MP3, iTunes and Windows Media Player Issues...

[Coddfish]

Okay, are there any iPod users out here on TPA?

For me, I have had my 4th generation iPod Nano for 6 months now and for the most part, I have really enjoyed it.

I have also enjoyed iTunes for the most part...that is until today.

Right now, I have a huge problem. I can't play any of my MP3 files on there anymore!

Here's what happened. I was downloading some Christmas music through my video to MP3 converter addon on Firefox as I was going to use some Christmas music for a Christmas CD for an activity I'm running at my placement tomorrow.

I decided to do it through Windows Media Player as I burned a disc from there with the MP3 files that I downloaded.

When I tried to get those files onto WMP, I pressed Add to Library as once I saw the choices for it, I accidentally clicked My Personal Files as I didn't realize that I asked for all of my files from my MP3 Music folder on my computer.

Everything was fine though. My CD worked and everything was fine.

That is until I downloaded a couple more songs. When I did that, I wanted to add them to iTunes so I can add them to my iPod.

From there, I tested the songs. The ones that I recently downloaded today worked.

However, the other MP3 files, (minus my purchased songs), that I had on for a while did not work on iTunes. I also couldn't re-add them to iTunes once I delete them off, as I tried to do that and see if it could work.

Instead, they worked in Windows Media Player!

Does anyone know what might be the problem to this? And if so, do you what I can do?

In some ways, I'm betting that I might have to download those songs again...but, what happens if I can't find some of those songs again?

Now, why, you might ask? Well, because I do know for a fact that some of the songs that I have downloaded off of YouTube are gone as I don't want to delete those files...

Does anyone have any ideas to fix this?

(PS: I also have a bit of a recent backup disc of all of my songs off of iTunes...just in case anyone wants to know...)

[Owl]

Coddy....the man to help you would be Durka.....
One thing you can try until he comes on is this.....if all your music is still on your computer and still in the same folders as before.....
I found in the past...Windows Media Player...very bad for wanting to take over every media file..(One reason it's disabled in all my PC's)
In the "options" in the windows media player...look to see if the box is checked in "Make windows media player my default player" or something like that...if it is "uncheck it"
It's bound to be something as simple as that.....

[DurkaDurka]

Coddy, do you store all your mp3's in a common folder? If so, in Itunes, click Library-add folder. That should rebuild the library.

The only other thing I can think of is that you somehow converted your files to .wma, but that's unlikely.

[Coddfish]

Thanks you two.

I've been experimenting with some solutions from you guys and from some that I had thought of earlier in the day and for the most part...I still have nothing working.

All of my MP3 files, (minus my purchased ones), are in a folder that I created that's simply called, "MP3 Music", so I don't think that it's a common folder Durka.

(At least I hope I'm right on that...I'm not too sure right now.)

Anyway, I did try the Add Folder To Library option though, though all I got were 3 MP3 files added onto my playlist.

I did do one test as I downloaded one song that I had before through my video to MP3 converter addon again as once I added it onto my playlist, it worked. So, I'm guessing that the files that aren't working are now in .wma format?

Personally, I'm not too sure.

Oh, this is so frustrating...and it also doesn't help with the fact that my Father's wanting me to do a Christmas CD for him on my computer.

Oh well, thanks for the suggestions you two. If you have anymore on this, that will be greatly appreciated.

[Coddfish]

I finally have a solution to this!

After slaving away at countless other solutions, I decided to burn the songs to disc from Windows Media Player.

I decided to do a test run as I tested two songs as I burned them onto disc. After that, I took the disc out and opened up iTunes. Once I opened up iTunes, I put the disc back in and once it popped up in iTunes, it worked as I had my music playing on it again.

Finally, I just imported them onto iTunes and the rest is history.

Oh, thank God I finally have this solution but it is going to be a pain to burn all of those files.

Oh well, at least this gives me a lesson...Don't use Windows Media Player...ever!

Once again, thank you so much for your help, you two.

[DurkaDurka]

Good work, Coddy. You have a geek within ya

Trial and error is the only to learn with this sort of thing, congrats

[Owl]

Years ago, after having similar problems with windows media player..(only do this if you have another player to take it's place)
I went into settings> control panel> add and remove programs...on the left there is a little box entitled "add remove windows components".....
In there I deselected the box for windows media player and clicked next....windows media player is not a problem any more......while I was there I followed Steve Gibson's advice and also deselected Windows Messenger...and that sucker quit appearing in the system config start up menu