WMP Will Not Add Music to Library Not Ripped Direct from CD.

System Background:
Windows Media Player 10.00.00.4036
Windows XP Professional 2002 SP2
Condition exists on Two different Machines:
1. Dell inspiron Laptop
2. Generic Desktop


What Works:
Music Added to Library Ripped Direct from CD.

What Doesn't work:
mp3s .wma created from other applications are not recognized as media files. WMP will play them, but will not add them to the library.
Interesting part is that it did work for quite some time, then sometime between April 2006 and present it stopped working on both machines.
I can only "assume" it was a security update by MS that created this problem. However, rolling back has not served to resolve the issue.

Why I need this to work:
I am currently converting my LPs to digital. I would like to be able to use WMP to organize my media. Currently, because this does not work, I am using Winamp, which works fine other than I don't get some of the features I like in WMP (Album art, composer fields, extended tag information etc... ).

If I could turn on some form of logging or application tracing I could see what is going on, but have not been successful in accomplishing this task either.

In essence, this has to be something of a no brainer (i.e. content in a tag, registry entry etc..)
That or MS effectively broke their software!

Any ideas, help or direction would be greatly appreciated.

 

In WMP Options / click on Library Tab.
Click Monitor Folders to automatically add files by monitoring selected folders. If you have checked this, you may want to delete (then closed/open WMP) and add them again. Also double check the setting "Skip files smaller than ", possible values got hosed (very large KB).

 

Reply to Dennis L.

Dennis,

First, thanks very much for your suggestions. All very good, but alas, already tried. Several times.
This one defies logic from my perspective.
I already have it set to monitor the library directory. And, I have the minimum file size (skip files smaller than) currently set to 2kb. That also has been changed several times from zero to 100kb in an attempt to find the source.
I have the options set to "add to library when played ". I play them, they are not added.
This applies to files, interestingly enough, ripped from a CD on another machine using WMP (note I have this issue on two machines, different hardware, but same SW load and update level, and problem started on both at the same time.. late April), I check and it is present in the library on that machine. Then I added this file to the physical library directory (same directory structure) on the other machine.. WMP does not recognize that one either!!! It'll play it, it just won't add it to it's library.
I performed this operation in reverse (opposing machines). Same result.

I have deleted the wmp db, and recreated it, no change. Still the same problem.
It behaves like a security issue. Anything not ripped direct from CD by THAT WMP on THAT machine is not added to the library.

Bizarre!!! But it has to be something I am overlooking in the settings. I can't see any other possibility.

So, I await your's or anyone elses next idea!

Thanks again!!

 

How do I rebuild a broken Media Library?
Don't know if this will fix your problem.
Please note MDAC suggestion.
WMP10 instructions are in the middle of the WMP11 beta paragraph.
Good luck.

 

Getting Closer, but not there

Dennis,

Again, I thank you for your recommendation. It unfortunately did not solve the problem, but it inadvertently gave me a few more clues, and a temporary work around.

Here are a few more details that seemed irrelevent at the time, but now appear to be the key to finding the source of the problem:

My music library is stored on a network drive, but I keep multiple copies to ensure I don't lose my data (multiple network drives, multiple copies, not to mention backups!)..
My two systems use different libraries. But they are identical.
One is updated each time I add and verify new files.

Anyway, to get to the point, WMP will not add anything it did not rip unless it is on a local directory. Once I get it updated locally with the album art etc.. I can delete it from the library and the move the files back to the network drive. THEN WMP recognizes them as valid audio files.
Again.. I have not changed my library configuration in about a year. And, I have been slowly adding new files created from my old lps for over 8 months. Without problem. So, again this is a new situation that showed itself in late april.

Ok.. so now to amend the problem:
WMP 10 will not recognize audio files not ripped direct from a CD if the files are located on a mapped drive. But, once the data has been updated from a local drive, WMP accepts the files from any location.

Fun.. eh?

I look forward to your thoughts!!

sb

 

I'm confused with following two phrases, but that is normal.

Do you have a device (server or HD with specific enclosure) which physically contains a HD and attaches to your network? If yes, do you have the "My Music" folder cued in WMP 10 as a Monitored Folder.
OR
Is all of the above a combination of "Shared Folders" and or Mapped drives from your regular computers you have attached in your local network?