I have purchased an iriver ebook reader and have been unable to download to it. I have charged the battery through the USB, but my SD USB device (switched on) has not been recognised by my computer (also switched on). As OS is Windows XP, I thought that I might need to download a driver from the internet to my computer, but have been unsuccessful (only potential site also good source of spam!). Working in the dark as don't even know what firmware is. Presume it's more like hard drive than software?
I haven't bought a SD card as salesperson said that should be recognised anyway as device has manuals and one book on it (when purchased).
Under Device Manager on myComputer, I see that Drive 0 has been assigned for Generic SD USD readers, but that doesn't help as cannot drag/move file to this drive.
Can someone please help me?

G'day barbaust,
Welcome to the forums!

It seems a few people have this issue with e.readers - not just the iRiver. It generally comes down to the USB connection - for whatever reason, there's not enough current flowing between the PC and the iRiver for data transfer to be recognised between the two. There are a few things you can do.

First off, make sure the iRiver is going into connection mode. It's easiest when both the Story and the PC are already switched on - then plug the USB cable in. Watch the iRiver screen, and you should get an option to either simply charge the Story, or make a USB connection. Make sure you use the "connection" option.

Depending on the settings on your PC, you should get a dialog on the PC screen after a few seconds that asks if you want to browse the device. That's what you want to do. It should open an Explorer window to show the files and folders on your Story. If this dialog doesn't come up, try double-clicking on "My Computer" on the desktop and see if your PC has assigned a drive letter to the Story. If it has, you should be able to double-click on the icon there and browse the device that way.

If it hasn't, most people have found a way to fix the problem either by plugging the USB cable into a different USB port at their PC, or by using a different cable. If your PC is a laptop, often the USB ports don't put out sufficient voltage for some USB devices to interact correctly with the PC. You may need to get hold of a powered USB hub (mine was about $14 at Dick Smith's).

There's a few ideas. I think the first place to start is making sure the Story is connecting correctly, and then try a different USB port, and then try a different cable. A bit of a pain, I know.

As for the firmware: it's a file that contains the operating system, that your Story will respond to automatically and use to update its working files. The current version is 1.71 on the basic story, and 1.86 on the wireless-enabled model. You can check the version current on your iRiver from the "Settings" option. If your device is new, it's likely that it will be up-to-date, but even if it's not, it's not a priority - it won't be what's stopping your Story and PC from talking to each other.

Hope all that helps. Good luck! Let us know how you go.

MacEachaidh, Thankyou. Thankyou. I'm so happy, I could cry. Have owned ereader for a week and now I can download books and upgrade firmware. Done. All it took was to find that I should connect to USB AFTER both device and computer were connected. Don't know about this Karma bit, but I'll try to give the maximum. thanks, Barbara

Hi Barb,
You're very welcome, and that's great news! Always good when things have a happy ending!

There are a few tricks to the Story that I wish iRiver had included in the manual, but it's still a great little gadget. Hope you enjoy it!

Always good when things have a happy ending!!

A lot of things from Korea come with a happy ending. :p

I am also having major problems with getting the desktop to acknowledge the iriver story. when connected E drive is assigned but when click on E drive to copy requests to insert disk. What disk? Have sorted out issue where connect usb through a powered hub which was supposed to acknowledge iriver but once again doesn't. When connecting gives option to charge battery or connect remote device. SCROLL DOWN TO CONNECT, ENTER, AND ENTER AGAIN TO CONNECT USB SHOWS UPDATING DB PLEASE WAIT BUT THEN NOTHING HAPPENS. According to iriver in australia should show iriver connected but nothing. nothing and still cannot transfer books. Have tried all their siggestions including powered hub and different cable but still pc will not acknowledge iriver what next the bin. Can anyone please help will not waste any more money on it.

