Vista WMP11 not updating media library

If I try to rip CDs under Vista Home Premium (clean upgrade from an earlier
Media Centre Edition 2005 system) using the Windows Media Player 11 Rip
facility, or via the Windows Media Center 'Copy CD to Library' facility, the
files are duly ripped to my default music folder but album info is never
located (even though I am online at all times) and the library is never
updated. The ripped files are stored under an 'Unknown Artist/Unknown Album'
folder and I am able to play them by clicking on the individual files, but
not from the library. I am ripping in WMA (variable bit rate) format.

If I click on 'Find Album Info' whilst the rip is actually in progress, the
CD information is correctly displayed and I am prompted to click 'Finish' to
update the Media Library - I get a brief progress bar but the library never
updates.

The music library I copied across from my earlier MCE2005 system is
recognised fine and I can play all the existing albums (around 600 in
total) - I just don't seem to be able to add any new ones to the library.

I have tried playing with the monitored folders settings but have not
succeeded in getting WMP11 to update the library regardless of where I put
the files. I have used the F3 facility in WMP11 and have selected Apply
Media Changes but all to no avail.

This seems bizarre. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I did
find some reference to this problem on an MS site but I'm damned if I can
find it again.

The only remotely unconventional thing about my set up is that I have
elected to move my personal folders (documents, favorites, downloads, music,
pictures, videos, etc) to a separate harddrive (i.e. in
D:\Users\Steve\Music, etc). I did originally have some difficulty adding
Internet Explorer bookmarks to my Favorites folder with this configuration
which was resolved by manually altering the security permissions on the
folder. I'm wondering if this might be a similar problem, but at the very
least I would have expected some kind of error message.

I never had any problems with an identifical configuration under MCE2005.

I have the same problem in the Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition. I even
copied the files where they should be in hopes the Media Player would
recognize them, but to no avail. Also, some of the files that I could play
with Media Player on WinXP are unplayable on the Vista version (says it is an
unsupported format). It seems that Vista really wasn't and isn't ready for
Prime Time yet!

"Steve" wrote:

> If I try to rip CDs under Vista Home Premium (clean upgrade from an earlier
> Media Centre Edition 2005 system) using the Windows Media Player 11 Rip
> facility, or via the Windows Media Center 'Copy CD to Library' facility, the
> files are duly ripped to my default music folder but album info is never
> located (even though I am online at all times) and the library is never
> updated. The ripped files are stored under an 'Unknown Artist/Unknown Album'
> folder and I am able to play them by clicking on the individual files, but
> not from the library. I am ripping in WMA (variable bit rate) format.
>
> If I click on 'Find Album Info' whilst the rip is actually in progress, the
> CD information is correctly displayed and I am prompted to click 'Finish' to
> update the Media Library - I get a brief progress bar but the library never
> updates.
>
> The music library I copied across from my earlier MCE2005 system is
> recognised fine and I can play all the existing albums (around 600 in
> total) - I just don't seem to be able to add any new ones to the library.
>
> I have tried playing with the monitored folders settings but have not
> succeeded in getting WMP11 to update the library regardless of where I put
> the files. I have used the F3 facility in WMP11 and have selected Apply
> Media Changes but all to no avail.
>
> This seems bizarre. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I did
> find some reference to this problem on an MS site but I'm damned if I can
> find it again.
>
> The only remotely unconventional thing about my set up is that I have
> elected to move my personal folders (documents, favorites, downloads, music,
> pictures, videos, etc) to a separate harddrive (i.e. in
> D:\Users\Steve\Music, etc). I did originally have some difficulty adding
> Internet Explorer bookmarks to my Favorites folder with this configuration
> which was resolved by manually altering the security permissions on the
> folder. I'm wondering if this might be a similar problem, but at the very
> least I would have expected some kind of error message.
>
> I never had any problems with an identifical configuration under MCE2005.
>

I received the following response from Microsoft Product Support today which
seems to confirm there is a serious issue with the WMP11 implementation on
Vista:

<quote>
Regarding the simplicity of the ability to monitor designated folders and
update the media library is indeed rather counter-itnuitive. We have tested
this function in the test lab for several days, and hav concluded that the
code written for WMP11 vista for this particular function is faulty to say
the least.
We have therfore escalated this matter to the Microsoft camp in the USA, so
as they will be able to provide customers with a possible fix / patch.

As for a possible security or authorization issue, this does only apply when
you have mp3s downloaded from a pay site before when running XP and try to
insert these into WMP11 on a Vista machine. Unfortunately the case is then
that it will simply not accept the licenses provided by that pay site, and
customers are forced to get those licenses again from that site through the
Vista machine.

