Slacker G2 goes dark again

[DAB]

Well for the 2nd time since I've had my new Slacker G2 8gb the device has gone dark on me. What do I mean? Well it sitting in my car dock unattended having paused once I kill the ignition. I go out start the car, but the G2 doesn't come back on. I take it off the dock, push buttons totally non responsive. Only solution; take the back off and push and hold the little reset button for 30 seconds. Then when I dock it, she fires right up. Just for the record the battery is fully charged, so it isn't because of the battery state.

I think what is happening is 2 minutes after pause it goes to sleep, 2 hours later it goes to shuts down and it is at this point for whatever reason, sometimes it goes into a coma instead of just shutting down. So, I have to use the RESET switch on the back to bring it back out of the coma.

It has happened twice now in a little over 2 weeks.

Anyone else experience the GO DARK COMA SYNDROME with their G2?

 

[MadisonRadio1]

Only once, about three weeks ago, maybe four, after a recharge. I was scared. The on-line CSR called it a hard restart. Luckily, I had a paper clip handy.

 

[DAB]

Only once, about three weeks ago, maybe four, after a recharge. I was scared. The on-line CSR called it a hard restart. Luckily, I had a paper clip handy.

A hard restart! That is interesting as I just figured what the little reset button does it break a connection between the battery and the device. So, I guess that would indeed be a hard restart. The funny thing is that it doesn't impact your stations or default configuration. It just restarts as if nothing happened.

Both time this has happened to mine was after it had been sitting in my car dock for a few hours or at least long enough to have into shut down mode.

Thank goodness that the reset does the job! Like you was I beginning to sweat thinking.. OMG how am I going to do without my G2 while I do a darn warranty exchange. LOL

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

My Zen has a simular 'button'. I think its probably pretty standard on MP3 players which have now have more complicated OS/firmware. Its now too complicated to actually test each and every scenario.

 

[willie321]

Somewhat on topic/off topic - My G2 went into "white screen" mode the other day. I had it docked in my car via usb power and fm transmitter (yeah my Volvo doesn't have an aux in...). Anyway, disconnected, let it go into pause mode, brought it in and placed in the home dock. Well instead of coming back on, I got a white screen and nothing else. Tried shutdown, nada, then Slacker support's favorite no-no: ban-home. Finally dug out a paper clip from the drawer and that did the trick.

Still enjoying, even with the little quirks this toy has....

 

[Rob28]

I got my G2 a few weeks (loving it so far), but yesterday my screen went black also. Where exactly is the reset switch on the back? Thanks

 

[DAB]

I got my G2 a few weeks (loving it so far), but yesterday my screen went black also. Where exactly is the reset switch on the back? Thanks

On the very back at the top you'll see a little notch, stick something in there and the back top will pop right off. Once you do that look and on the middle right side you'll see a little hole, take a paper clip and stick in there for about 30 seconds. Once you get done, put the back on and hit the pause/play she should come to life.

 

[Rob28]

On the very back at the top you'll see a little notch, stick something in there and the back top will pop right off. Once you do that look and on the middle right side you'll see a little hole, take a paper clip and stick in there for about 30 seconds. Once you get done, put the back on and hit the pause/play she should come to life.

Thanks, I appreciate it! That worked...

 

[DAB]

I think I finally got Jim's attention on this issue! This has continued to happen to my G2 and now I am seeing several reports of this over on the Slacker Forum.

By the way they do not recommend doing a hard reset unless the device won't respond by any manner. They suggest plugging it into USB/PC connection and say after about 10 minutes or so it should come on. Their theory is that the device thinks the battery is dead and so it doesn't respond until it gets a trickle charge for 10 minutes or more. What is strange is that in each of these events my battery is actually almost or is fully charged! So something is happening that is causing this issue. I hope they find it and fix it in a firmware update. I have him my account info so he can pull the logs from my G2 and hopefully this will help them find the issue.

 

[MNXMFan]

This happened about two days after I got a new unit, but hasn't happened since. The hard reset fixed the problem, and as usual they asked me to let them know if it did it again.

So I think it is a sporadic bug.

 

[DAB]

This happened about two days after I got a new unit, but hasn't happened since. The hard reset fixed the problem, and as usual they asked me to let them know if it did it again.

So I think it is a sporadic bug.

Yeah that was my initial thoughts, but now mine is doing it everytime it goes from sleep to shut down. I have to do a hard reset to get it to come back on.

I've been working with support and Jim hoping for a fix, but I personally think I have a defective portable. The fact is I have a 4gb and I've never had this issue. If this is a software issue, I'd be surprised.

 

[DAB]

Well, it seems the thinking at this point is that I have a defective portable. So, I am awaiting an RMA. I will be sending my portable to Jim for him to check out.

