Trying to update the 1GB Express but I get an error message saying to switch to MSC mode. Only one problem, there is no MSC mode. At least there is no usual USB option in the player menu for either mode. Also when I plug the player in the display just goes blank and it never registers in the computer.
There is no option on the player itself to connect in MSC mode. To switch between MTP and MSC, see my post in the following thread:
http://forums.sandisk.com/sansa/board/message?board.id=express&thread.id=1012
Thanks for the help. After that trouble it showed that it didn’t need updating, however, I was able to get it into MSC mode. 
Another thing you can do is just check the firmware already on the player (go to Settings > Info) and compare it to the version listed in the top of this forum. 01.01.05a is the newest; if you have anything less, you can update it by following the procedures in one of the relevant threads.
I now need to know how to get the player back to MTP mode because it isn’t showing up in my desktop media players. Neither Windows Media Player nor Yahoo Music Jukebox see it.
I’d appreciate it if someone could help get this unit back to the way it was so I can manage music on it.
Thanks
Follow my instructions for getting the device in MSC mode, except choose “MTP Device” (or whatever the other option is) instead of “USB Mass Storage Device”. Note that your device will be in a different category in Device Manager.
That’s probably why I couldn’t find it. I chose Sansa Express but the only option was disc drive or something like that. As soon as it is free I’ll hook it up and see if I can find it. For what it’s worth, there was only one option appearing in the device manager under this Sansa Express. I right-clicked the unit in My Computer then clicked Properties and then clicked Hardware and folled it through to the only available option for it.
If I can’t get it back to MTP mode will formatting it bring it back?
Formatting the player will not put it back in MTP mode because this setting is kept on the computer. Don’t do it!
Did you remember to follow these steps:
(5) Choose “No…”, “Install from a list…”, and then “Don’t search…”.
(6) Check the “Show Compatible Hardware” checkbox if it is unchecked.
Yes, I followed those step precisely and was able to get the player in MSC mode. Now, however, the two options present at the last step are not available but raher one, single option is. But, of course, I haven’t looked at other places in the Device Manager yet. As soon as I find the correct listing for this device I’ll see if there are other options available.
By the way, I’m using Windows XP Home.
The correct listing will be in the “Universal Serial Bus controllers” category. While in MSC mode, the player has two listings in the “Disk Drives” category (one for internal memory and one for the memory card slot) and one listing in the “Universal Serial Bus controllers” category. The listings in the “Disk Drives” category are like devices within a device, and these cannot be changed to MTP mode. The one in the “Universal Serial Bus controllers” category is for the player itself (the master/host device of the other two) and can be changed to MTP mode.
Strangely I connected the Express this morning…I didn’t alter anything…and the device was re-found as an MTP device. I was able to see it in my media players. I don’t know why it did this but I am grateful.
After following the steps, it seems to work, but nothing shows up under the usb or disk drives for devices. It’s seems that when I changed it to MSC/UMS mode, it is not connecting anymore. Any thoughts?
@thomas wrote:
The correct listing will be in the “Universal Serial Bus controllers” category. While in MSC mode, the player has two listings in the “Disk Drives” category (one for internal memory and one for the memory card slot) and one listing in the “Universal Serial Bus controllers” category. The listings in the “Disk Drives” category are like devices within a device, and these cannot be changed to MTP mode. The one in the “Universal Serial Bus controllers” category is for the player itself (the master/host device of the other two) and can be changed to MTP mode.
Thanks Thomas. I kept trying to change the disk drive and not the one under the USB controller category. Just for everyone’s information, in MSC mode it’s just listed as a USB mass storage device (just like any other USB flash drive). So if you’ve only got the Sansa plugged in, you know which one it is. 
