not able to import from usb stick

[jjgob...@gmail.com]

i have had no issues with loading music from cd's; however, i am unable to import music that i have moved onto a usb stick that i formated in FAT16.   When i attempt to import using the "Import from C" usb function the scrolling text says "not a Brennan backup" and when i enter nothing happens.  what am i doing wrong here, thought this would be a simple exercise.

[PMB]

Hi,

Try formatting your USB stick with FAT32.

Is the USB C port on your B2 working correctly (if you have a BT dongle does that work OK plugged into USB C)?

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Everett Rantanen]

What type of file are you trying to import? are you trying to restore a backup?

Backups use the save and restore.

Importing MP3 files  you need to have it in a Folder with album name, that is inside a folder with artist name.

So file structure  should look like Artist  Name (Folder) >Album Name(Folder) >MP3 Song file

[Brennan Support]

Hello JJ

Martin here - the software should only report "not a Brennan backup" if you use restore.

Make sure you use import not restore

Martin

[Keith Spencer]

Hoping someone may be able to help with this. I updated to the latest Aug 14 software and ripped 4 cds straight after. The first ripped to the HDD but the B2 then shifted to source SD for the last 3. First time I’ve ever experienced that not uncommon issue. Exported the music from the SD card to a USB stick in C. Then deleted each album from the SD manually using browse albums/delete. Rebooted, source came back to HDD, ran scan disk; all good. Then I tried to import the music I had ripped from the USB I had exported it to. Got the “not a brennan backup message”. Assumed that the USB may have had a problem but on trying several other sticks plus my two USB hard drives with long standing B2 backups they all generate “not a Brennan backup” message. This is strange because I have successfully done backup imports many times before using “import from C”.

Everything else seems to be working as normal, I can export to C but any attempt to import produces the “not a Brennan backup” message”. I note that in this thread Martin says that the software will only produce this message if the “restore backup” command is used but I am definitely using “import from C”. Not a huge deal as everything else seems as normal but still something I’d like to get solved in case the need to restore a backup emerges. I assume the software update is not behind the issue but it is the only thing that has changed apart from the additional CDs that I ultimately added via NAS (they all play fine). Would be grateful for any thoughts or solutions you may have.

Keith

[Daniel Taylor]

Keith,

Martin's comment that immediately precedes yours, is dated 3/22/18, which is over 1.5 years old.  It could be that the software has been updated to generated that message from the Import command as well.

If it were me, I would do the following:

Save the files to be imported on your computer.

Re-format the USB stick on the B2.

Copy the files back to the stick from your computer.

Try the import again.

If it fails on port C, then try again on A.

Let us know how that goes.

[Keith Spencer]

Hi Daniel, thanks for your suggestions. I’ve tried what you suggested but makes no difference. Still get the infernal “not a brennan backup” message and can’t import the files. Not so concerned about the music files on the stick but rather that the B2 will now not import from ANY USB backup devices including my 2 full backups held on hard drives. Makes me feel the system is a bit vulnerable at the moment. B2 still recognises the USB devices and will happily export to them but those same exports are then not recognised as Brennan backups. Go figger! Keith

[Daniel Taylor]

Okay, this makes me wonder if the software on your SD card has somehow been corrupted.  It happens.  You can reflash your SD card following instructions on the Brennan website.  Go to the page for Techy Stuff and see "SD Card Image" at the top of the left column, and "How to change the Micro SD card" at the top of the main column.

[Dennis Lefebvre]

As a matter of interest, have you tried using the Restore command, rather than the Import command, to verify that it does not work and generates the same error message?

[Keith Spencer]

Thanks Daniel. I'll give it a try and let you know if any joy.

Cheers Keith

[Keith Spencer]

Hi Dennis, yep tried that and no joy.  Same error message!

