pro. It is completely safe to continue with the Driver install. You will not encounter issues on your PC or operating system.

Copying Music / Locating Music / Downloading Music

Q. Why can’t I transfer music directly from my commercial CD to the iFP player? 

A. The iFP players do in fact playback WMA and MP3 files but iRiver Music Manager does not convert your CD's into either of these file formats. You would simply need to copy your CD's onto your PC first, using a jukebox application like MusicMatch (copies CD's into MP3 files) or Windows Media Player (copies CD's into WMA files). A commercial CD carries the .CDA file extension as it is a normal audio based CD. Once you copy your CD’s onto your PC, the songs within the CD become PC based files. Depending on which application you use to copy your CD’s, the files will have a certain file extension for playback within the iFP player. Each application will copy your CD’s onto your PC, and store them in a location within your PC. To find out where your music is stored when these applications have copied your CD’s follow the instructions below:

Windows Media Player for Windows 98SE – Me - 2000:

1. Go to Tools / Options / CD Audio.
2. Locate the prompt: “Copy Music to this destination”. Make a note of the entire file path and use iRiver Music Manager to get to the location of where your music is stored.

Windows Media Player for Windows XP (Home – Pro):

1. Go to Tools / Options / Copy Music.
2. Locate the prompt: “Copy Music to this location”. Make a note of the entire file path and use iRiver Music Manager to get to the location of where your music is stored.

 Q. How do I copy my CD’s into an MP3 or WMA file format?

A. Please follow the instructions below which apply towards Windows Media Player and MusicMatch Jukebox.

Using Windows Media Player on Windows 98 Second Edition / Me / 2000:

1. Insert your commercial CD into your CD-Rom.
2. Open Windows Media Player
3. Go to Tools / Options / CD Audio and uncheck the prompt “Enable Personal Rights Management” feature. Adjust your Copy Settings to a size of no less than 28MB per CD (64kbps) but not greater than 69MB per CD (160kbps) as this simply affects how many files you will be able to download to the Player. The smaller the KB rate, the more you can send to the Player. The larger the KB rate, the less you can download to the iFP player.
4. Locate the prompt: “Copy music to this destination” and make a note of the entire file path.
5. Click on Apply and then click on OK.
6. From the jukebox screen, click on CD Audio as this will load all the songs from a CD into a queue as they will become checked, ready for copying.
7. To the right of the screen, click on Copy Music and the CD will begin to copy onto your PC in a WMA format. Once copied, simply open iRiver Music Manager and go to the location of where the CD has been copied. Once located, simply download the songs to the iFP player.

*For help copying CD’s, please enter the Help section within Windows Media Player*.

Using Windows Media Player on Windows XP (Pro – Home)

1.       Insert your commercial CD into your CD-Rom.

2.       Open Windows Media Player

3.       Go to Tools / Options / Copy Music and uncheck the “Protect Content” feature. Adjust your Copy Settings to a size of no less than 28MB per CD (64kbps) but not greater than 69MB per CD (160kbps) as this simply affects how many files you will be able to download to the Player. The smaller the KB rate, the more you can send to the Player. The larger the KB rate, the less you can download to the iFP player.

4.       Locate the prompt: “Copy music to this location” and make a note of the entire file path.

5.       Click on Apply and then click on OK.

6.       From the jukebox screen, click on Copy From CD as this will load all the songs from a CD into a queue as they will become checked, ready for copying.

7.       To the right of the screen, click on Copy Music and the CD will begin to copy onto your PC in a WMA format. Once copied, simply open iRiver Music Manager and go to the location of where the CD has been copied. Once located, simply download the songs to the iFP player.

*For help copying CD’s, please enter the Help section within Windows Media Player*.

Using MusicMatch Jukebox:

1. Insert your commercial CD into your PC and open MusicMatch.
2. Within MusicMatch, click on Options / Settings / Recorder / Tracks Directory. Tracks Directory (Directory for New) will show you where CD’s will be stored on your PC once copied. Please make a note of the file path as you will need this information to download your music. Click on OK and this will take you back to Recorder.
3. Within Recorder, please ensure the Recording Format is set to MP3 or WMA, and the Recording Format is set no less than 64 kbps but no more than 128 kbps. The smaller the KB rate, the more you can send to the Player. The larger the KB rate, the less you can download to the iFP player. Once your settings have been set, click on OK as you will return to the jukebox.
4. Within the jukebox, click on the Red Record button as this will then load all CD tracks into a separate Recording screen located to the bottom of the Player. All tracks from the CD will then be checked, ready for copying.
5. Click on the Record button within the lower screen and the tracks will begin to copy onto your PC. To the right of the screen, click on Copy Music and the CD will begin to copy onto your PC in a WMA format. Once copied, simply open iRiver Music Manager and go to the location of where the CD has been copied. Once located, simply download the songs to the iFP player.

*For help copying CD’s, please enter the Help section within MusicMatch Jukebox*.

Q. How do I download music from my PC to my iFP player?

A. iRiver Music Manager is split into two sections which allow the browsing of your PC (top section) and the downloading of files to the Player (bottom section). Because the iFP players will only playback MP3 / non-protected WMA files, these are the only files that can be sent to the player for initial playback.

