I cannot even load music onto my player using 1.3. (as you suggested)

That's strange. 1.03 has been a very stable release for a long time, and it should give you no trouble at all. We should resolve this problem first. If 1.03 doesn't work, then 2.0 definitely won't work.

First: Did you make sure to install the 1.03 software for both Emplode as well as the player firmware? That's important as 2.0 emplode won't talk to 1.03 player and vice-versa.

Triple-check the versions of all your software by looking at the "About" menu on both your player and your Emplode. If they both say 1.03, then you should be OK.

Once you're sure everything is at 1.03, try again. If it still fails, then please report your exact actions attempting to load music, and the exact text of any error messages that appear.