Keith

[Keith Spencer]

I just noticed that the sole reason for the August 14 update was to fix a bug in the USB import command started by the Aug 12 update.  Wondering if the bug it is fixing reflects the problem I am currently having with USB imports?  Pretty sure my unit has the August 14 update but not 100% sure (I'm travelling so can't check).  Does anyone know the nature of the bug introduced Aug 12? Keith

[PMB]

Hi Keith,

The August 14th update was in response to a customer who reported that anything he imported from USB got listed under 'unknown' for Artist and Album, even with the correct file structure i.e. Artist - Album - Tracks.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Keith Spencer]

Thanks Paul. Is it likely that the August 14 import changes could also have affected my B2’s ability to recognise files on a USB for import? Do you think reflashing the SD card will solve? Thanks for any suggestion you can offer. Regards Keith

[PMB]

Hi Keith,

Is it only a problem with the files you exported from the SD Card? Have you tried importing other files - using a different USB stick or formatting the USB stick?

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Keith Spencer]

If it was only that stick not importing I wouldn’t have worried the forum. All memory sticks I try to import formatted as artist/album/songs give the same “this is not a Brennan backup” message. Similarly both my 2 TB B2 backup hard drives (constructed using “export to c”) return the same error message. Other than that everything seems as normal. Problem started after updating August 14 software. Ripped 4 CDs after the upgrade and the first worked then the B2 shifted to Source SD. It was after this issue that I discovered my B2 refused to import ANYTHING from C, always with the same error message. Given that the Aug 14 upgrade was specifically about the import command I wondered if it may be the source of the problem. However no one else has reported the same issue I guess its unlikely. Any thoughts how I can rectify the situation?

[Daniel Taylor]

Keith,

Have you tried reflashing your SD card?  You might be surprised.  I've seen that fix many problems that you wouldn't necessarily suspect that it would.  Anyway, it can't hurt.

[PMB]

Hi Keith,

Martin has since made a further update related to the Import issue. Try a Web Upgrade see if it helps.

If not, try reprogramming the SD card as Daniel suggests.

If you don't have the facilities to repro' the card, email us your address and we will send you one. We will need to know if your card is the internal type or the external type (slots in from the RHS of the case).

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Keith Spencer]

Thanks Paul & Daniel. I’m travelling at the moment and haven’t had a chance to reflash the card. I’ll try the upgrade and if that doesn’t work I’ll do the reflash early next week. I’ll let you know how it goes.

[charliew]

I appear to be having the same problem re importing new music files. I have previously not had any problems with importing directly from  a CD or via a USB memory stick. However now when trying to import a CD downloaded via i-tunes using a FAT32 formatted memory stick I get a "yellow" head image on the UI with the artist name and tracks but no track number. Also the 3 dots which allow me to access settings so that I can add the track number or edit track titles etc is missing. Is this a related problem to those posted recently? Apologies for being so long-winded!

[Dennis Lefebvre]

Yellow indicates that the album is located on the USB stick. After you use the Import command, and remove the USB stick from the B2, is the album still shown in yellow?

[Dave Winter]

Yes it still shows as yellow on the UI

[Dennis Lefebvre]

If you then run the Scan Disk command to update index, does anything change?

[charliew]

No the yellow image is still there

[Dennis Lefebvre]

We are approaching my level of incompetence, but one final idea. Does the front panel say Source: Hard Disk?

[charliew]

Yes the hard disc is being used. I am also begining to struggle as to what to try next so I am going to give it a rest for tonight and revisit  the problem tomorrow. Thanks for your suggestions so far.

PS: This is the first time i have used the forum in anger so I am still getting used to it so hope I am not too long-winded!

[PMB]

Hi Keith,

Are you using the latest version software - 21st August?

A yellow icon indicates that the files are on the connected USB device (memory stick or HDD) and should disappear when the USB device is removed.

You can see what's on the USB device by clicking on the USB icon and then either USB A or USB C - you can then drill down through Artist to Album to Tracks. Clicking the Import icon (to the right) copies that Artist, Album and Tracks (and coverart if present) to the B2.

Does the USB stick have an Artist folder containing the Album folder containing the Tracks?

