Moving MP3 music files

[shortride]

I've got lots of MP3 music on my PC hardrive and wanted to know if I can move all of the MP3's to my 50 GB external hard drive and still expect my default Windows Media Player to play the music. I know just enough to get myself in trouble and I do know that you have to be careful moving files around.

I only want to unload the hard drive and maybe allow it to run a little faster. I've got a fairly new duel processor Dell Inspiron One that's fairly fast anyhow but I've notice the music and pictures are starting to slow it down a little.

Any help will be appreciated.

[2x3i5x]

You can move the MP3's to your external hard drive. As for playing with windows media player, if windows stops doing that, all you need to do is to set WMP as the default audio player again.

I assume you know how to set WMP as default player? If not, then try going to ...

Control Panel -> Programs ->  Set your default program and set the WMP there as default. I think that should do it for you.


If not .... then let me know .... good luck

[Geek-9pm]

Windows Media Player may not be the best choice. Have you thought of using another player if needed?
There a number of users who, for some time, have decided not to use the media player that comes with the Windows system. Here is just one of such users what rant about why...

Replacements for Media Player
In 1996 when Microsoft realized that it was missing out on the Web phenomenon, the company came up with Internet Explorer and tied the product to Windows in order to make up for the delay. Similarly, Microsoft also missed out on the Internet audio revolution and had to compensate for that by creating Windows Media Player and bundling it to the operating system as well. Unfortunately for end users, WMP has other things in common with Explorer that are less beneficial, such as lax security, broken standards, and hidden elements that invade your privacy.
http://www.msboycott.com/thealt/alts/mediaplayer.shtml

However. Microsoft says the WMP will handle the external drive properly...
Monitor External Drive with Windows Media Player 11

[BC_Programmer]

Windows Media Player may not be the best choice.

maybe not. But it's not necessarily a bad choice.

Have you thought of using another player if needed?

What reason do you have to suspect another player might be "needed" (and how exactly are you defining "needed" in that context?) Windows Media Player will play files that are on an external drive just as well as they would on a internal drive.

There a number of users who, for some time, have decided not to use the media player that comes with the Windows system.

And most of those users feel they are fighting some kind of war against Microsoft and Internet Explorer. a 'la that toastytech idiot. I mean, really, if you don't like Microsoft, that's fine, but if you continue to use their products and just *censored* about everything instead of, you know- switching to Linux/BSD or another OS, you just like making noise. (Even better, the toastytech guy professes the superiority of... Windows 95! Haha).

Here is just one of such users what rant about why...

Outdated. Site was last updated in 2003, it seems. Which explains why their "alternatives" are so utterly ridiculous. I particularly like how the only mention of anything BSD-based is lower down, all the "alternatives" that are Linux distros are defunct or generally not very popular or maintained anymore. I suppose this is a natural effect of having a site that hasn't been maintained in nearly 10 years though.

Also: the information is wrong. IE wasn't first released in 1996.

[shortride]

Windows Media Player may not be the best choice. Have you thought of using another player if needed?
There a number of users who, for some time, have decided not to use the media player that comes with the Windows system. Here is just one of such users what rant about why...However. Microsoft says the WMP will handle the external drive properly...
Monitor External Drive with Windows Media Player 11

What other media player would you recommend? WMP has worked for me so far. I know the  media player that comes with my Zune program seems to sound a little better.

[2x3i5x]

What other media player would you recommend? WMP has worked for me so far. I know the  media player that comes with my Zune program seems to sound a little better.

Well, if you're happy with WMP or your Zune program's media player, then by all means go ahead and use those. I'd just use whatever you're most comfortable with that does what you need it to do.

Though if you get the klite codec pack, you should be able to play most videos and audios straight off on your pc, it does come with a media player classic home cinema though it also lets you set WMP as default if you wish to do that instead.

[Geek-9pm]

My point was that if you are not happy with WMP you can find alternatives. One that I like is the classic WinAmp, which a free download HERE.

[BC_Programmer]

My point was that if you are not happy with WMP you can find alternatives. One that I like is then classic Winamp, which a free download HERE.

I use winamp pro, myself (5.541). Banshee is a great media player as well, which I use on my laptop.

[Geek-9pm]

The OP asked about moving his files. If  that includes burning them to Audio CD format he needs to understand a detail about WMP.
Right now I am playing and AUDIO CD that I recently brunt fro a MP3 collection.
Here are two images...

Here is what you see with WMP


Here the same CD with VLC: