Large "Other" files

[dot]

I have looked all over the (extremely outdated and small) wiki for something to explain what the "Other:" files are on a device such as an ipod. My guess is these are pictures, notes, etc., that's just logical, right?

So the problem is: on a 4GB ipod, why are there 642.6MB of "Other" files? To be clear, it's only MM reporting this. Going into the device and manually looking, there's under 15MB of other files actually there and the music folder itself reports the actual space used. MM DOES, however, report the correct free space at the top. I just don't know why the bottom graph is so far off on everything. Is it looking at something else? I have no clue. Here are screenshots to clear up anything you could possibly confuse with what I wrote:



Using v4.05 on Vista 64 bit SP2.

On a side note, it kept crashing when I went to do anything to the ipod so I tried floola's repair ipod function and it worked again. Why doesn't MM have this feature? Not sure what it fixes, but I was able to use MM again. I happened to notice that a bunch of songs went missing after adding a few, though. I'm not sure if it's an error in the code when running out of space or if it's a residual effect of floola. Floola had a tendency to "lose" music, which is why I came across MM as an alternative alternative itunes manager.

[Lowlander]

Bottom bar is after sync stats (if I'm not mistaken).

[dot]

If it is, I don't know what it's counting considering the drive is already full and synching is disabled everywhere.

[Lowlander]

That would be whatever is selected in the Auto-Sync List tab.

[yarman]

What I have found with the colour bar is that it doesn't update when tracks are being added to a device (as in using Send to... or simply highlighting and dragging) and when a device is being re-scanned all the tracks added since the last scan show up as Other until they have been scanned. MM does update the free space reports in the lower left corner and the upper left of the device Summary when the device is highlighted and tracks are being added to it. But often the colour bar reports the wrong information. For example, I have just connected a USB drive that I use in my truck audio system. Windows tells me there is 7.14 GB free space; the lower left corner reports 7.1 GB free space; the upper left part of the Device Summary reports 7.1 GB free; the colour bar reports 9.5 GB free space. MM had to have done some kind of scan of the device for the two places it reports 7.1; why does it get it wrong at the colour bar?

I just added 0.3 GB to the USB drive. The lower left corner and the Device Summary have both updated to 6.8 GB free space. While MM was copying the tracks to the USB the colour bar should a varying amount of Other MB, but now that the transfer is complete, the colour bar still shows 9.5 GB free space. And when I click on the synchronize icon next to the device in the media tree (the two half circular arrows), the colour bar updates to tell me there is 13.5 MB Other and still 9.5 GB free space.

I ejected the USB drive and reconnected it. Now MM correctly shows 6.8 Free space at the colour bar, but it also shows 13.5 MB Other. But if the colour bar information is only correct immediately after connection (and not always then) what real use is it?

[dot]

As I said, I turned off synching everywhere I can find, so it shouldn't have anything to be calculating. Even so, how could it be reporting empty space when it's full? Is it set to delete stuff? Shouldn't be. If it WAS set to synch, it should report no empty space at all because my library is dozens of times the size of my ipod. Still doesn't explain the "other" files. I have a feeling that many of those "other files" are corrupted songs, which would explain why most of what I just transferred isn't on here when I turned it on today. Also to note, almost everything that's been retagged or modified appears but will not play. Never had this problem with earlier versions. I've had it corrupt the entire ipod's album art, but at least the songs played.

On a side note, it did manage to synch some things, despite being turned off everywhere I could find. Auto synch list is empty and the box is unchecked in the options tab. I really don't like synching my library is always multitudes the size of any player I've ever and probably will ever own so I'd rather it not throw random songs I probably won't listen to on it. I can't fathom why anyone would really use it enough that it'd be popular enough to become a standard feature that you have to dig around to turn off on any program, but I digress.