Peter/Bentley:
I'm having EXACTLY the same symptoms. I downloaded some books from my library and everything was fine for a while, then I started to get the "endless refresh" or "refresh/crash" problem when I disconnected the Reader from my computer.
I reformatted (and eventually replaced) the memory card thinking it was the problem, since, as noted above, if I removed it the refresh cycle (circling arrows) would eventually stop. (Note that the DE content is ON the Reader, not the card, but FYI DE was creating a directory on the card for some reason.)
I formatted a Memory Stick (trying another media) Yet Again, then recopied all the (non-DE) books back to it via the Sony desktop software. Everything worked fine as long as I *didn't* have any interaction from the desktop to the Reader with DE. I could update non DE content and unplug the Reader and it would finish the update process in about thirty seconds. I've got about 150 books on the MS and 60 in the Reader so this is normal.
I could read the DE content fine on the Reader and reading it didn't cause any problems but, if I add or delete any DE content, using DE on the desktop, the Reader book "delete" function or the Sony desktop software, I get immediately sucked back into the "endless refresh/crash" tar pit the next time I disconnect it from the computer.
As I said, it was working wonderfully right after I loaded the first protected books, but as soon as I started to manage them the wheels came off. Now I'm cautious of even connecting the Reader to the computer.
Please let me know if you need any more information or have any suggestions. I was going to zorch the internal memory on the Reader and re-authorize it to see what happens, but I didn't want to start burning up my authorizations on a wild goose chase.
Thanks for your time on this issue!
Regards,
Bob
UPDATE: I just did an experiment. I deleted the DRM'ed DE file from the Reader and re-did the files on the memory stick. I could connect and fiddle with it with the Sony software without a problem. I then started ADE on my desktop and just clicked to display the contents of the Reader within ADE. I didn't add or remove any books. I then exited ADE and disconnected the Reader which immediately froze during the content refresh cycle. I had to pull the card, let it finish with just the empty reader (taking about five minutes) then re-insert the memory card and wait another twenty minutes for it to re-read/refresh that. So it appears that whatever the problem is in my case, it's caused by something that ADE is doing to the Reader even if it's NOT changing the content on it.