"An Internal error has occurred"

[SammyBean]

I have a MZ-NH700 that I use to record language lessons using a microphone. After each lesson, I tranfer the file from the mini-disk recorder to "My Library" using SS3.3. But one of my lessons, about 100 min long, recorded in AtracPlus-64 gets about 66% through the transfer, and then I get an error message saying "An internal error has occurred" and none of the transfer takes place.

Does anyone have an idea what is going on, +/or how I can remedy this so that I can tranfer the file to my computer. - I also tried converting it to a wave file using HiMDRenderer, but I also got an "Access Error" displayed on the mini-disk, and it did not complete either.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

[Syrius]

Sounds like the area on the disc where the recording was made is damaged. Can you play it normally through the minidisc and listen to it?

[SammyBean]

Sounds like the area on the disc where the recording was made is damaged. Can you play it normally through the minidisc and listen to it?

Yes, it seems to play OK on the minidisc, (and also when hooked up to my computer with the USB cable and played in SS 3.3) though I have not yet tried listening to the whole recording yet. I am also considering adding some track marks to this recording to split it up, to see if I can at least transfer part of the recording in bits and pieces.

Any other suggestions would be appreciated. I also think that I should probably format this disk once I get all, or as much of what is recorded on it, transferred to my computer.

[Syrius]

NO! Don't do any editing on the disc. There's a bug inherent to all Hi-Md that most likely will destroy your files. All your editing must be done on the computer AFTER you upload.

First listen to the whole recording on the unit. If it's all ok, then you can use the last resort method for f-ed up uploads: Playback Real time through USB on SS + Total Recorder. There's a tutorial around the forums for it.

Don't do any editing whatsoever on the disc, as this might reduce your chances to near zero recovery.

[SammyBean]

NO! Don't do any editing on the disc. There's a bug inherent to all Hi-Md that most likely will destroy your files. All your editing must be done on the computer AFTER you upload.

First listen to the whole recording on the unit. If it's all ok, then you can use the last resort method for f-ed up uploads: Playback Real time through USB on SS + Total Recorder. There's a tutorial around the forums for it.

Don't do any editing whatsoever on the disc, as this might reduce your chances to near zero recovery.

Uh-OH! I already added some track marks to the recording and then tried tranferring the smaller portions to "My Library" in SS. It seems to have worked, however; I cut the 100min recording in two at the 60min mark and the first 60min transferred OK; then I cut the remaining 40in in two and again, the 1st 20min transferred OK, but not the 2nd; I then cut the remaining 20min in 2 and again transferred the 1st 10min ok but not the second. I then listened to that last 10min section and there is a "blank-out" from 2:41 to 2:49 when I listen to it on my minidisc, and when I listen in SS with the minidisc connect through the USB cable I get a message in the minidisc display saying "Access Error" and the playback stops (at arond the same place), Fortunately, that last 10 min of recording does not have much important content recorded on it.

I do have some questions:

1. You said that I should not do any editing (I presume that means adding track marks) using the minidisc. WHY? Isn't that part of what makes the minidisc so useful? So far I have had nor problems ... but if this truly is dangerous, I'd like to know. Has Sony said anything about this? Could you send me in the right direction for more infor?

2. What about the actual HiMd Minidisc blank that the error showed up on. Is it still useable +/or reliable if I format it after getting all my information transferred off of it, OR should I send it back to Sony for a replacement?

3. Where can I find more information on "the last resort method for f-ed up uploads"?

Thanks for your input, very much appreciated.

[Syrius]

There's a bug in the Hi-MD standard itself that some tracks will not upload when you edit them in the disc. Don't know exactly how it happens, but if you edit some files and then join them, or split, it will simply refuse to transfer them.

Unless there is a physical defect on the surface of the disc, it should work just fine. Try with some test files first. (Let it record from the radio, then upload, and see what happens)

The short version of the last resort method is this: Get Total Recorder (10 bucks) and install it. Launch it, connect your HI-MD. Launch Sonic Stage. Set TR to record, play the HI-MD through Sonicstage, so you can record real time on your computer. It's the only way to save files that won't upload but will play through SonicStage from the Hi-MD. There's a topic about upload guides on the forum, just can't remember where.

Good luck.

[SammyBean]

Thanks Syrius, for both the information about upload problems linked to prior editing in the Minidisc, and for the information about Total Recorder. I will certainly check out that software, as it seems that it would be valuable to have on hand, just in case. - Does it produce decent quality output? (I guess anything is better than nothing, if you can't get your files off the minidisc) Also, do you know if Sony has acknowleged the problem with editing on the minidisc, and are they planning to do anything to remedy the problem. I don't do a lot of heavy/complex editing, but I have done some, and have have not problems up until now.

[The Low Volta]

Syrius was almost completely right... but there are actually two methods of uploading (rather copying) material from HiMD->PC

-digital: this is the TR-method (playback with SS) and it gives very good SQ as it grabs the digital stream even before it passes through the soundcard

-analogue: can be done with TR (but if you have got TR, this method isn't as good as the first one, so only use this when SS-playback doesn't work) or other (free) programs like Audacity... connect the headphone out (MD) to line in (on PC) and record the analogue stream with the recording prog

or playback with SS and record the (analogue) stereo mixer output from the soundcard in TR or audacity

read more about it here

[UsesSonyProducts]

I had this problem last night. One file when transferring would

come up as internal error, it was about 90mins long (almost 1G),

The thing is i would have rather edited in the computer but if you cant get it in the computer then that makes it pretty hard doesn't it!!!!!

So i did what you did, broke the file down into smaller files by

putting in track marks. All files transferred successfully and I was

able to edit in the computer, no probs now.

I'd hazard a guess that a 900Mb file is quite a difficult task to handle

with buffers, RAM and cache memory in any computer, a long time ago I read some

where that it's best to transfer without any other applications open, this suggests to me that transferring files uses a lot of resources so best to free

them up. Let the software deal with the files in smaller chunks. Dont panic.

[A440]

What SammyBean did is the right way to deal with the problem.

Adding track marks in the machine to isolate the problem is OK. And as pointed out above, it's easier for SS to upload shorter tracks rather than monster ones.

The bug comes up when you try to join tracks by REMOVING track marks that are already there--leaving the remnants of a track mark in the middle of a track. That joined track won't upload.

Things get messed up even worse when you do this:

With tracks 1, 2 and 3 on the disc, delete track 2. Instant unreadable disc in the unit--though it turned out that somehow SS could still read it. Played it back with SS, recorded it with Total Recorder and got it.

Total Recorder quality is compressed--for .wav you have to get the Professional Version. With mp3, you have to fiddle with the defaults a little to get high-bitrate recording.

Edited December 14, 2005 by A440

[SammyBean]

Thanks for the information about Total Recorder A440, Syrius, Volta. It sure sounds like this would be a good utility to add to my collection for if/when upload problems occur in SS. And the price is quite attractive - only $11.95; I will be ordering a copy shortly. Has anyone had any experince with the "Pro" version - it's $35.95, so a bit more, so I was wondering if the extra funtions were worth it?

[A440]

The lure of the Pro version is PCM recording. The basic version only has mp3, though you could use Lame Alt-Preset-Extreme and get very good mp3s.

Otherwise, the big feature is the timer: you could have it record Web radio. That might be worth it for some people, not for me. The pro version also has sound editing features, but you can do editing free with Audacity.

[Syrius]

Really? My basic version can record to FLAC (it was my first experience with it) and WMA-L.