Cheap China MP3 Player Stops XP Audio

[Geek-9pm]

Here is a photo of this cheap MP3 player I got from eBay.


I put it in and XP recognizes it. The I can not use VLC player. Or WinAmp. Not even WMP. This does not happen on Windows 7 or Windows 10. 

I remove the ting, restart XP and my audio works. Might be  an issue with direct X. Once I got a message about something with direct X.

So far it has not done anything else. But why should it stop audio?

Well, I am not going to worry about it. But should I?   

Has anybody had any kind of t\thing like that?

[patio]

It ain't Windows...or the apps...

You get what you pay for.

[Geek-9pm]

Patio, might this be a form of malware? What do you call malware that is inside of a common likeable hardware device? TrohanWare?

If that is the case, what is it wanting to do?
Will it send my music back to China?
Will it send my e-mail to the Russians? 

[BC_Programmer]

I don't think you've provided enough information to know what is happening or what the problem is.

You'd have to look around yourself on the system. If I plug in my USB headset my speakers will not make sound, for example; perhaps the device registers as a sound output device for some reason and "takes over" for the default sound device in the same way.

I'm sure you recognize how silly a description that you seem to remember getting a DirectX error at some point maybe before is.

[Computer_Commando]

I bought something similar.  Windows recognized it, but it saw no internal memory or my existing external uSD card.  Got a full refund & thew it away.

[Geek-9pm]

Details.
Doe not happen with Windows 7 or Windows 10.

It happens on my Windows XP SP-3 up  to date. It is a Dell 755.

I bought two China MP3 players from eBay.  Two models.

Test 1:
I open up a MP3 library, but do not start anything. I used Windows Explorer.
Next, I insert the new China MP3 player into front USB of my Dell 755.
(All the 755 drivers and BIOS are up  to date.)
The familiar 'te-dum' sound comes from loudspeakers. Now I start to play a MP3 file using VLC and the progress bard indicates it is working, but no sound. I remove the [player from the front panel, still no sound.  So I shut down the XP PC and to sigh-o sound is heard.  Then I reset the Dell 755 and again go into XP. Now I have sound again and it is normal.

Test2:
I start playing   a MP3 file using VLC and while playing I insert the china player.  After about two seconds I hear the'te-dum' sound while Emily Lou Harris continues to sing. Does not even skip a beat. Audio is fine. So I stop the VLC player. No I restart VLC and nothing is heard while the progress bar in VLC keeps moving. Now I remove the China player. I hear a 'ta-do'  sound,  to indicate the china player is unmounted.  But VLC is the same. no sound, progress bar still moving. Next, close VLC. After that I re start Emily Lou Harris again. She starts signing again.Same results with other artists, including material that is not covered by copyrights.

From this I conclude the china player stops any  sound starting, but does not
stop what is already playing.

Same results with Win  Amp. No error reported by either VLC or Win Amp. I had bought two different devices. So I believe this is a new feature found in some China players. They both have the same behavior.

This had me really baffled. I will stop using either with XP. All my oOlder players  do not do this. I doubt this is an 'accident'. I suspect the player wants to get into something, but I don't know what it wants. I don't have debug tools that could work on this kind of thing.

Anyway, I will take care is using either of these devices.