Clicking or Stuttering during audio file playback on Sansa Clip

MP3 players Sansa Clip | Clip+
1

I am having a similar problem to the one described in the following thread:

http://forums.sandisk.com/sansa/board/message?board.id=sansafuse&message.id=2785&query.id=219379#M2785

Only I am experiencing the problem on a 4GB Sansa Clip.

The audio file is a DRM WMA from NetLibrary, 165MB, 32kbps, and 11:48:01 in length.

I am currently at the 5:21 mark in the file, and the stuttering is getting to the point where it’s difficult to listen to the file.

I had filled the device (mostly music, some podcasts) then deleted files, filled it again, etc., so there may be some fragmentation that is accounting for the problem.

I am reformatting the clip using the device’s  internal format function and will copy only the audiobook onto the device initially to see if the problem goes away (this *should* minimize if not eliminate fragmentation).  Then I will resync the rest of the music files onto the player using Windows Media Player, and then see if the problem comes back.

I will post my results here.

2

Reformatting the device worked great.  The audio file sounds fine and the file plays immediately when you rewind or fast forward through the file (before it would pause for several seconds after getting to where you wanted before playing).