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jwolf6589

macrumors 601
Original poster
Dec 15, 2010
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Back in the Mac OS 7-9.x days there was an app called Resedit which was able to see and edit hidden files on mac OS disks. Does OSX also place hidden files on disks? Reason I ask is I am having issues playing tracks from a USB thumb drive as I am constantly getting a NOT SUPPORTED flashing message on the car CD player. I am thinking that the track folder contains Mac OS hidden files and why playing tracts seems to be a chore. Perhaps burning a MP3 CD from iTunes would be a better idea.
 
The Finder can display the hidden files in a folder or drive when the Shift+Command+. (period) key combination is pressed. Do it again to hidden them.

You can display the hidden files too using the Terminal.app and the command ls -la
 
make sure your flashdrive is formatted for windows (prob 'ms-dos'); see if that fixes the problem (make sure you copy anything you want from that drive to your mac first! as reformatting will erase everything). if the problem persists, i know of a really insane possible fix (that i spent days researching). but try the formatting first (and much saner than messing around with hidden files)...
 
make sure your flashdrive is formatted for windows (prob 'ms-dos'); see if that fixes the problem (make sure you copy anything you want from that drive to your mac first! as reformatting will erase everything). if the problem persists, i know of a really insane possible fix (that i spent days researching). but try the formatting first (and much saner than messing around with hidden files)...

Its in FAT32
 
i'd wipe the flashdrive, start over, see if that helps...

EDIT: or, back up what u need from the drive, then delete any hidden files you find on it
(back up in case...)
 
There's probably a resource fork (._*) file for each track. These are metadata that would otherwise be part of the file on an HFS+ or APFS file system. There are utilities that will clean them from the USB drive, or you can delete them yourself. It's easiest to see them in Terminal (or show hidden files).
 
There's probably a resource fork (._*) file for each track. These are metadata that would otherwise be part of the file on an HFS+ or APFS file system. There are utilities that will clean them from the USB drive, or you can delete them yourself. It's easiest to see them in Terminal (or show hidden files).

This is a FAT32 drive.
 
Back in the Mac OS 7-9.x days there was an app called Resedit which was able to see and edit hidden files on mac OS disks. Does OSX also place hidden files on disks? Reason I ask is I am having issues playing tracks from a USB thumb drive as I am constantly getting a NOT SUPPORTED flashing message on the car CD player. I am thinking that the track folder contains Mac OS hidden files and why playing tracts seems to be a chore. Perhaps burning a MP3 CD from iTunes would be a better idea.

Yes it does..

If you add files to USB from Mac on Fat32 drive, take it over to widows PC, or attach it to vm directly,, hidden (.) files will still show... You can delete them from Windows, but if you use the drive on a Mac, hidden files be re-created regardless...
 
Reason I ask is I am having issues playing tracks from a USB thumb drive as I am constantly getting a NOT SUPPORTED flashing message on the car CD player.

Are you sure the problem is the hidden files?

It could be something as simple as the extensions of the files for example .MP3 etc. are the files MP3 files?
Do the file names all have the correct extension example .MP3 ?

It could also be your files may be in a different format such as ALAC etc.
 
Are you sure the problem is the hidden files?

It could be something as simple as the extensions of the files for example .MP3 etc. are the files MP3 files?
Do the file names all have the correct extension example .MP3 ?

It could also be your files may be in a different format such as ALAC etc.

The files are all in .mp3 format.
[doublepost=1551352811][/doublepost]
Yes it does..

If you add files to USB from Mac on Fat32 drive, take it over to widows PC, or attach it to vm directly,, hidden (.) files will still show... You can delete them from Windows, but if you use the drive on a Mac, hidden files be re-created regardless...

Well I reformatted the drive and will see if this fixes it. I am doubtful,
 
This is a long-standing problem with Mac computers. They create the _.* hidden files that devices such as TVs (with USB ports) don't like. I am not sure about some of the tips above but to get my videos to play reliably I have resorted to using an old Windows laptop to write the files to a portable hard drive.
 
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This is a long-standing problem with Mac computers. They create the _.* hidden files that devices such as TVs (with USB ports) don't like. I am not sure about some of the tips above but to get my videos to play reliably I have resorted to using an old Windows laptop to write the files to a portable hard drive.

Well I got all the tracts to play. I have a combination of music and sermons on the device. I have to navigate to the folder and then let the not supported message appear for a while until it passes through the hidden files and then it plays the MP3 files.

Strange why my Sony CD boom box does not have this problem. Must be this model of JVC CD Player. Perhaps it’s just easier to stream via Bluetooth or use CDS.
 
