MM2.3 b818: (multiple) USB device connections

[Octopod]

I am testing the ability to declare several generic devices, but as soon i connect the 1st USB player MM creates 2 nodes in the tree: both are named "USB Mass Storage (H: )". I can browse and handle both, and asking to deconnect one does nothing or removes both from the tree.

If i close then re-open MM, the 1st device disappears.
Then if i deconnect and reconnect the device, both are listed again.
Then if i close re-open MM, no device is available!

Actually i play with only one device and i tried with/without USB device configuration (no drive letter, no name, etc).

Something wrong? Should i remove d_USBMass2.dll when i handle only one device? Right now, i do not have another one available to test with.

Environment: Win2K SP4, MM2.3 b818, very cheap ("no name") USB1 key player...

[jiri]

There was a bug in configuration of general devices, it will be fixed in the next release.

Thanks,
Jiri

[julzcompufreek]

I think I may be having the same problem,

When I configured my BenQ Joybee 150 MP3 Player and connected it, it showed up as two nodes in the tree. Once labled 'BenQ Joybee 150 128MB" (what I named it) and the second one said something like 'USB DEVICE' or something.

Hope this helps,
cya

[Octopod]

OK, seems this works with beta1.

One question remains: is it a normal behaviour that the device icon stays in the tree once disconnected?

If so, could you add something to indicate it's current connection status (eg. when disconnected: grayed icon/name/node, label "[unavailable]" after the name, ...). This is a bit annoying when you declare several devices and only one is connected: which one in the tree?!

[jiri]

No, devides disappear once disconnected, yours possibly doesn't properly send messages about disconnecting. What kind of device is it?

Jiri

[Octopod]

Environment: Win2K SP4, MM2.3 b822, very cheap ("no name") USB1 key player (seen as "mass storage" device)...

After closing/restarting MM, the device still being disconnected, the device icon is still shown (i tried disconnecting it from MM's menu entry, from Windows' option, and also a brutal disconnection).

[Octopod]

I think there's a problem as i still see the icon even after rebooting the computer (device not connected).

I then tried to change the drive letter and declared a 2nd device on another letter. Just after validating the dialog, a new device appeared in the tree, corresponding to the new drive letter i set, but no device was plugged! Same behaviour: unable to remove this 2nd icon even after restarting MM...

To be able to remove this device when disconnected i need to:
- change configuration in order no explicit drive letter is set
- close/restart MM after disconnecting

[Octopod]

I confirm that as soon i declare a drive letter for a device (not connected!), the device icon is added in the tree and remains even after rebooting.

[rusty]

Octopod,

If I understand correctly, you're saying that devices appear as nodes in the tree whenever a device has been configured--even if it is not actually connected.

If you want the device to not appear in the tree, all you have to do is change the configuration of the plugin so that it doesn't reference the device.

Am I understanding you correctly? Is the current behaviour really buggy? (i.e. is it really that bad if the device shows up when the user has configured it to show up?) .

Just want to make sure I'm understanding you correctly...

thx

-Rusty

[Octopod]

rusty,

You understand correctly. It's not so important but according to jiri it seemed not to be the correct behaviour.

I thought the disconnected devices were removed from the tree or simply grayed out or labelled "Unavailable". For example, i always can access the "safely remove" option. And personally i can have up to 3 USB players connected so sometimes i don't know which one is really connected.

If it is not too difficult, perhaps you could add an option in Appearance | Tree allowing to show/hide the declared devices when they are not connected.

[Octopod]

What's the current status for this please?

PS:

What's new?
- Added ability to move accompanying files on Move / Auto-Organize
- Fixed empty directories aren't deleted when on Auto-Organize

Great little features!!

[jiri]

I haven't observed any problems yet in this area. Could you please supply all details about your devices, i.e.:
- How are they configured - which fields in the device plug-in are filled in.
- What is shown in MM tree (device name - and some drive letter?)
- Are the devices somehow visible from Explorer.
- Any other relevant information.

Jiri

[Octopod]

Ok, i reinstalled a new MM2.3b2 after removing the main registry key, the INI and the DB. So all is clean.

Installation: english version, Windows XP Pro (no SP), USB2 support.

(1)
I started MM and directly configured a single generic device (not yet connected): i only declared a drive letter and when i validate the dialog, the device is immediately added to the tree and no way to remove it (device connected or not, closing/restarting MM, ...). The device can be used normaly (sync, view tracks, ...) but "safely remove" (from MM's menu) does nothing. Label of the icon is "USB Mass Storage (K: )", K: being correct.


(2)
I changed the configuration to use the drive label instead of the drive letter. This time the device is shown when i connect it. Once again "safely remove" (from MM's menu) does nothing and i need to close/restart MM after i disconnected the device in order the icon to be removed. The device can be used normaly. Label of the icon is "USB Mass Storage (K: )".


(3)
I changed the configuration to use the drive ID instead of the drive label. The "Find device" button returned this: "SND1 Storage (VID_03EB&PID_2002)" (device connected), and when i validate the dialog the icon is displayed. Label of the icon is "SND1 Storage (K: )".
The device can be used normally. This time "safely remove" from MM's menu works (Windows' popup is prompted): the tracklist is then empty but the icon remains until i close/restart MM.


So seems that configurating the device using the IDs is much better.
Remaining question: in case (3), why the icon is not removed when i use "safely remove" from MM's menu or Windows?

I hope this long post is clear enough. Do not hesitate to contact me for more information (thread, PM or email).

PS: i have exactly the same behaviours with the following generic devices:
- USB2.0(FS) FLASH DISK (VID_10D6&PID_1100)
- ARCHOS USB2.0 (P4a) (VID_05AB&PID_0060)
Ditto with Windows 2000 (SP4), USB2 support.

[jiri]

There was really a bug in some devices handling, it will be fixed in the next release. Thanks for all the information.

Jiri

[Octopod]

Happy to help.

Thanks for your work.