Just recently received a Samsung Digital Audio Player model K5J ZB and have had no success in completely installing the actual player. Following the instructions I have run the installation Cd and the Samsung Media Studio is installed to the desktop successfully but with the next stage of connecting the player via usb lead to the pc the installation does not complete and the pc does not register that the player is attached! On a number of occasions when I have tried the installation during the process the following message is displayed...

[U]Locked File Detected[/U]
An option you selected requires that files be installed to or from your system, or both. A locked file C:\Windows\system32\unicows.dll was found while performing the needed file operation. To leave this file as it is on your system, click the Ignor button; to retry the file operation, click Retry, or to perform the operation when your system is rebooted, click Reboot.

No matter which option I choose the eventual result is that the Samsung Media Studio is displayed on the Desktop and is operational in every way except in relation to the "portable" device (ie. the player)

Surprisingly, this message is not displayed every time I attempt the installation but the end result is the same - no player connected!

I have run a full registry clean (Registry Mechanic) and I have also run a search for the unicows file - both unsuccessful.

I have also installed the software and player on a friend's PC (using the same USB lead and everything worked perfectly so the problem is obviosly with my pc!

My pc is a Dell Dimension 2350 operating Windows XP and I have had no difficulty with any previous software installations.

I am now totally frustrated and close to collapse!!! I hope someone out there can help me!

Hmmm... you could try renaming that dll to unicowsold.dll and then download and install a fresh file from here: http://www.dlldll.com/unicows.dll_download.html

It's a file that handles unicode I believe

Thanks for your advice. However when I run a search I am faced with the following;

Name In Folder Size Type Date
unicows.dll C:\Docs & Settings|Ow 108 Mb Compressed 06/01/2007
" " " 241 App Extension 21/01/2004
" C\Windows\System32 240 " " 01/11/2004
" C:\ProgFiles\SmartSound 240 " " 30/01/2004
" " \Canon\Camera 214 " " 23/04/2002
" " " " 214 " " "
" " " " 214 " " "
" " \Adobe\Acrobat 234 " " 29/10/2002


" " " " 234 " " "
" " " " 234 " " "
" " " " 234 " " "
" " " " 234 " " "

I have downloaded the unicows file from the website which is lying on my desktop which is a zipped file!

Help! Where do I go from here? - Any further advice would be greatly appreciated!

the unicows.dll file should be located in the root of c:\WINDOWS\system32

Sounds to me as though you don't have it so, with the zipped file you have on your desk top, unzip it to the location I just mentioned. Then try running your Samsung software again A re-boot might be in order but try it without first.

My only problem with a mp3 player was my fiances.

It showed up the drive for it but would not do the file transfer properly.

I did a repair instal of XP pro sp2 and that fixed it.

When she gets home from work I will edit and tell you the make.

I actually located the unicows file in C:\WINDOWS\System 32 so as suggested I renamed that one and unzipped the downloaded file from my desktop to the same place. Unfortunately the end result was the same - the player will not load. A puzzling thing is that the note about the locked unicows file does not appear every time! Another thing is that as a result of the many attempts at downloading the unicows file I now also have one on my desktop that I cannot get rid of! (any suggestion?) Just to convince myself that the problem is with my pc I insalled the player cd on another friend's computer and again everything worked fine! I can't think what else to do!

As a follow-up on my recent post I have now managed to remove the "spare" unicows downloaded file froim my desktop but that's the only success I've had!

I don't know where to go from here I'm afraid