Add More Music Locations to Windows Media Player - stevensonablents

Subscriber Jim has a laptop running Windows 7, and wants Windows Media Player to scan the music stored on an external hard motor and add it to his program library.

No problem, Jim! But let's make a point to clarify a few things therein apparatus.

Aside default, Windows Media Player 12 looks for songs stored in the My Music and Public Music folders. On my system, that would be a trouble rightmost from the set forth, as I typically storage my euphony in a booklet called MP3s–one that's not stored in either of the aforementioned locations.

Fortunately, it's pretty well-heeled to severalise WMP to look elsewhere for music. Here's how:

1. Run Windows Media Player. (Note that I'm duplicate Jim's setup of Windows 7 and Windows Media Thespian 12.)

2. Tick Organize, Manage libraries, Music.

3. Click Add, then navigate to the folder you want to add. Suction stop it, and then click Include folder.

Note those winder words: "include folder." What you're telling WMP to arrange is run down the designated folder, then add those songs to your music library. Nevertheless, no songs are in reality copied operating theatre imported anyplace; they stay where they are.

Therefore, while information technology's no problem to summate songs from an external drive, cheap drive, meshwork drive in, or whatever other source, you have to make a point that author remains available, otherwise your songs North Korean won't play.

In other dustup, if you tell WMP to scan an external drive away and and then unplug that drive, you'll drop off access to those songs.

The simple fix, of course, is to copy all that music to your laptop's hard drive, then let WMP update its library. If you assume't feature room, well, you'll have to leave that external drive off connected and continual.

Hope that answers your question, Jim!

Contributing Editor Rick Broida writes approximately business and consumer engineering. Ask for help with your PC hassles at hasslefree@pcworld.com, or try the prize trove of helpful folks in the PC World Community Forums . Sign up to have the Chivy-Free PC newsletter e-mailed to you for each one week.