I don't use Windows so this may be way off the mark. Are you connecting to a USB2.0 socket? Some older computers have a mix of USB1.1 and USB2.0. I think the story only works with a powered USB2.0 socket.

samac

Have tried all available ports how do I know which is which 1.1 or 2. Purchased a logitech premium 4 port powered hub is that any good the fellow at Officeworks reckon there OK cost enough if it didn't fix the problem. Can anyone recommend a good basic reader if this doesn't work out. I do want a good sized screen with the zoom function due to poorish eyesight. Don't want to pay too much especially if I have the same problems only want to be able to read books don't need all the other things like diary music etc. Only reason I bought this it was a good deal at the time and iriver have a good name. :help:

PS Yes the ports i'm using are 2.0 please, please can anyone out there help.:help:

G'day grevilleagirl,
That must be really frustrating. I'll see if I can help.

First up: Here are the steps I go through to connect my Story to my computer with Windows XP. Can you check this against what you're doing, and let us know if any of the steps are different?

1) Make sure the PC and Story are both switched on and fully booted up.
2) Attach the USB cable to the PC, and then to the Story. (Mine sort of goes in halfway, and then I have to push a little bit harder and it clicks into place.)
3) On the Story, a screen comes up called "Connect USB with a USB logo, and two options: "Recharge battery" or "Connect removable disk". I use the down arrow to move to the "Connect" option, and hit the Enter key once.
4) The Story screen changes to just the USB logo and the message "Connect USB"
5) On my PC, a dialogue box comes up asking what I want Windows to do with the device. I choose the option "Open folder to view files with Windows Explorer" and click OK.
6) A window opens up on my Windows desktop, showing the files and folders on the Story. I can then add or delete files the same way as on any Windows drive.

Do you go through the same steps on yours? If not, let us know, and that might help work out what's going wrong.

cheers,
Bran

grevilleagirl, I've had another thought.

I noticed you said you push the Enter key TWICE, and your says it's "Updating Database" and then goes no further. I can't get mine to display that message by hitting the Enter key. With mine, after I've been connected and then disconnect it fro the PC, I get that message, but only very briefly.

If there aren't any new files on there that you can't replace, you could always try re-initialising the device. From the main menu screen, click on the "Menu" button, scroll down to "Settings" and press Enter, then scroll down to the second screen of options and hit Enter on "Initialise". This will put your device back to factory settings.

Does that help at all?

What you have described is exactly what I get but nothing shows on the pc,it just doesn't seemto acknowledge the presence of the story. If I hit enter once it waits and then goes straight to library menu, when i hit enter twice it does show the updating database please wait and then goes to the library screen again. Resetting didn't help. Nothing on the pc at all.I don't know what to do.:help:

Another off the wall thought. Are you using your story with a SD card. If so remove the card when the story is off and then try re-connecting as per the instructions. This will eliminate a SD card being the potential problem.

samac

No sd thought about trying one with the hope pc would recognize it even though it doesn't recognize story.

Have you access to another computer and usb cable. First try with a different cable, then on an alternate computer that will identify if the problem is with your story, usb cable or computer.

samac

What you have described is exactly what I get but nothing shows on the pc,it just doesn't seemto acknowledge the presence of the story. If I hit enter once it waits and then goes straight to library menu, when i hit enter twice it does show the updating database please wait and then goes to the library screen again. Resetting didn't help. Nothing on the pc at all.I don't know what to do.:help:

OK, so based on that, it sounds like the Story may be doing the right thing, but the PC is either not seeing the device or doesn't want to talk to it.

It may be a setting in your PC, or it may be the cable or USB port. But first, to help narrow down what's happening: do you have any other devices that connect via USB? Does this PC see them OK?

