# Solved: Windows Media Player 11 Library GONE!



## SilverStream (May 5, 2006)

Hi! I have had WMP11 installed for some time now (since the betas) I now have the final for XP (11.0.5721.5145) and was very happy with it until today when out of nowhere, my whole library just disappeared. I was doing nothing significant, nothing intensive, I just opened it and it wasn't there. So I rolled back to 10 and the library came back. So I then downloaded and installed 11 and it isn't there. When I click the 'click here to add files to the library now' and add some folders and hit 'ok' it just does nothing. Same happens when I add via F3 and the menu. How can I keep WMP 11 AND my library (AT THE SAME TIME ). Thanks, Silver


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## t bone (Jul 2, 2004)

that's strange...
have u tried in wmp11>tools>options>library tab...monitor folders>ok

does it search your personal files and detect anything


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## SilverStream (May 5, 2006)

No, there is nothing in the box so I have to click 'Add', so I do and add 'My Music' folder (where ALL my music is and still is) then hit OK and it just closes and nothing happens, not even a thought of the Hard Drive. Weird Huh?


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## SilverStream (May 5, 2006)

Okay I fixed it with a good old fashioned System Restore! God Bless the guys who came up with that!


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## t bone (Jul 2, 2004)

good to hear  

you may want to try to figure out what you did from that restore point to when the prob. occurred (installed software, reg. clean, update etc.) chances are it may happen again.


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## SilverStream (May 5, 2006)

Okay so I assumed it was Windows Update so I turned that off. It just happened again, I think it may be when I eject the tray in my CD drive? Not sure, I'll get beack on it soon, just encoding a DVD at the moment.


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## SilverStream (May 5, 2006)

So, it's nothing to do with the drive but this time a system restore didn't fix anything. Any ideas? Refresh registry somehow?


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## SilverStream (May 5, 2006)

Any Ideas?


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## Jordyok1 (Mar 26, 2007)

hi i've had the same problems for a few months, i am really desperate to resolve this. I signed up to the site to PM the OP but im not allowed to send PM's yet :s

anyway if anyone has any info on this issue could they please help me, i implore you.
and to the original poster please email me at [email protected] if you figure this one out i will love you forever ;p

thanks.


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## WildCide (Apr 8, 2007)

Hey guys, I'm having the same problem also. I'm hoping this will bump the thread and maybe attract some attention from other users. I've been looking all over for a solution to this WMP 11 problem... nothing has worked so far.


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## a_ferret (Apr 8, 2007)

i had this problem along with a library that got currupted, so not only did i have nothing, i couldnt bring it back. (i dont know if this is what you experienced or not) 

these problems started right after installing URGE. i figured i'd install it even though i never planned to use it because "what could it hurt?" Well now after uninsatalling it (through the conroll panel add/remove programs) i can add things to my library again. you do the math.


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## Jbagel2 (Apr 22, 2007)

NOT SOLVED: ok i have been looking all over the internet for some place that might have a solution to this problem, samething everyone else has mentioned, library disapered. and wont alow me to put things back in. but i don't have URGE installed. are there any other recomendations??


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## jenjen0912 (Apr 23, 2007)

i am having the same problem.

i was also using the wmp11 beta for quite some time with no problem, and then now the final version. when i opened up my media player today, the library was gone.

all of my files are still located within the original folder. it seems as though that wmp is not saving the mapping of the folder. no matter how many times the "Monitoring Folders" section in the library tab of the option is corrected, it still is not keeping the mapped path of the folder.

if i roll back to wmp10, it works fine. i just can't use 11. but this is driving me crazy!!!

anyone able to fix it??? i haven't been able to find any info on microsoft about it.


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## skiazo (Apr 24, 2007)

I just got this problem yesterday. Any news on this?


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## steverossero (Apr 28, 2007)

anyone come up with a solution yet lol its a pain

if you have a solution plz email me at [email protected]

really appricate it


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## a_ferret (Apr 8, 2007)

ok mine did it again after i thought i solved it with the URGE de-installation.... i really wish they would fix this


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## Carrotglace (May 26, 2007)

Solved.

This is pretty simple to do. You're going to have to rebuild your library though. It's a corruption of some sort in your media files folder.

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.