How to download files to your iFP player

1. Connect your iFP player to your USB Cable / PC and power it on (USB Connected).
2. Open iRiver Music Manager
3. Use the top section of iRiver Music Manager to browse your PC for files.
4. Once files are located within the top section of iRiver Music Manager, highlight the files you want to download to the iFP player and click on the download arrow button (arrow pointing downwards).
5. The files will begin to be downloaded to the iFP player.
6. Once the files are on the bottom of the screen, they are on the iFP player.
7. Close iRiver Music Manager and dis-connect your Player from the USB Cable.
8. The files will then be able to be played back.

Q. Why can’t I upload my MP3 / WMA files from my iFP player?

A. Due to copyright protection laws that apply towards our technology, media files (MP3 / WMA files) cannot be uploaded from an iFP player to a PC. All other non-media files (documents, images, etc.) can be uploaded to a PC from the iFP player.

Q. Why am I only able to send a certain amount of files to the Player? I am already out of memory.

A. The amount of files sent to the iFP players will be based on their initial file size (kbps) which will reflect the MB size of the entire file. In other words, the KBPS makes up the MB size of a file. The more compressed a file is, the more files you can send to the iFP player. The less compressed the files are, the less you can send to the iFP player.

If you are using a software jukebox application (Windows Media Player or MusicMatch) to convert your CD’s, please adjust the kbps files sizes within the application’s recording / copying settings. The new settings will only take place to new CD’s that are copied and not files that have already been copied.

If you are downloading MP3 or WMA files from the internet, you cannot re-compress files as they were previously created with a specific kbps file size. In this case, we would simply recommend downloading files that contain smaller kbps files rates.

The following graph applies towards KBPS rates and the amount of files you can send to an iFP player based on model type.

Q: Is there any other software that allows files to transfer to the iFP player?

A: Yes, there is! The MoodLogic Mix Manager software is now compatible with all iFP players. The software allows you to effortlessly create mixes from your own MP3 / WMA files. You can refresh the content of your iFP with just two clicks. If you need assistance with MoodLogic please see http://www.moodlogic.net/iriver/ or email support@moodlogic.com

Q. What are the recording capacities (FM, Voice, Line-In) for each of your iFP series players?

A. Below are the approximate average recording times for all iFP series players. The actual recording times may vary based on settings chosen in the Firmware menu of each player.These settings will vary on different modes/series of players. Please see the User Manual for details.

The recording time within the new upgrade is set at High by default. Recording time is set to 2.14 hrs.

To adjust the recording time, please enter the Main-Menu, and go into "Recording Mode". You can choose from Low / Medium / High recording quality.

Q. What digital music file types are supported?

A. Support file types for each model series:

            iFP-100 series: MP3, WMA, DRM WMA (with firmware/software update)

            iFP-300 series: MP3, WMA, DRM WMA (with firmware/software update)

            iFP-700 series: MP3, OGG, WMA, DRM WMA

            iFP-800 series: MP3, OGG, WMA, DRM WMA

Q. Why am I getting a constant “Scan For Music File” prompt on my iFP player?

A. If you are encountering a “Scan For Music” loop, this is usually based on a few possible issues that the iFP player has encountered. To resolve this issue, connect your iFP player to your USB Cable / PC and open iRiver Music Manager. Within iRiver Music Manager, click on the Format button within the middle toolbar section. This will delete all files within the Player, and resolve the Scan For Music loop issue.

Reasons for the “Scan For Music” loop:

The first can be based from sending a corrupted file (MP3 / WMA / Data) to the iFP player. If the file has somehow become corrupt, the Firmware within the iFP player will not be able to properly load the files for playback as there is a corrupted file within the Player causing a conflict.

The second possibility is that MP3 / WMA files might contain too many characters within the titles of the file. If the files contain titles such as: “Frank_Sinatra_I_Did_It_My_May.mp3”, then the iFP player would not be able to load a file thus causing the entire Player to not load the rest of the files. The file could be shortened by simply removing the amount of underscores such as: Frank Sinatra-I Did It My Way. MP3.

The last possibility is that the iFP player has been exposed to heat / condensation / moisture which has caused the Firmware within the Player to “crash”.

Q. Can I use the iFP players as a memory drive to put Word and/or Power-Point documents on it and still use it as an MP3 player? Can it be used as a USB memory key chain / external storage drive?

A. You are able to download many types of files (data / media) to the iFP player for initial storage. Word documents, Power-Point presentations, Excel sheets, etc. are able to be sent to the iFP player, then transferred (uploaded) to another PC using iRiver Music Manager.

A PC must have the software application installed in order to have files uploaded.

The Player does not "act" as an external drive on a PC as the software application is needed to transfer / upload files to and from a PC. We plan to offer this ability (external drive) within the near future. Please stay tuned!

*Due to Copyright laws, MP3 / WMA files cannot be uploaded from an iFP player to a PC using our iFP player and software application iRiver Music Manag