Only a camera and it works fine, haven't tried another computer yet will have to borrow someone's to find out. Thanks.:help:

Ok have just tried an old HP laptop that was given to me. It's never been used and everything on it would be so out of date it's not funny [no internet]. Nevertheless when I connected to the story sure enough the laptop screen recognized the story with blank screen showing story[E] so obviously it recognizes it as drive E. I used the usb hub and the cable that came with the story. So everything is obviously working from that end and it appears to be the pc but I DON'T KNOW WHAT. Unfortunately this laptop is not very good and flickers in and out so I can't really use it. Any more suggestions as to what could be upsetting my pc.:help:

Have just tried something else, start, control panel, printers and other hardware, add hardware, wizard comes up>next goes into search function then an option to yes i have already connected hardware or no. I started story waited until library came up plugged in usb to story entered connect remote device and then selected on pc the option yes have already connected hardware. Finally something shows up on pc screen. Very first item is iriver but with the yellow and black exclamation mark, Followed instructions which was basically just a troubleshoot but nothing helped and the exclamated iriver had then disappeared from the list. jUST WHEN i THOUGHT IT ALL MIGHT HAPPEN nothing.:help::help::chinscratch:

OK, so it sounds to me like your Story is working OK, and so are the cables. The problem seems to be at your regular PC.

You said it comes up with a drive letter E, but when you try to put something on the Story it asks you to insert a disk? Perhaps it's doing what WinXP sometimes does, which is to assign a drive letter to a new device that's already in use.

Do you already have an E: drive (a CD or DVD drive, most likely) before you plug the Story in?

If you do, we've got to make Windows give the Story a drive letter that isn't already assigned to something else.

So:
1) boot up your Story, plug it in, connect it via USB,
2) Go to "My Computer on your desktop, right-click it, and choose the option "Manage"
3) In the dialogue that comes up, Click on "Disk Management" (you'll find it under "Storage"
4) In a few seconds, a list will come up on the right-hand side of the dialogue listing all the hardware devices on your system that have been assigned drive letters
5) The Story should be listed there, presumably with an E: drive letter assigned to it. Is there another device with the same drive letter?
6) Right-click on the Story, and choose "Change Drive Letter and Paths..."
7) In the dialogue that comes up, click on Change, and then in the drop-down box that comes up change the drive letter to the Story down the list to the next drive letter that isn't in use.
8) OK your way out of the dialogues.

Now, how are we doing?

(Oh, one last thing: when you disconnect the Story, are you in the habit of "stopping" the USB connection first? You really should. You double-click on the USB icon in the System Tray down in the bottom-right of your screen - the one that looks like a USB stick with a green arrow above it - then in the "Safely Remove Hardware" window click on the entry representing your Story and click "Stop". It'll then tell you it's safe to remove the device.)

Let us know how you do, yeah? :)

The only disks coming up are Disk 0 which is basic and Disk 1 for removable[E] no media. No sign of iriver. always disconnect through safely remove hardware usb icon not always there.

OK, that "removable media" is probably the Story. Have you tried changing the drive letter anyway?

If that doesn't help, next step:

When you plug the iRiver in, and go into Device Manager, did I understand correctly that it has the yellow asterisk beside it? Click once on the device once (to highlight it) and choose remove. Remove it completely, shut down your PC and then restart it, and plug the Story back in, and see how you go.

(I'm trying to get the PC to recognise the Story afresh. I have one more suggestion after this, but it's a bit more involved.)

The only reference i have seen to iriver was when i went into control panel, printers and hardware, add hardware. Wizard comes up press next it goes into search function and brings up the options yes have already connected hardware or no have not. Before hitting either option boot up story plugged in story and entered remote device connect. PRESS THE YES OPTION AND THERE IS THE IRIVER WITH A YELLOW EXCLAMATION MARK at the start of the list of installed hardware. Pressed next but shows hardware is working properly. Not my experience doesn't that been there is a problem. Under device manager it has always shown as usb mass storage and have removed and reinstalled numerous times but no good.:help:

OK, so if the Story isn't creating the E drive, do you know what is?

With the Story plugged in, if you right-click on "My Computer" and choose "Explore", when the window comes up, how many drives are showing? What is it saying the E: drive actually is?