It has steadily gotten worse and now once it reaches the shut down mode, that is it, she won't come back on unless I do a hard reset. The first day I got the new 8gb model it did this and has been down hill ever since.

 

[loadfet17]

Yeah that was my initial thoughts, but now mine is doing it everytime it goes from sleep to shut down. I have to do a hard reset to get it to come back on.

I've been working with support and Jim hoping for a fix, but I personally think I have a defective portable. The fact is I have a 4gb and I've never had this issue. If this is a software issue, I'd be surprised.

I'm having the same issue with my 4GB model. I can't get the thing to turn back on!:bigahh:

 

[DAB]

I'm having the same issue with my 4GB model. I can't get the thing to turn back on!:bigahh:

Let me ask you a couple of questions?

Do you charges your portable via AC or using USB/PC?

Do you ever drain your battery pretty substantially in the course of your daily use?

When this happen have your tried using the hard reset button in the back lid? Does this resolve the problem?

The reason I am asking these question is because I had pretty much given up with my issue of the non responsive G2 and was in the process of sending it back to Slacker, (though I am still waiting on the RMA). I figured what the heck while waiting I continue to try working with. A couple of nights ago I started the player playing and listen to it till it completely died (battery was exhausted). I then recharged it, but instead of doing what I normally due which is plug it into the AC Adapter. I plug it into my PC's USB. I notice it takes like 4 or so hours to fully charge, which it seem to never take that long when doing it via the AC Adapter on my previous G2. So, I took it out the next day and not once did it become non responsive, so again all that day I listened until the battery was once again exhausted and recharged it via the PC's USB.

Strange thing but thus far it has not become non-responsive again. It is still too early for me to declare that I figured this out. This is also important for Slacker because this means there is some sort of adjustment or fix they will need to look at in terms of the battery and charging system. I have been in touch with Jim as to my findings, so we'll see. I will continue to use it in my normal fashion throughout the weekend and if by next week it has not become non-responsive I will know this does indeed have something to do with the battery and charging system on the G2. The reason I could be having this problem and others have not is that I use docks, most of which are AC powered or DC powered. Rarely was I using the device on battery power except for short periods of time, never really exhausting or even running the battery down to low.

My previous G2 4gb never had this problem, but then we didn't have docks for it back when I got it and it is used on battery power a great deal of the time. My son has it now and of course he has had no problems.

I'll keep you guys posted as this unfolds.

 

[DAB]

Okay, I got my RMA today, so I'll be sending my G2 8gb back to Slacker tomorrow morning. I decided to just get a refund and just use my G2 4gb as I found it provides enough space to meet my needs. I had initially bought this for me son, we ended up taking my 4gb, but he actually was not using docks or anything so decided to just use my G1, so I guess it all works out for the best.

 

[JMII]

I know this is an older thread but my Slacker G2 just "went dark" and required a hard reset to bring it back to life.

This was very strange in that the battery was about 75-65% charged, it had only been disconnecting and sitting idle for 2 days (over the weekend). I plugged it into the dock in the car this AM and nothing... it was dead. Got to work and plugged into USB, still nothing, all dark. Did the reset trick TWICE, the 2nd time I made sure to keep the paper clip in there for a full 30 seconds (or longer), pushed play and it was alive again.

This has never happened to my G2 player before and I didn't do anything different this week as far as play time. Maybe the full moon is to blame? Just glad the instructions were here on what to do when the player refuses to turn back on.

 

[DAB]

The one I had was defective and it would do this all the time. The current one I have had done this once since I've had it. No real explainable reason for it, but the only way to fix it was to do the hard reset. One thing for sure you have to leave that little button pushed for a full 30 seconds are it will not reset (which you found out).

The main thing is that it recovered and hopefully it will not happen again.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

The one I had was defective and it would do this all the time. The current one I have had done this once since I've had it. No real explainable reason for it, but the only way to fix it was to do the hard reset. One thing for sure you have to leave that little button pushed for a full 30 seconds are it will not reset (which you found out).

The main thing is that it recovered and hopefully it will not happen again.

That seems excessively long. 3-4 seconds should be what they design for. My MP3 player is under 1 second. Most PCs are under 10 seconds.

 

[DAB]

That seems excessively long. 3-4 seconds should be what they design for. My MP3 player is under 1 second. Most PCs are under 10 seconds.

No so! You take most routers or WAP's, if you don't hold that reset button down for a full 30 seconds it will not reset. The 30 second rule is also standard for cable modems as well.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

No so! You take most routers or WAP's, if you don't hold that reset button down for a full 30 seconds it will not reset. The 30 second rule is also standard for cable modems as well.

I just cycle the power on my cable modem. I didn't even realize it had a reset button. ETA: But I still think that is too long.