Sony HAP 1 ES and adding external Hard Drives

Kal mentions in a footnote in his review that the drive is formatted to one of the versions of the Ext file system that is commonly used with Linux.

If you are running Windows, Paragon ExtFS for Windows appears to be a solution that would enable Windows to work with Ext file systems, and it appears to be free. If you are running a Mac, a similar program is also available, for $39.95.

Although I have no experience with this or other Paragon Software programs, at first glance it certainly appears to be worth looking into.

Regards,
-- Al

Thanks, Al.
Brownsfan, I wouldn't do that until you put some music on the external HD that you either want to transfer to the Sony, or that you want to hear played through the Sony. If I read Kal's review correctly, once you format the HD, you won't be able to add any more music to the external HD.

Richard, that's not quite right. Formatting or reformatting a drive destroys all of the data that it contains. After the HAP-Z1ES reformats the drive, probably to Ext3 or Ext4 (presumably because its internal operating system is Linux-based), music files would then be obtained by the HAP-Z1ES from your computer via the wifi or wired ethernet network connection that would exist between them (via your router). I presume the HAP-Z1ES would then offer a choice as to whether the files it obtains are to be stored on the external drive or on its internal drive.

Also, I looked further at the descriptions of the Paragon ExtFS program I cited earlier. Assuming it works as advertised, it looks like it would be an excellent solution, allowing the drive to be removed from the HAP-Z1ES and connected to your computer when and if desired, the data it contains remaining intact, and then used with the computer just like any other drive.

Alternatively, there are various free software tools available that would allow you to reformat the drive as Kal did, making it usable with your computer. But of course doing that would destroy any data that had been stored on it by the HAP-Z1ES.

Regards,
-- Al

"Also, I looked further at the descriptions of the Paragon ExtFS program I cited earlier. Assuming it works as advertised, it looks like it would be an excellent solution, allowing the drive to be removed from the HAP-Z1ES and connected to your computer when and if desired, the data it contains remaining intact, and then used with the computer just like any other drive."

I wasn't aware of that program. An app that lets Windows use ext2, 3, and 4 is something that I would very much like to have. I'll give it a try either today or tomorrow and post back on how it works.

If it doesn't work, another solution would be to just use Linux to access the external HD after the Sony formats it. Going that route would also allow you to recover your external HD and format it back to FAT32 or NTFS so it can be used with Windows again.

" I don't relish the thought of wasting a HD, although I guess it is a relatively small expenditure. Has any one tried adding external HDs to this unit?"

So that won't happen. You can put your HD back like it was before the Sony took over. You'll just have to back up any data you don't want to lose.

Richardfinegold said: " If I read Kal's review correctly, once you format the HD, you won't be able to add any more music to the external HD."

I did not say that. I said that the Sony will reformat the drive to the Linux-variant format and that, probably, your computer will not recognize it. Also, that reformatting will erase whatever you had put on it. However, you can use the regular Sony app to transfer files to it from your computer, just as it will to the internal drive..