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Keith Spencer]

Hi Paul and Daniel,

Updated to August 21 software and my importing problem went away.  Phew!  Thanks so much for your help

Keith

[Jeffrey Buffum]

OK...running Version B2 Oct 29, 2019 08.54.24 - I am having the same problem as this thread describes. USB was tried in A and C, both times I got the error "not a Brennan backup". Both USB were working fine (I was using C for the WiFi to get around another bug concerning intermittent WiFi). The USB is FAT-16 formatted on a MAC. I don't have a PC handy. BTW, one of the suggestions was to format the USB on the Brennan, but I can find no such menu option. I am in the USB menu and selecting "import usb". Any suggestions?

[Dennis Lefebvre]

On Tuesday, October 29, 2019 at 11:50:58 AM UTC-4, Jeffrey Buffum wrote:

....format the USB on the Brennan, but I can find no such menu option.

The menu command is Settings > Maintenance > Format USB A (or Format USB C). Bear in mind that formatting will erase anything currently stored on the USB device. 

[Daniel Taylor]

On Tuesday, October 29, 2019 at 11:50:58 AM UTC-4, Jeffrey Buffum wrote:

The USB is FAT-16 formatted on a MAC.

That is the reason for the message "not a Brennan backup."  Brennan requires the disk to be formatted as FAT32.  That's the only format the B2 will do when you have it do the job.

[Dennis Lefebvre]

This page suggests that FAT16 may also work: https://www.brennan.co.uk/itemcontent.php/content/MusicTransfer

The error message "not a Brennan backup" suggests that the Restore command may have been tried rather than "Import", but without knowing how the information on the USB drive is organized we cannot say if using the other command will be successful.  

[Mark Fishman]

I do not think the Mac does FAT16. I'm pretty sure it can be coaxed to do FAT32, and these days it tends to favor exFAT (which is definitely a no-no where Brennan are concerned). Quite frankly, formatting on Linux seems both simpler and more flexible. As others have said, the B2 itself will format USB sticks to FAT32.

[PMB]

Hi Jeffrey,

Have you tired formatting the USB stick using the B2 as suggested - Settings > Maintenance > Format USB A (or USB C)?

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Jeffrey Buffum]

OK, formatting the USB device using the Brennan made everything work. Couple of thoughts from the experience:

1. Add explicit text to the documentation on the Website stating that USB sticks, or hard drives, must be formatted by the Brennan before use.
2. Suggestion: It might be nice to include the formatting of a USB drive in the USB menu section. Going to Settings->Maintenance is not intuitive to me anyway when you have a menu item for USB. :-)

[Dennis Lefebvre]

On Thursday, October 31, 2019 at 2:08:01 PM UTC-4, Jeffrey Buffum wrote:

OK, formatting the USB device using the Brennan made everything work. Couple of thoughts from the experience:

1. .... might be nice to include the formatting of a USB drive in the USB menu section.

Might be, but there is also the risk of someone erasing their USB drive by inadvertently choosing the wrong command from the USB menu. There are other ways to protect against this, but there is something to be said for locating infrequently used commands in another menu.

[Mark Fishman]

> stating that USB sticks, or hard drives, must be formatted by the Brennan before use

But USB sticks don't have to be formatted by the Brennan before use! First of all, most USB sticks come already formatted to FAT32, and work as-is, right out of the plastic wrap. Second of all, if you do reformat them, just make sure that you use the correct format -- i.e., the only one that works, FAT32.

Granted, MS-Windows hasn't liked formatting anything bigger than 32GB to FAT32 for quite a while now, and the Mac has complicated things by supporting exFAT in the last few versions of OS-X -- but as Jerry Pournelle used to say, either understand your (computer) tools or pay someone who does. Just because some marketing idiot (sorry about the redundancy) claims that you can be an instant expert without ever having to learn anything doesn't make it true.

As to hard drives, well, there is a likelihood that you are using something bigger than 32GB, and HDs usually don't come formatted as FAT32 these days. (It's actually a pretty inefficient file system for a 2TB drive.) You can always (a) boot a Linux distro from a CD or USB stick and use gparted, or (b) use the PowerShell command line (see https://www.maketecheasier.com/format-drive-fat32-windows10/), or (c) use a third-party utility (some are mentioned at that URL). The MAC should do it, too, in DriveUtility, if you are careful about picking the right options.

While the B2 will do the format for you, and for some people that might be the easiest option, it is by no means the only way, so no one should say it is.