Newbie question: Problems playing WMA files

thenearpost · 03-30-05, 04:04 PM

First post here. Got my X50 about a month ago. Have had problems ever since with Windows Media Player. I download WMA files from Microsoft Music to my PC. Then I drag the files into the X50's My Music folder on my PC's Desktop. Then I synch.

The WMA files wind up in My Music in my X50's memory. From there, they play fine in Windows Media Player. But when I copy/paste them from memory to the 1GB CF card, I cannot play them. I get an error message that says the file is corrupted or the license in invalid.

Any hints? TIA

03-30-05, 04:08 PM

Welcome to AXIMSITE! It's a great place.
I wouldn't recommend syncing to your axim through windows media player. Use active sync to transfer your files directly to your cf or sd card. It will take awhile so I would recommend you getting a usb 2.0 card reader.
If you do this then it will probably work!

Dermot81 · 03-30-05, 04:25 PM

Well I never use .wma (just .mp3), so I'm not sure, but you can try installing Betaplayer and using that to play the .wma files.

Latest version of Betaplayer can be downloaded here:
http://corecodec.org/frs/download.ph...ABLE.0.096.exe

thenearpost · 03-30-05, 04:27 PM

Originally Posted by tancerman

Welcome to AXIMSITE! It's a great place.
I wouldn't recommend syncing to your axim through windows media player. Use active sync to transfer your files directly to your cf or sd card. It will take awhile so I would recommend you getting a usb 2.0 card reader.
If you do this then it will probably work!

Thanks! I have tried syncing both way, and, to be honest, syncing through Windows Media Player (WMP) seems to work better for me. I just synced a WMA file directly through WMP because it is easy to find the CF card in the file manager. It played fine.

How do I tell ActiveSync to sync only WMA files directly to my CF card?

More importantly, what about the WMA files I have currently stored in my X50 memory? Do I have to delete those and re-sync them directly to my CF card?

Thanks again.

Mike624 · 03-30-05, 05:30 PM

Sounds like your WMA files have DRM (Digital Rights Management) on them. Like songs downloaded from Napster to go service. The only way to load them on your Dell is via Microsoft Media Player 10. It copies the wma and license to you Dell.

You can use any method to delete the songs you copied to the Dell. Media Player can delete them or via Explorer in Active Sync or directly in Amix's File Explorer. (press and hold on folder or file, then select Delete)

I use Napster to go and sync files to my 512 SD card. Takes a little bit of time to copy, but it works great.

Hope this helps.

thenearpost · 03-30-05, 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by Mike624

Sounds like your WMA files have DRM (Digital Rights Management) on them. Like songs downloaded from Napster to go service. The only way to load them on your Dell is via Microsoft Media Player 10. It copies the wma and license to you Dell.

You can use any method to delete the songs you copied to the Dell. Media Player can delete them or via Explorer in Active Sync or directly in Amix's File Explorer. (press and hold on folder or file, then select Delete)

I use Napster to go and sync files to my 512 SD card. Takes a little bit of time to copy, but it works great.

Hope this helps.

Yep, this seems to be the ticket. Using Windows Media to sync the songs instead of ActiveSync. I guess it is their way of deterring people from sharing songs via removable media.

Adamson · 03-30-05, 07:00 PM

when you get your music files on the cf card , go into file exployer and delete the MSMETADATA file, then you can click on menu/library/menu/update library/search, this will set up all your music files correctly. good luck

Conehead · 05-12-05, 09:33 PM

OK, I think I can help you (my first post here also!). For protected WMA files, you have to sync through the cradle with the card in your X50 to copy your music (or protected video) files - you can't copy them directly to a flash memory card through file explorer or even sync them through Windows Media Player through a card reader. Also, recopying them after you get that message onto the same card through Active Sync won't work until you reformat your CF card. I found this out last week when I got a new card reader....

I'm not sure why it doesn't generate an error message - it would save some headaches!

Jim

Originally Posted by thenearpost

First post here. Got my X50 about a month ago. Have had problems ever since with Windows Media Player. I download WMA files from Microsoft Music to my PC. Then I drag the files into the X50's My Music folder on my PC's Desktop. Then I synch.

The WMA files wind up in My Music in my X50's memory. From there, they play fine in Windows Media Player. But when I copy/paste them from memory to the 1GB CF card, I cannot play them. I get an error message that says the file is corrupted or the license in invalid.

Any hints? TIA

andyps · 06-23-05, 04:55 PM

Another new poster reviving an old thread.

I have also been having similar problems but with an SD card. Basically, I can transfer .wma files with windows media player sync facility and they work fine if I put them in the built in storage. When I copy them to the SD card lot of the files will not play because of a licence error, but they work if they are copied back to the built in memory.

I tried syncing directly to the SD card in windows but it won't seem to alow this. Is there a way round this as I want to keep my music on an SD card. All help appreciated.

andyps · 06-23-05, 05:35 PM

Originally Posted by Adamson

when you get your music files on the cf card , go into file exployer and delete the MSMETADATA file, then you can click on menu/library/menu/update library/search, this will set up all your music files correctly. good luck

Where would I find this file?

06-23-05, 05:37 PM

I think it is just easier to use a card reader. I hate async and WMP for transfering music or movies.

kentedman · 06-23-05, 05:42 PM

Originally Posted by andyps

Another new poster reviving an old thread.

I have also been having similar problems but with an SD card. Basically, I can transfer .wma files with windows media player sync facility and they work fine if I put them in the built in storage. When I copy them to the SD card lot of the files will not play because of a licence error, but they work if they are copied back to the built in memory.

I tried syncing directly to the SD card in windows but it won't seem to alow this. Is there a way round this as I want to keep my music on an SD card. All help appreciated.

This is one of my biggest pet peaves. If you try and be honest and actually purchase your music, they restrict you so much it makes it impossible to use the way you want. can you imagine having to take your CD player with you when buying a CD and that CD would only play in that player ?? When I buy music, the first thing I do is burn it all to a CD, and the re-rip it to my PC with all the rights management off, so I can use the songs as I see fit. It's a pain, but it works. (although I've heard that apple and microsoft are both working on a way to stop that too.)

andyps · 06-24-05, 03:33 PM

All I am trying to copy is CD's which I have bought legally - I can only listen to them in one place at one time, and I own them so why won't it let me?

Some do work OK, but others don't - but I can't figure why so any help appreciated.

yuethomas · 06-24-05, 04:26 PM

It may be worthwhile to convert your music to a format without rights management, assuming it's possible...

If you have the physical CDs, just use LAME and some frontend program to rip them to MP3.