Element GC-1020 Troubleshooting

No matter what you do, you can't get your GC-1020 media player to turn on.

Press and hold the power button to turn on the display. The screen should then show a background that will be bright. However, the display will not show if the ON/OFF switch is OFF. The ON/OFF switch is located on the left side of the GC-1020 device. Switch it ON to start the device.

If your device won't turn on, you may simply have a drained battery. The next step is to connect the GC-1020 to a computer using a USB cord. If connecting the cord does not work, the device likely has a faulty battery.

If the your device is not powering on it is likely an issue within the motherboard (the thin green plate within the device). This would mean that the device itself is faulty and the best action would be to replace the motherboard.

Wires belonging to the battery may not be attached to the motherboard, which keeps the device from receiving power. The the battery has two red and black wires connecting it to the small black portion of the motherboard. If the wires are detached they must be reconnected to motherboard using tweezers.

Your Element GC-1020 turns on and seems to work, but when you plug in headphones or speakers, the audio doesn't play accordingly.

Though unlikely that the headphones or speakers are bad, it is worthwhile to eliminate these as the source of your problem at the beginning. Test your media player with another set of headphones or speakers to make sure that the problem is with the device and not the accessories. If it is indeed your headphone jack refer to the step-by-step replacement guide.

If the problem is within the media player, a simple solution may be to look inside where the headphones are inserted with a flashlight. Check for debris, or something that could be logged in the jack. If you find debris within the jack you can clean it out using a toothpick.

The most likely cause of audio output problems on the Element GC-1020 is an issue with the headphone jack. The headphone jack could be noticeably bent, in which case it can be bent back into place. This step requires opening up the device. If the jack does not appear bent the headphone jack itself needs to be replaced. Refer to the step-by-step replacement guide.

This problem can also have many causes. Perhaps the most common is the audio adapter itself. Older and inexpensive headphones often have poor audio quality.

Try cleaning out/blowing out the headphone jack. Try inserting/removing the plug multiple times. If that does not resolve the issue then it may be a broken headphone jack. Refer to headphone jack not functioning properly.

I plugged my device into my computer but the device does not show up on my computer.

The first step is to locate the source of the problem. Use the connection cable supplied by the manufacturer. Inspect that there is no damage to the cable or ports of your computer. Test that both ends of the cable fit properly into the respective ports. Test it on multiple computers if possible. If it connects on a different computer it is likely a driver issue. If the cord does not work, try using a different cord.

The GC-1020 registers as a USB device. If it does not register as a USB device your computer could be misreading its function. In that case you will need to reassign the function manually or reinstall the driver completely. Try reinstalling the driver using the installation disk that came with the device. Additional driver information can be found on your computer manufacturer's website.

If your display is broken, malfunctioning, distorted or does not appear, you may need to replace the screen.

If the display doesn't show fully or at all or if the screen is cracked, you can replace it by removing every screw visible on the outside of the device. Then, separate the front and back panels to access the device's inner workings. Use a spudger tool to pry the battery apart from the display. Unscrew any screws that are keeping the circuit boards attached to the display. Put masking tape and extra screws off to the side and use the spudger to release the motherboard. Take the display out of the front panel. Use a heat gun to remove the glass panel from the panel frame. Put your replacement screen in and use a hot glue gun to secure it. Your display should now function properly.

Here is a link to the Element GC-1020 Display Replacement Guide