The .wmdb fies are Windows Media Player Ver. 9+ library files, and indeed
they are the files that you suspected them to be. As for anomalies in the
list you provided, there are none. The files themselves cannot cause any
issues associated with your problem.

I sincerely hope that Microsoft will fix this problem,as there are no
workarounds left for us to attempt to execute.

Albert van de Vondervoort
Microsoft Product Support Services
The Netherlands
</quote>


"TomKo" <TomKo@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:9F78C501-04CD-4BE1-AD27-17FB0ECDAE4D@microsoft.com...
>I have the same problem in the Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition. I even
> copied the files where they should be in hopes the Media Player would
> recognize them, but to no avail. Also, some of the files that I could play
> with Media Player on WinXP are unplayable on the Vista version (says it is
> an
> unsupported format). It seems that Vista really wasn't and isn't ready for
> Prime Time yet!
>
> "Steve" wrote:
>
>> If I try to rip CDs under Vista Home Premium (clean upgrade from an
>> earlier
>> Media Centre Edition 2005 system) using the Windows Media Player 11 Rip
>> facility, or via the Windows Media Center 'Copy CD to Library' facility,
>> the
>> files are duly ripped to my default music folder but album info is never
>> located (even though I am online at all times) and the library is never
>> updated. The ripped files are stored under an 'Unknown Artist/Unknown
>> Album'
>> folder and I am able to play them by clicking on the individual files,
>> but
>> not from the library. I am ripping in WMA (variable bit rate) format.
>>
>> If I click on 'Find Album Info' whilst the rip is actually in progress,
>> the
>> CD information is correctly displayed and I am prompted to click 'Finish'
>> to
>> update the Media Library - I get a brief progress bar but the library
>> never
>> updates.
>>
>> The music library I copied across from my earlier MCE2005 system is
>> recognised fine and I can play all the existing albums (around 600 in
>> total) - I just don't seem to be able to add any new ones to the library.
>>
>> I have tried playing with the monitored folders settings but have not
>> succeeded in getting WMP11 to update the library regardless of where I
>> put
>> the files. I have used the F3 facility in WMP11 and have selected Apply
>> Media Changes but all to no avail.
>>
>> This seems bizarre. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I did
>> find some reference to this problem on an MS site but I'm damned if I can
>> find it again.
>>
>> The only remotely unconventional thing about my set up is that I have
>> elected to move my personal folders (documents, favorites, downloads,
>> music,
>> pictures, videos, etc) to a separate harddrive (i.e. in
>> D:\Users\Steve\Music, etc). I did originally have some difficulty adding
>> Internet Explorer bookmarks to my Favorites folder with this
>> configuration
>> which was resolved by manually altering the security permissions on the
>> folder. I'm wondering if this might be a similar problem, but at the very
>> least I would have expected some kind of error message.
>>
>> I never had any problems with an identifical configuration under MCE2005.
>>

Click on Find Album Info before ripping. When the rip list simply states
"track 1" etc., do not start ripping.

Dale

"Steve" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:058971A9-B0F5-4198-9A99-91725338CCD5@microsoft.com...
> If I try to rip CDs under Vista Home Premium (clean upgrade from an
> earlier Media Centre Edition 2005 system) using the Windows Media Player
> 11 Rip facility, or via the Windows Media Center 'Copy CD to Library'
> facility, the files are duly ripped to my default music folder but album
> info is never located (even though I am online at all times) and the
> library is never updated. The ripped files are stored under an 'Unknown
> Artist/Unknown Album' folder and I am able to play them by clicking on the
> individual files, but not from the library. I am ripping in WMA (variable
> bit rate) format.
>
> If I click on 'Find Album Info' whilst the rip is actually in progress,
> the CD information is correctly displayed and I am prompted to click
> 'Finish' to update the Media Library - I get a brief progress bar but the
> library never updates.
>
> The music library I copied across from my earlier MCE2005 system is
> recognised fine and I can play all the existing albums (around 600 in
> total) - I just don't seem to be able to add any new ones to the library.
>
> I have tried playing with the monitored folders settings but have not
> succeeded in getting WMP11 to update the library regardless of where I put
> the files. I have used the F3 facility in WMP11 and have selected Apply
> Media Changes but all to no avail.
>
> This seems bizarre. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I did
> find some reference to this problem on an MS site but I'm damned if I can
> find it again.
>
> The only remotely unconventional thing about my set up is that I have
> elected to move my personal folders (documents, favorites, downloads,
> music, pictures, videos, etc) to a separate harddrive (i.e. in
> D:\Users\Steve\Music, etc). I did originally have some difficulty adding
> Internet Explorer bookmarks to my Favorites folder with this configuration
> which was resolved by manually altering the security permissions on the
> folder. I'm wondering if this might be a similar problem, but at the very
> least I would have expected some kind of error message.
>
> I never had any problems with an identifical configuration under MCE2005.

