Checksum errors and how do fix them
If you keep experiencing checksum problems when uploading to the Rio, there are a few things that may cause this. Probably the most common is a lack of battery power or an incorrect parallel port mode (or one that is not reliable). Also a more stable way to upload files to the Rio is to turn it on, press Stop and then start uploading. Some checksum errors are due to bad memory blocks, see below for more information on bad blocks.
The download to external memory don't work
How can I completely format my Rio memory?
Sometimes it is necessary to completely format the flash memory, or hard format. This is achieved by the following:
Connect the Rio to your computer and initialize the memory. Upload a file and then re-initialize it and it should fix any problems... (if you get a bad block error, this is indicative of a permanent problem with your memory, and you should either use a program to flag the bad blocks or return your Rio to the manufacturer)
The latest version can be downloaded from
ftp://ftp.diamondmm.de/diamond/rio/files.htm
ftp://ftp.diamondmm.com/diamond/rio/files.htm
Scratches or strange beeps in the downloaded songs
You'll probably find that this is a problem with your parallel port or the program you're using to upload the files. If you have been experiencing printing problems through the same port, this is a tell-tail sign of a parallel port problem. Also, if you are running any pass-through devices on the port, try removing them and uploading the file again. Some pass-through devices may be interfering with the data transfer. So far this has only been determined as a system specific problem. You may find that if you're using an external device such as a CD writer, these devices sometimes intercept all calls made to the parallel port and can cause problems. Also refer to your computer's manual about BIOS configuration to see if your parallel port is in the correct mode.
Incorrectly display of the time/bit-rate on the player for certain songs
At first it was thought that the Rio did not understand VBR (Variable Bitrate) encoded files, like those created with Xing's Encoder. However, it seems that it does support this format. The problem is often due to a corrupted tag in the first few bytes in the MP3 file. Also, if you have lots of bad blocks in your Rio's memory this seems to also cause the problem. In this case, try initializing the memory and uploading again.
Upload tells no free space on harddisk
If you have troubles with disks above 2GB please disable the check in Registry.
Please set the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/You 2/RIOMAN/Settings/CheckHDSpace to 0.
Incorrect display of the file-size and download-time in RioMan
Probably you have some problems with the timing on your parallel port.
There are three keys in the registry for the timing of the transfer to the
Rio. You find the keys in HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/You 2/RIOMAN/Settings
The default values for NT are:
IODelayInit |
2000 |
IODelayRx |
3 |
IODelayTx |
10 |
and for W9x:
IODelayInit |
20000 |
IODelayRx |
2 |
IODelayTx |
100 |
Please increase the value for IODelayInit . Just try it in steps with 10% of the default value.
NT: Use printer and Rio on the same port without booting
- Open Start-Setting-Control Panel-Device
- Set the Startup Type for Parallel, Parport and RioIO to Manual
- Now you can start and stop the driver as you want. But take care that you don't start all drivers at the same time. In this way it's not necessary to start NT again.
W2000: Use printer and Rio on the same port