I have a 1GB flash drive. It's a Memorex Travel Drive.

I am using it in a MP3 player for the car (one that plays through a radio freq). Anyway. Try as I might, I cannot put more than 121 files on the drive. The MP3's I have on now total 638 mb. I have played around with it by removing on file and putting a 300mb file on and it takes it so I know it holds at least 900mb so as far as I can tell is it's a file number issue.

The drive is a few years old (3 or so). Is there any way to override the 121 file wall? I know a bit about PC's (formated drives in DOS, built a few PC's and basic stuff like that. I tried writing to Memorex but they could not understand what I was talking about (or did not want/Could not address the issue). A

Any ideas? Are all flash drives like this?

__________________
Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

When you build a file system, you have to choose how much space to allocate to directory entries. On a Windows filesystem, it's specified as the block size - if the block size accurately describes your average file size, you will use up your data blocks and the directory entries at a similar rate.

All file systems that I know of have a limit on how many files can be created. This allows the directory structure to be static (in one place, never changes) so that system crashes don't trash the entire directory structure.

You may be able to reformat that device to get more directory entries. It is also possible that a subdirectory will give you more entries; I don't know the specifics of that filesystem. Windows and UNIX filesystems won't give you more files because you created a subdirectory. In fact, the directory itself consumes (at least) one of your directory entries.

Most USB drives have the FAT32 file system. You can go to "my computer", right click on the USB drive and choose "format". Then use the "NFTS" format rather than FAT32.

This may get you what you're looking for. We have to do this at work many times because the video files we work with are large enough to hit the FAT32 limit.

Now, the only drawback to doing this re-formatting is that you MUST stop the device prior to removing it every time from now on after re-formatting. On FAT32, apperantly, it's permitted to remove it any time without stopping.

Just to be on the safe side, I stop any USB device prior to removal as a habit.

__________________
-Evan


Benz Fleet:
1968 UNIMOG 404.114
1998 E300
2008 E63


Non-Benz Fleet:
1992 Aerostar
1993 MR2
2000 F250

Can you specify options when formatting a FAT32 option? I know that it normally supports more files than this, but you have to make a choice. If the directory is too large, you lose space that could be used for data.

FAT32 does seem to be quite tolerant of an ungraceful dismount, but that's probably due to its simplicity. Problems are rare, but I've seen them. Once, I saw a directory that was a subdirectory of itself. This was discovered during a backup attempt, which of course never finished.

I would try reformatting the flash drive. Assuming you are using XP/Vista, take all the files and back them up on your computer, then you should be able to right click it in "My Computer" and select format. It will wipe everything already on it, but should clear any sort of restriction. Stick all your files back on it and you should be fine.

__________________
TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

Yep, just reformat it. You should easily be able to fill a FAT32 formatted 1GB drive to capacity with MP3's.....I've done it many times.

And the suggestion to switch it to NTFS is not a good idea, because most radio's and MP3 players won't be able to read it.

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

When I right click it does not allow me change the format. The drop down menu only allows for FAT32. I have a copy of Partition Magic somewhere. I wonder if that will work.

Any other ideas on how to format this thing?

__________________
Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

Damn you people are smart. I could have sworn I did that when I first got it but I guess not.

Problem solved..


Thanks

__________________
Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

You're probably right. The problem we had was different in that the USB drive would not handle large files rather than quantitys of files.

__________________
-Evan


Benz Fleet:
1968 UNIMOG 404.114
1998 E300
2008 E63


Non-Benz Fleet:
1992 Aerostar
1993 MR2
2000 F250

There is a hard limit [which varies with the device [32, 64, 128 or 512]] of how many files can be in the 'root' directory. [Inherited from the CP/M FAT file system]. Some of these files may be 'hidden' from normal directory listings.

If your player can locate and play mp3s that are in subdirectories, then you can bypass the root directory limitation. The number of files in subdirectories is only limited by the capacity of the device.

This file system limitation is one of the reasons that the standard layout for digital camera memory cards does not place any photos in the card's root directory.