From what you've said, your library is partially corrupt, and renaming the
"Media Player" folder ala-
http://zachd.com/pss/pss.html#medialibrary
should fix you up.

But there may be missing context here, so...

--
Speaking for myself only.
See http://zachd.com/pss/pss.html for some helpful WMP info.
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
--

"Steve" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:37F9B7C6-404B-4177-8926-0FD96A9271A1@microsoft.com...
>I received the following response from Microsoft Product Support today
>which seems to confirm there is a serious issue with the WMP11
>implementation on Vista:
>
> <quote>
> Regarding the simplicity of the ability to monitor designated folders and
> update the media library is indeed rather counter-itnuitive. We have
> tested this function in the test lab for several days, and hav concluded
> that the code written for WMP11 vista for this particular function is
> faulty to say the least.
> We have therfore escalated this matter to the Microsoft camp in the USA,
> so as they will be able to provide customers with a possible fix / patch.
>
> As for a possible security or authorization issue, this does only apply
> when you have mp3s downloaded from a pay site before when running XP and
> try to insert these into WMP11 on a Vista machine. Unfortunately the case
> is then that it will simply not accept the licenses provided by that pay
> site, and customers are forced to get those licenses again from that site
> through the Vista machine.
>
> The .wmdb fies are Windows Media Player Ver. 9+ library files, and indeed
> they are the files that you suspected them to be. As for anomalies in the
> list you provided, there are none. The files themselves cannot cause any
> issues associated with your problem.
>
> I sincerely hope that Microsoft will fix this problem,as there are no
> workarounds left for us to attempt to execute.
>
> Albert van de Vondervoort
> Microsoft Product Support Services
> The Netherlands
> </quote>
>
>
> "TomKo" <TomKo@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:9F78C501-04CD-4BE1-AD27-17FB0ECDAE4D@microsoft.com...
>>I have the same problem in the Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition. I even
>> copied the files where they should be in hopes the Media Player would
>> recognize them, but to no avail. Also, some of the files that I could
>> play
>> with Media Player on WinXP are unplayable on the Vista version (says it
>> is an
>> unsupported format). It seems that Vista really wasn't and isn't ready
>> for
>> Prime Time yet!
>>
>> "Steve" wrote:
>>
>>> If I try to rip CDs under Vista Home Premium (clean upgrade from an
>>> earlier
>>> Media Centre Edition 2005 system) using the Windows Media Player 11 Rip
>>> facility, or via the Windows Media Center 'Copy CD to Library' facility,
>>> the
>>> files are duly ripped to my default music folder but album info is never
>>> located (even though I am online at all times) and the library is never
>>> updated. The ripped files are stored under an 'Unknown Artist/Unknown
>>> Album'
>>> folder and I am able to play them by clicking on the individual files,
>>> but
>>> not from the library. I am ripping in WMA (variable bit rate) format.
>>>
>>> If I click on 'Find Album Info' whilst the rip is actually in progress,
>>> the
>>> CD information is correctly displayed and I am prompted to click
>>> 'Finish' to
>>> update the Media Library - I get a brief progress bar but the library
>>> never
>>> updates.
>>>
>>> The music library I copied across from my earlier MCE2005 system is
>>> recognised fine and I can play all the existing albums (around 600 in
>>> total) - I just don't seem to be able to add any new ones to the
>>> library.
>>>
>>> I have tried playing with the monitored folders settings but have not
>>> succeeded in getting WMP11 to update the library regardless of where I
>>> put
>>> the files. I have used the F3 facility in WMP11 and have selected Apply
>>> Media Changes but all to no avail.
>>>
>>> This seems bizarre. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I
>>> did
>>> find some reference to this problem on an MS site but I'm damned if I
>>> can
>>> find it again.
>>>
>>> The only remotely unconventional thing about my set up is that I have
>>> elected to move my personal folders (documents, favorites, downloads,
>>> music,
>>> pictures, videos, etc) to a separate harddrive (i.e. in
>>> D:\Users\Steve\Music, etc). I did originally have some difficulty adding
>>> Internet Explorer bookmarks to my Favorites folder with this
>>> configuration
>>> which was resolved by manually altering the security permissions on the
>>> folder. I'm wondering if this might be a similar problem, but at the
>>> very
>>> least I would have expected some kind of error message.
>>>
>>> I never had any problems with an identifical configuration under
>>> MCE2005.
>>>
>