Did you check to see if the "hold" button is in the "hold" position? Did you try replugging it in again?

This weekend I found a SanDisk Sansa Fuze on sale only a few dollars more than the really cheap one mentioned above. I took the really cheap one back and am having a much easier time setting and navigating the new one. (On sale this week at Office Depot in the U.S.)

SRS