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## Compist (Nov 7, 2007)

I recently had to rebuild my PC system from stratch, after I went away for a night and my little brother managed to remove half the registry as well as somehow corrupting a lot of system files :S
Anyway, rebuilt, everything's working, all documents have been safely restored from back ups and music files are nice and safe on externals where they have always been.
I go into Media Player, set up the options like I did before, etc... then try and get it to search for media by adding my external directories to the monitor folder list and clicking ok.
At first, fine, it finds all the files, totals them yup, 16,000 odd, yup, fine... then it goes into adding them to the library....
At first, fine, everything's going ok, then it gets to somewhere between 50 and 250, and just stops. It hasn't frozen the program, because I can close the box and carry on, althougth the process usage is at about 70-90% of the system at this point. I figure it's working but the GUI for it has just gone on the blink, so I close the program down, delete the media settings folder as outlined in the previous message as a precaution against corrupt settings, and then open it back up and restart the search. 147 files added later, the progress bar stops dead. Ok, leave it overnight.
I come down in the morning and it STILL HASNT MOVED. And it's still using stupid amounts of memory. grrrr.... many curses to microsoft, reinstalls, and jiggling around with settings later, and it still doesn't work!
Any ideas? Cus as you can tell this is driving me up the wall!


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## qbwnmnb (Nov 22, 2007)

Mine is doing the same thing ... I've spent a good day and a half on it now and I've wasted my only days off on this stupid thing,, Just so that I can watch a few movies.. It sees the files just fine, but does not add them to the library. The progress bar just stops and the number that it is on flashes a bit. HELP!!!!!


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## Compist (Nov 7, 2007)

Hey, I solved it 
Media Player 11 for some reason has problems handling more than one type of metadata at a time. Go into the library settings and remove any folder with videos in it from the monitor folders option. Let it find all your music. Then add the video folders back in and re-scan.  Worked for me, so I hope it works for you!

Compist


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## qbwnmnb (Nov 22, 2007)

Thanks a bunch ... It finally worked. This is probably the only thing I haven't tried. I figured it had something to do with the mass of media I have, but I didn't try de-selecting my video folders because that's what i was after. THANKS!!!


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## tftxw5 (Jan 24, 2008)

I have the same problem and I have tried every solution there is on the web and must say that I have had some success with rollbacks and restorepoints and reinstalls. Note that I have limited success but it only has been temporary. After a few days the library disapears again and the folder monitier will ot hold a folder for searching purposes. I have come to the conclusion that the problem is not due to any ones individual computer but the microsoft soft ware itself so rollbacks and reininstalls are at best just a bandade on the problem. One solution I do have is to create another user on your computer and add your music files to the other user.........I feel however that at some point the new user will have that library disapear as well...............it is unfortunate that Microsoft for know is silent on the issue (unless anyone has heard otherwise..............I find that the album cover function to be good as my 5 year old uses the pictures to browes and explore music and now it is much more difficult for him.


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## jffjone (Feb 12, 2008)

I had WMP9, upgraded to WMP11 a year ago and ripped 200 CDs, set up playlists and enjoyed music every day. Last week WMP11 opened, no Library. System Restore corrected problem until the next time the computer re-booted. Library disappeared again and System Restore will no longer bring back WMP11's Library. 

Tried ALL the soulutions above to no avail, including uninstall and re-install WMP11. No Library in WMP9 either. 

My files are safe on an external hard drive. There appears to be no method to ADD an album from a file to the Library. 

I can use Windows Explorer, highlight all the tunes in a folder on my Data HD, click to "Play All", and WMP11 will do so with all tunes are listed in the main window pane. I can drag to the Playlist window pane and save the playlist, but the playlist will not be recognized, none of the tunes are in the Library.

Ripped a CD. It did not appear in the Library!

Appreciate any help, but it does appear MS screwed up an update. Thanks!


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## Loubeeloo1976 (Apr 16, 2008)

Same prob here.... few days ago the library just disappeared. Thought maybe a virus but AVG doesnt seem to have caught anything. Am gonna try the Sys.Res to see if it helps as a rollback & re-install of Media Player just returned me to same stae...grrrr!

So relieved it's not just me tho.... i can thankfully now rule out just simple ineptitude on my part! makes a nice change! lol


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## Loubeeloo1976 (Apr 16, 2008)

Well... Im back literally minutes later "Carrotglace" you are a genius!!!!!
folloewd your tip re : %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Media Player\
& deleted the media player folder & could immediately add my files back into the library. lets just hope they stay there this time!!!!

Try it folks it worked for me!!!

Thanx again Carrotglace!!!! xx


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## jffjone (Feb 12, 2008)

I guess I did not try "all" the previously listed fixes as I stated several months ago.

Carrotglace deserve a prize. Followed the instructions and listening to my music with Media Player. 

Thanks loubeeloo 1976 for coming to this site and waking me:up:.


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