When fully charged, some of the Sony Walkman MP3 players can play music for up to 25 hours before needing a recharge. Ordinarily, it can take up to 2.5 hours for the battery to charge with a computer. However, when charging becomes a problem, a few things can be done to identify symptoms and causes of charging issues. Get your Sony Walkman back to being a portable media powerhouse.
Symptoms
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When you connect your Sony Walkman to a computer using a USB cable, the battery indicator will appear in the lower right corner of the screen indicating the status of the charge. When the charge completes in roughly two and a half hours, depending on the model, "Full" is displayed on the screen. If the battery indicator doesn't appear, it means the player's battery isn't charging. In some cases, if the player is dead, you may have to charge the battery for at least five minutes before it turns on. If it doesn't turn on, it's not charging.
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Causes
You're likely to run into charging problems if the Sony Walkman MP3 player's battery is faulty or runs out of charging cycles. According to Sony, the lithium-ion batteries inside Sony Walkman MP3 players have a 500 maximum charge cycle that may vary depending on use. When the battery reaches the maximum charge cycle, it will run into charging problems. If you're using a faulty USB port or cable, the battery may not charge. In addition, if the computer you're using to charge your player is in standby, hibernation or sleep mode, your player may not charge. USB hubs that support multiple USB devices can cause connection problems; some of them are incompatible with Sony Walkman MP3 players.
Solutions
If your computer isn't detecting your Sony Walkman, sometimes restarting the computer will reboot USB ports and improve connection for charging. If you're using USB hubs, disconnect them and connect your player directly to the computer. If the computer is experiencing a USB port overload, disconnecting all USB devices and connecting the player alone may solve connection problems to allow you player to charge. If you're using laptop, connect it to an AC power outlet. In addition, disabling sleep, hibernation or standby mode is necessary if these features are turned on.
Tips
Using your Sony Walkman and charging the battery in optimal temperatures can improve performance and may increase the device's lifespan. Sony recommends charging the player's battery between 41 to 95 degrees F. Always refer to your player's manual for safety and maintenance guidelines if you want to improve your player's performance. If your player's battery is still not charging after performing these troubleshooting guidelines, contact Sony support for additional troubleshooting and possible repairs.