Windows 10: Windows Media Player Legacy won't recognize my music files from One Drive

When I bought my new computer, I tried to import my music folders from my One Drive into the Windows Media Player Legacy library. Some of them copied over correctly, but the majority of music files got dumped into "Unknown". 2,804 song files are there, not categorized by artist or album, but the individual songs, all in one long list. Some of them are mp3 files, but the vast majority of them are wma, which I don't understand how that happened because at the time I ripped them from the CDs years ago, they were mp3 files.When I try to add the album folder manually direct from my One Drive music

:)

 

Legacy Media Player for Windows 11

Hello NealCassady,

Good to see you in Microsoft Community.

It seems you're experiencing issues with the legacy Windows Media Player in Windows 11, specifically with syncing new material to the library and having it show up consistently.

Firstly, could you let me know the specific system version? You can check it by pressing the Win key + R key, and typing "winver", then press Enter, please take a screenshot/photo of it, and only send the relevant information without PII in the next reply.

Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and address the problem:

1. Check Library Locations:
   
   Make sure that the folders containing your music files are included in the media library locations. To do this:
   
   1. Open Windows Media Player.
      
   2. Go to the "Organize" menu and select "Manage libraries" > "Music".
      
   3. Ensure that the folders containing your music files are listed. If they're not, add them.
      
2. Library Update:
   
   Sometimes, Windows Media Player might not automatically update the library. You can manually trigger a library update:
   
   1. Open Windows Media Player.
      
   2. Go to the "Organize" menu and select "Apply media information changes".
      
   3. This should initiate a scan and update of your library.
      
3. Rebuild Library:
   
   Since you've mentioned that you've rebuilt the library already, you might want to try it again to ensure all data is up to date:
   
   1. Open Windows Media Player.
      
   2. Go to the "Organize" menu and select "Manage libraries" > "Music."
      
   3. Remove the folders containing your music files from the list.
      
   4. Close Windows Media Player.
      
   5. Reopen Windows Media Player and re-add the folders to the library.
      
4. Check File Formats and Metadata:
   
   • Ensure that the music files you're adding are in formats supported by Windows Media Player (e.g., MP3, WMA).
     
   • Check the file metadata to ensure it's correctly tagged, as incorrect or missing metadata can sometimes lead to files not appearing in the library.
     
5. Windows 11 Updates:
   
   Keep your Windows 11 operating system up to date. Sometimes, updates can address compatibility or performance issues.
   

Remember to back up your media library and any important data before making significant changes to your library or system settings.

If anything is unclear, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Best Regards,

| Microsoft Community Support Specialist

 

Windows Media Player.

Hi,

Thank you for posting to Microsoft Community.

I would suggest you to check the ‘Windows Media Player’ settings from the steps below.

1. Open the ‘Windows Media Player’, in the player ‘Library’, click on ‘Organize’.
   
2. Select ‘Options’, this will open the ‘Options’ window for the ‘Windows Media Player’.
   
3. Click on the ‘Library’ tab, please confirm if the ‘Retrieve additional information from the Internet’ is checked, check the options ‘Rename music files using rip music settings’ and ‘Rearrange music in rip
   music folder, using rip music settings’ under ‘Automatic media information updates for files’. Click on ‘Apply’.
   
4. Click on the ‘Player’ tab and check the option ‘Connect to the Internet’. Click on apply.
   
5. Restart the ‘Windows Media Player’ and check if it works out for you.
   

Hope it helps.

Aaron Summith

Microsoft Community - Moderator

 

Windows Media Player

Hi Maxine,

For better assistance, we'd like to know the following:

• What are the file formats of the music you want to play?
  
• Which version of Windows Media Player are you running?

Please check this article for the list of file types supported by Windows Media Player.

We're looking forward to your reply.