Windows XP - playing music files

[andy-hughes]

I have recently upgraded to Windows XP from '98. I have had all my MP3's transferred over, and they play on my Roxio Media Player, no problem.

But, when I download new tracks from Limewire, the Player won't play them. Any ideas please?

[Kerplunk]

What file format are the new tracks?

[j2buttonsw]

My guess is that they are .m4a files and you have to associate them with an application or get a convertor to convert them back to .mp3

[andy-hughes]

Thatnks for your replies guys - how can i tell the format j2buttonsw, and how do I asssociate / get a concerter please? I'm a complete dunce where computers are concerned!

Thanks in advance.

[ugly_bob]

right click on the file and go down to properties. It should tell you what format they are.

[tellboy]

To associate a file type once you know it
Assume XP
MyComputer-Tools-FolderOptions-FileTypes find the file and then associate with the program

[andy-hughes]

I'm sorry to be thick - what does "associate it with the programme" mean please?

[ugly_bob]

to associate it means for all files of that type, a programme is allocated to open them.
If you double click on a mp3, it will probably launch your Roxio at the moment because mp3s are associated with Roxio.

[andy-hughes]

OK - I have established that I have my new files as MP3's, but they still won't play! Help!!! Thanks.

[Kerplunk]

Try playing them in media player or win amp or any other player. If they won't play in anything then they are corrupt files try downloading any song (e.g. Abba or Beatles, anything that will produce a lot of results) to see if any will work. Try burning them to cd as audio files and see if you can get them to play on another cd player. Burn them as data and see if they will play on other pc's.

[ugly_bob]

have they completed download? never used limewire, so not sure exactly how it works but bit-torrent allocates full file size before starting download, and will not work if you try to access them before the download is complete because not all the data is there.
So... you see the file, looks complete, right size etc, but won't work

[Kerplunk]

With limewire they don't appear in your downloads folder untill it is complete. If they are stopped mid-download there is an incomplete folder which they go in. You can preview partially downloaded or complete tracks through limewire itself, have you tried that?