F.A.Q:
1. I just received the G20, how do I set the language to ENGLISH?
2. Is the G20 gapless ?
3. Can I change the battery once it's dead?
4. I have a non-Japanese Win XP and I want to upload MP3s with japanese filenames / japanese ID3 tags to the G20. How do I do?
5. What is the battery lifespan when playing WAV files?
6. Does the uploading software (TAA or WMP) re-encode the audio files for them to work on the gigabeat?
7. Toshiba advertizes "20GB HDD" but what is the exact size reported by Windows?
8. Exactly how do I use the gigabeat as an external Hard Drive?
9. I have a G21 and couldn't install TAA3, even when using your 'trick', what can I do?
10. My gigabeat freezes, crashes or doesn't operate properly, what can I do?

1. I just received the G20, how do I set the language to ENGLISH?
From power-off state : a) Switch the gigabeat on. b) Press "menu". c) Press down on the JOGswitch all the way to the bottom option. d) Press play. e) Press down 4 times. f) Press play. g) Select the option at the top for english. h) Press play. Your G20 is now in english!
1bis. I just received the G21, how do I set the language to ENGLISH?
Same as G20 but e) Press down 6 times.

2. Is the G20 gapless ?
Yes and No. ;)
Yes, the G20 is gapless for WAV playback. However, it isn't gapless for MP3 playback. There is a very short amount of time (less than 0.1 second) between tracks. When there is silence between 2 consecutive tracks, it's of course not noticeable. However, for continuous live recordings, you can hear the sound slightly pop between 2 MP3s. WMA format untested at this time.
UPDATE: Official specs from Toshiba read : MP3 : 0.04s / WMA : 0.12s / WAV : 0s (Gapless).

3. Can I change the battery once it's dead?
Yes, but IN JAPAN only. You need to have your G20 returned to Toshiba who will replace the battery and send it back to you. The address is written on the manual's last page. NOTE : On the G20 manual, there is also a page that describes how to remove the battery yourself. So assuming you can find a battery replacement, you can change it yourself. But this battery looks specifically designed for the G20 and next to impossible to find outside of Toshiba. So, if you ever locate a US / Euro source for G20 batteries or equivalent, make sure to email me about it and I'll update this faq for the world to know. ;)

4. I have a non-Japanese Win XP and I want to upload MP3s with japanese filenames / japanese ID3 tags to the G20. How do I do?
If you use the Toshiba Audio Application as-is, you won't be able to upload tracks with japanese filenames and/or japanese ID3 tags will be completely scrambled. Fear not, there is a solution. Just use the Toshiba Audio Application through AppLocale!
Check this page for more info : http://alcahestx.free.fr/perso/apploc/applocale.html

5. What is the battery lifespan when playing WAV files?
When the G20 playbacks WAV files, disk access are *a lot* more frequent compared to when it plays MP3 or WMA files. In consequence, the battery life drops to approximately 3 hours for WAV playback.

6. Does the uploading software (TAA or WMP) re-encode the audio files for them to work on the gigabeat?
Of course not. However, the uploading software encrypts the audio files and adds the ".SAT" extension to their filenames. This procedure is very quick and it usually takes about 30 seconds to upload a full 80 mega album. Toshiba does this so that you cannot share audio files that have been uploaded to your gigabeat : this is their property rights protection system. You could of course store both "encrypted" and "non encrypted" audio files on your gigabeat in order to both be able to listen to them and share them, but then you need to use twice the hard drive space.

7. Toshiba advertizes "20GB HDD" but what is the exact size reported by Windows?
Windows reports : 18,62 Go (19 995 623 424 bytes)

8. Exactly how do I use the gigabeat as an external Hard Drive?
Well, it's quite simple. Just plug the USB cable between the gigabeat and the PC and a few seconds later the drive shows up in Windows Explorer. You can then use it as any other hard drives. When you're done, you need to click the tray icon with a green arrow and select to safely remove the "USB Mass Storage Device". Be sure to close any application that could be using the gigabeat before doing so (Explorer, WMP, TAA). You can then unplug the USB cable.

9. I have a G21 and couldn't install TAA3, even when using your 'trick', what can I do?
Download and install TAA2 instead. It can be found here :
http://alcahestx.free.fr/perso/g20/dl/TAA2.zip

10. My gigabeat freezes, crashes or doesn't operate properly, what can I do?
You can try the following : a) Put the battery switch behind the unit to "OFF", wait 5 seconds and put it "ON" again. b) Power the gigabeat on and connect it to the PC. c) Open "Windows Explorer", right-click the gigabeat drive and select "Properties". d) Go on the "tools" tab. e) Do an "Error Check" with both options selected. f) Go to the movies, make yourself to eat or smthg (it's VERY long). g) When it's done, do a "Defrag" on the gigabeat drive. This should solve 95% of the problems one can encounter on this oh-so-wonderful machine ;)

TIPS:
1. Switch the G20 on/off with the Remote Control
2. Quick return to the track selection screen
3. About the battery life when using the G20 as an external hard drive
4. Small Power-on tip
5. Quickly play a music folder

1. Switch the G20 on/off with the Remote Control
Easy, just press and hold the "play" button on the remote control for more than 2 seconds and your gigabeat will either power "off" if it was "on" or power "on" if it was "off". Note : If you use the remote to power up the gigabeat, the blue backlight screen will be disabled on the G20 logo. This is normal behavior. If you always want blue backlight, then power the gigabeat via the play button on the unit.

2. Quick return to the track selection screen
While listening to a track, press and hold the "menu" button more than 2 seconds to quickly go back to the track selection screen. Pressing "menu" more than 2 seconds on the track selection screen will switch the display to the current playing file information screen.

3. About the battery life when using the G20 as an external hard drive
When using the G20 as an external HDD (for storing/copying/moving files) without the AC apdapter, in this case battery consumption is intense. Experiments show the battery drying in about 20 minutes, even from full charge; keep that in mind!

4. Small Power-on tip
To power the G20 on, it is not necessary to push the power button all the way until the unit switches on. Just press the power button (Play) for exactly 2 seconds, release and the G20 will power-on.

5. Quickly play a music folder
When browsing the different music folders, if you press the "Vol -" button, the gigabeat will start playing the selected folder immediately.