MP3 files on USB thumb drive - some are missing

[Scott R Nelson]

Thanks for whichever moderator moves this to the correct forum - too many for me to easily figure it out.

To begin with, I have a Base Bronco with whatever stereo comes with that configuration. I don't use a cell phone for music, preferring to put it on a USB thumb drive instead. The one I've been using for almost a year showed 747 files on the screen in the Bronco, but actually has 757 files on there when viewed on my computer (I just figured this out). Don't know which ten are not recognized. The reason I mention this is that I went to a lot of bother to put over 1200 MP3 files onto a new USB thumb drive, but when I plug it in it shows only 946 files on there. Where are the 250+ missing files?

Is there some simple way to figure out which files it doesn't recognize? Normally I have it randomize things so that the songs aren't played in alphabetical order. I suppose I could make a list of what's on there, alphabetically, then go through them in alphabetical order and check off the ones it misses, then go back to a computer to figure out what the stereo doesn't like about those files. I'll eventually do that if I can't find the answer any other way.

Is this a known issue that has been discussed before? If so, would some kind soul include pointers to the thread?

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[KABQ]

I would check file type first. Are they all the same format?

 

[Butzy]

I do know that there are a lot of drives out there advertising a larger memory even when plugged into a computer. Depending on where you got your new thumb drive, this could be the problem as many of them even put SanDisk name on them but they aren't genuine.

 

[Scott R Nelson]

I would check file type first. Are they all the same format?

Every file is an MP3 file. Some are 128 kbps, some are 192 kbps, some are 320 kbps, some are 384 kbps and there could even be some variable rate stuff (VBR), although those are not common. Certainly not 250 of them.

 

[Scott R Nelson]

I do know that there are a lot of drives out there advertising a larger memory even when plugged into a computer. Depending on where you got your new thumb drive, this could be the problem as many of them even put SanDisk name on them but they aren't genuine.

How is that relevant? The thumb drives I'm using came in a box of 10 16GB drives, which I've been using for all kinds of stuff. They definitely hold the advertised amount.

 

[Figmo]

Subdirectories?

 

[OmahaKevin]

Do any of the files have DRM on them?

Any special characters used in the fire or folder names?

What is your folder structure? Are any of your subfolders more than eight layers deep?

 

[Scott R Nelson]

Subdirectories?

Every single file is at the top level on this one.

 

[Scott R Nelson]

Do any of the files have DRM on them?

Any special characters used in the fire or folder names?

I'm pretty sure I don't have any files at all with DRM. All standard characters everywhere.

All filenames are formatted like: Elvis Presley - It's Now Or Never.mp3

 

[Headsong]

Ohhh, have to try this. My ipod won't read, maybe a thumb drive will?

 

[DarthLincoln]

That’s really Weird. I don’t have an answer but you could try to investigate this methodically:
1. remove say 20 files from the USB that has 1200 files with Bronco missing 254 (or whatever the number is). Check if the number of missing files is still 254. If it’s unchanged, then remove another 20.
2. Once you remove 20 files and the number of missing files is less than 254, then that means at least one of the 20 files you removed is being missed by the Bronco.
3. put just those 20 files on a new USB and see if Bronco is still missing the same count of one or more files from step 2.
4. remove one or a few of the 20 files so you can identify exactly what files are being missed.
IF the above works, then you can use the identified missing files to see if you can. determine why they are being overlooked (file name too long, special characters, compression or other MP3 setting).
If the above doesn’t work and the number of missing files in the 20 is different when you just have those 20 on a new USB, then the problem is probably something to do with how the files are copied/written to the USB.

If you figure it out, please share your findings.

 

[Scott R Nelson]

If you figure it out, please share your findings.

It seems that now I feel compelled to dig into this until I figure it out.

 

[Butzy]

How is that relevant? The thumb drives I'm using came in a box of 10 16GB drives, which I've been using for all kinds of stuff. They definitely hold the advertised amount.

Sorry to anger you. If they hold all they advertise, then it is absolutely irrelevant. Good day!!!🫡

 

[Blksn955.o]

My thumb drive is like this, no matter what I put on the thumb it only shows about 1,400 -1,500 songs on it not an even number but less than what is on the drive.

I have taken the thumb drive and put it into other PC's and the files are there and play but when plugged into the Bronco it has less. No idea why and at well over 1k songs it is still enough to keep me happy between that and spotify and amazon music.

 

[Scott R Nelson]

I've done a bit more checking. I printed the whole list on eight pages (small font, multiple columns), then checked everything on the first page. I found 22 songs that the Bronco couldn't see. I pulled everything back off of the USB thumb drive and looked at those 22 files. Nearly all were 128 kbps, but one was 320. Most of my stuff is 128, so this was expected. I also checked for ID3v1 or ID3v2 tags and nearly all were v1, but the 320 kbps was v2 and one other file had both v1 and v2. I prefer v1 tags so that I can make an MP3CD disk for my Mustang and the names will show up. It can't handle V2 tags (it's a 2005).

Then I checked ten files that did show up in the Bronco and there was a similar distribution with most of them being 128 kbps and v1, but one was 320 and v2 (same artist as above) and one was 256 kbps with v1 and v2.

So I conclude that the compression rate is not a direct cause and absense or presense of v1 and v2 ID tags also seems to have nothing to do with it. I don't see anything unique about the file names one way or the other.

As one more check, I copied the 22 files that didn't show up onto another USB thumb drive to see if anything different happened in the Bronco. Surprisingly two of those showed up. However, I've figured out that the titles of both of those would make the files show up further in the list because they differed from the file names. One started with "(" in the filename, but not the title, and one began with "The" in the title but not the filename.

So I don't yet know why it doesn't like some files, but it appears that whatever it is that it doesn't like is consistent not random.

I would still like to know why it behaves like this, but if I can't figure it out, I'll just play the 946 songs that it can find.

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