Can't Add Music WMP11

I know this has probably been asked before but I think my issue may be more specific.

Okay I'm running Windows Vista and having trouble with WMP11 and I can't reinstall it because of that, but my problem is that I can't add music to my library. Normally I wouldn't even care because I usually use iTunes (works fine), but I would like to use the media server function so I can stream music to my PS3.

Edit: This also effects Windows Media Center

This is what I've tried so far…

"Just open any folder on your PC, and cut and paste this line into the address bar at the top just like you would with a web address if you were on-line:

%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Media Player\ "

It should put you inside the folder you need to find. [This is assuming you haven't deleted it, or installed it elsewhere. If that's the case, you'll have to find it for yourself I'm afraid. This is where the installer will put the folder on it's own.]

Back out of the folder, [Use the green arrow pointing up on top of a folder next to the forward and back buttons on your taskbar -once- to do this.] delete the folder titled 'Media Player', and then make a new folder titled 'Media Player' to replace it.

[Left click the mouse inside the window and it one of the options will be 'new folder'. Click on it, and then type 'Media Player' while it's still blue. Then hit enter, and you're done.]

After you do this, go to Windows Media Player, click on Library, and Add Music just like before.

Media player should work the way it should after you do this.

If you're running media sharing, you'll have to follow the instructions on the second half of the post and turn it off in order to delete all of the Media Player folder. [The PC will give you error messages saying the file is in use and can't be deleted otherwise.]

If not, then you should be fine.

That's about as much as I can simplify the instructions. Good luck."

I've had no luck after doing this a few times.

Thanks for you help in advance.

To be more specific.. When I go to add music, I see all the folders I have added and the one with all my music is under my Music folder. I press add and it finds all 3000 something of the songs I want but on the right it says: "Files added: 0" And I have to press Ok.

It won't add files that already exist in the library. Are you sure you are looking in the right place for the files in your library? What type of files are you trying to add to the library? For instance, .MP3, .AAC, .WMA?

All of my files are MPEG-4 Audio files, except for a few AAC files from iTunes. These songs aren't in my library. They are in my Music folder (Same as My Music on XP). I think my database may be corrupt, but I've already tried deleting it and it didn't do anything.

Daniel299,

sounds like you've already done some research on this, but read through some of the responses to this Google search: Can't add music wmp11 library

Trust me, I've read many tech boards and they all have the same fix as I posted above. What I'm saying is that this fix didn't work for me, and I think my problem may be more case-specific.

Don't mean to be beating a dead horse here, but you did this or something like it?

Follow this path:

%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Media Player\ "

Copy and paste into the address bar if you like, you'll be inside the folder you need to find. 'Media Player' Delete it, and replace it with the another folder with the same name.

This should fix the problem.

For those of you out there using media sharing, you may need to follow another step here, as there's a file you can't delete while media sharing is running.

Goto Start menu -> Run: Type in "services.msc" without quotes.

Find the service called "Windows Media Player Network Sharing Serivce", Right-Click on it so it says 'Stopped'. Now go back to the Media Player folder and delete it.

Now go back to WMP, and you should be able to put your music and video files back in. Unless you've got playlist files elsewhere, you'll probably have to remake them from scratch, but at least WMP will work again.

Found this here: http://forums.techguy.org/multimedia/56553…11-library.html

Also this one: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vis…-you-add-files/

As you said, every fix seems to involve some form of forcing WMP11 to rebuild the media library.

Right. I've done that about 10 times. No dice.

Have you tried disabling UAC, see if that makes any difference? It seems to get in the way of lots of other things.

http://www.petri.co.il/disable_uac_in_windows_vista.htm

Hmm. I went into MSCONFIG and didn't find UAP. Instead I have something called UAC which is User Account Control. Edit: Ah nvm, that was stupid.

Ha. Congrats you figured it out. For one reason or another UAC was preventing me from adding songs to my library, although a dialog box never appeared to confirm anything. Edit: Sorry forgot to thank you. So, thank you.

That's great, but leaving UAC disabled is probably not a good idea.

Now we need to figure out how to add WMP11 to UAC's ignore list or what ever it's called. I don't have Vista and recently uninstalled Windows 7 Beta so have no way of checking on this. I'll ask some of the other techs here for help if I can't find info on how to do this.

Edit: Okay, this looks promising. Pleas read this article and see if you can configure WMP11 to always run elevated. If yes, then you should be able to turn UAC back on to take advantage of it's increased protection.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library…91.aspx#BKMK_S2

That's great, but leaving UAC disabled is probably not a good idea.

Now we need to figure out how to add WMP11 to UAC's ignore list or what ever it's called. I don't have Vista and recently uninstalled Windows 7 Beta so have no way of checking on this. I'll ask some of the other techs here for help if I can't find info on how to do this.

Edit: Okay, this looks promising. Pleas read this article and see if you can configure WMP11 to always run elevated. If yes, then you should be able to turn UAC back on to take advantage of it's increased protection.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library…91.aspx#BKMK_S2

Man, good job at solving that one. That UAC is more fun than a barrel of monkeys.

Its the source of endless problems. Thanks Microsoft, for making us more secure!

AO, do you know how to setup UAC so it's enabled and doing it's job while WMP11 will run with elevated authority? I may have to reinstall Windows 7 to play with this as I don't have a Vista machine I can work with.

AO, do you know how to setup UAC so it's enabled and doing it's job while WMP11 will run with elevated authority?

I may have to reinstall Windows 7 to play with this as I don't have a Vista machine I can work with.

Well, I don't have Vista setup in front of me either. But, according to the documentation you linked to, you right-click the shortcut, and use the "Compatibility" tab to set the product to "Always run as an administrator."

I did learn something about older programs that didn't want to work right in Vista that could also provide useful for this person. There is a program compatibility wizard in Vista. It too will give you the ability to force the program to run with elevated permissions.

Read about it here:

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/e…cf5f101033.mspx