Its in FAT32
one thing is fat 32 and another things is MBR and GUID also known as GPT
maybe your flash is in FAT32 GPT
many car players won't recognize the usb flash drive if you choose GPT even if is in FAT32
simply reformat the drive in FAT32 MBR and test if it works

also some car player can read files inside folders
others car player might behave different

do both test
put the mp3 files on root of the usb drive

my car player can play files inside folders without any problem
but like a said not all system behave the same way

good luck
 
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one thing is fat 32 and another things is MBR and GUID also known as GPT
maybe your flash is in FAT32 GPT
many car players won't recognize the usb flash drive if you choose GPT even if is in FAT32
simply reformat the drive in FAT32 MBR and test if it works

also some car player can read files inside folders
others car player might behave different

do both test
put the mp3 files on root of the usb drive

my car player can play files inside folders without any problem
but like a said not all system behave the same way

good luck

My Sony CD boom box makes no attempt to play the Mac OS hidden files but this JVC car CD player does. I got all the tracts to play but I must wait for the player to bypass the hidden files and then it plays the MP3 tracts just fine.
 
My Sony CD boom box makes no attempt to play the Mac OS hidden files but this JVC car CD player does. I got all the tracts to play but I must wait for the player to bypass the hidden files and then it plays the MP3 tracts just fine.

are the mp3s on the main level of the drive? if not, try that....
 
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exactly, moved them to main level of the usb flash drive
meaning root, some player can't read folders

also you have 2 options, if the above still doesn't work

option #1 is by using command keys on the keyboard to make the hidden files visible
unfortunately I don't have the document here with the shortcut keys

I don't remember them right now
but I'm sure that if you look for them, you can find them

option #2 you can use a free app

https://gotoes.org/sales/ShowHiddenFilesMacOSX/How_To_Show_Hidden_Files.php

after you run the app for the first time

go to the the Botton window and select

don't show me your ad anymore

now you can close that bottom window


now in the main app, click on show special files

after doing that you will be able to see the hidden files and folders and you will be able to delete them

to revert back or to hide the files simply click, hide special files

now the system is back to normal

hope this help
[doublepost=1551478410][/doublepost]are you mp3 files in 44,000 or 48,000?
did you read the CD player manual and check what files are compatible?

there are a few things to consider here

bit rate

I recommend 320

maybe your mp3s are in 128 or probably even less that's why there are not being recognized by the player

keep in mind that many player also support 128 but you have to check the manual to know for sure what's compatible

also maybe you are using a incompatible codec

Thera are a few mp3 compressors

are you using, constant bit or variable bit rate?


download a free trial of AnyMP4 Audio Converter and use that app to convert the files to mp3
make sure to select these settings

44,000
320
CBR

try another with another pen drive
some old flash drives are recognized different, specially very old and small ones

get a new one, they are cheap now
you can get a new one for less than 10 dollars or ask a friend to lend you a thumb drive

make sure is not so old
some usb thumb drives come with 2 partitions from factory and with files inside
you have to know how to reformat and repartition the drive to a single partition

best of luck

I don't think is the hidden files unless you have some hidden folders and the system is trying to read those hidden folders and that's why it fails
 
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exactly, moved them to main level of the usb flash drive
meaning root, some player can't read folders

also you have 2 options, if the above still doesn't work

option #1 is by using command keys on the keyboard to make the hidden files visible
unfortunately I don't have the document here with the shortcut keys

I don't remember them right now
but I'm sure that if you look for them, you can find them

option #2 you can use a free app

https://gotoes.org/sales/ShowHiddenFilesMacOSX/How_To_Show_Hidden_Files.php

after you run the app for the first time

go to the the Botton window and select

don't show me your ad anymore

now you can close that bottom window


now in the main app, click on show special files

after doing that you will be able to see the hidden files and folders and you will be able to delete them

to revert back or to hide the files simply click, hide special files

now the system is back to normal

hope this help
[doublepost=1551478410][/doublepost]are you mp3 files in 44,000 or 48,000?
did you read the CD player manual and check what files are compatible?

there are a few things to consider here

bit rate

I recommend 320

maybe your mp3s are in 128 or probably even less that's why there are not being recognized by the player

keep in mind that many player also support 128 but you have to check the manual to know for sure what's compatible

also maybe you are using a incompatible codec

Thera are a few mp3 compressors

are you using, constant bit or variable bit rate?


download a free trial of AnyMP4 Audio Converter and use that app to convert the files to mp3
make sure to select these settings

44,000
320
CBR

try another with another pen drive
some old flash drives are recognized different, specially very old and small ones

get a new one, they are cheap now
you can get a new one for less than 10 dollars or ask a friend to lend you a thumb drive

make sure is not so old
some usb thumb drives come with 2 partitions from factory and with files inside
you have to know how to reformat and repartition the drive to a single partition

best of luck

I don't think is the hidden files unless you have some hidden folders and the system is trying to read those hidden folders and that's why it fails

Placing the files in the root directory works allot better problem is my files are not organized.
 
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Placing the files in the root directory works allot better problem is my files are not organized.
rename them, so that's means that it can't read folders, so you have to manually rename the files to have them organize
I have a kenwood system and it reads folders
so I understand what you saying

yes it is better to have the pen drive organize but since your system can't read folders
then you have to manually organized everything
I know is a bit bad but is better than burning cd's

you can also use different usb drives, one for something and another for something else
I also do that some times too

the important thing is that is working now

you can simply add a number to the begin of the track so it will play on that sequence
 
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