Also, if you right-click on "My Computer" and choose Properties, and go into Hardware | Device Manager, is there anything at all in there with the yellow exclamation mark? Especially in the "Disk Drives" and "Universal Serial Bus controller" sections?

(Hang in there - I'm trying to narrow down why it's not responding to the Story correctly.)

OK WE HAVE LOCAL DISC C NO PROBLEMS TO BE EXPECTED THEN YP-U2[d] WHICH IS A SAMSUNG MP3 THEN REMOVABLE DISC E. nOTHING SHOWING WITH YELLOW EXCLAMATION MARK UNDER HARDWARE.iF i PRESS REMOVE HARDWARE AND UNPLUG STORY THEN USB MASS STORAGE SHOWS WITH YELLOW EXCLAMATION MARK.

Ah, OK, so your MP player is drive D.

When you went into "Manage" from my computer, what details did it give you about the device it had assigned drive E: to? If you right-click on it and get "Properties" what does it tell you?

And when you remove the Story, there's still an item in USB Mass Storage marked with a yellow exclamation mark? What happens if you click on that item and delete it, then restart your PC? Will the Story connect now?

One other thing: Under My Computer | Manage, did you try changing the drive letter? This will help reset the way the PC looks at that device; if it has put settings in your registry for that device already, they may be incorrect or misconfigured, but at the moment every time you plug the device back in again it just reloads those same settings. You have to make the PC make the connection completely anew.

1.Says dell usb mass storage usb device.
2. No story doesn't start.
3. Yes did shange drive letter but no luck.

1.Says dell usb mass storage usb device.
Sorry, where is this? On the E: drive in My Computer/Manage?
Or in the Device Manager?
Other than your MP player, do you have anything else plugged in via USB?

SHOWS DELL USB MASS STORAGE USB DEVICE UNDER E IN COMPUTER/MANAGE. uNDER HARDWARE IN DEVICE MANAGE HAVE UNDER DISK DRIVES: DELL USB MASS STORAGE USB DEVICE AND UNDER USB CONTROLLERS THE USB MASS STORAGE DEVICE. NOTHING ELSE CONNECTED VIA USB AT THE MOMENT, EVEN MP. iT IS JUST SHOWING UP AS D UNDER COMPUTER, BUT NO DEVICE /MANAGE. COULD THAT BE CAUSING A PROBLEM OR AM I JUST CLUTCHING AT STRAWS. AND IF I HAVE TO REMOVE IT PLEASE HOW?

try the utility USBDeview by NirSoft (google for it, its freeware)
run it, in the "description" column you will find "iriver Story USB Device"
and on the "drive" column you find the assigned drive letters (must be 2 letters not used by other connected drive)

you may try to force xp to reinstall the driver
right click on "iriver Story USB Device" and select "Uninstall Selected Devices"

then disconnect/connect the iriver and wait for the installation of the driver

ok DID THAT NO DRIVE WAS ALLOCATED TO IRIVER JUST THAT IS AUSB MASS STORAGE DEVICE. UNINSTALLING, DISCONNECTING AND CONNECTING DID NO GOOD. FLASHED ON SCREEN AS NEW HARDWARE IRIVER BUT THATS ALL.

All of a sudden something has happened but i don't know what. Since last i waited and logged in again and connected story hardware showed with story on taskbar went into usbdeview and it had been allocated drive f. I thought i would try to transfer a book and when went to copy book the story was showing under d and f was still there. Had no trouble copying to story after that. THANK YOU THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR HELP I HAVE LEARNT SO MUCH. I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED BUT LET'S HOPE IT STAYS HAPPENED.

I had the same USB connection problem - was trying to click the central icon on the iRiver and nothing happens but discovered that when you click the stylus on the bottom right "connect removeable disk" line then presently the usual dialog window will open up (two windows will open if you also have an SD memory card in your iRiver) showing the folders of Books and files. Disconnect in the normal way clicking the USB icon in the bottom right tray.