Author Topic: cannot play ripped music files (Read 29,932 times)

techidave · « **on:** March 12, 2009, 05:35 PM »

Trying to find a solution has been driving me crazy. The problem is I cannot play ripped music cd files on my vista computer. I did a clean install of Vista on my computer that was running XP Pro SP3 which had WMP 11 on it. The music files play ok on the xp machine just fine.

The cds were ripped using Window Media Player. I have tried several media players but have been unsuccessful.

What do I need to check or do differently to prevent this from happening in the future?

Is it possible that the WMP versions default options are different? Such as ripping options??

Any thoughts?

When I try to open one of the files with WMP I get this error:

A license is required to play this file

The file you are trying to play was ripped (copied) from an audio CD.

During the ripping process, the file was "protected." This limits the number of computers on which the file can be played.

To play the file on this computer, you must download a license (a process known as "license migration"). A license acts an electronic key that allows you to "unlock" a protected file and play it.

To download a license for this file, click Download License.

of course the download license thingy doesn't do anything usable for me.

f0dder · « **Reply #1 on:** March 12, 2009, 06:01 PM »

You probably have to export the "licenses" from your XP machine and import them on the Vista machine (a bit duh, but...) - I have no idea how to do that, though, since there's no way in hell I'd ever use WMP to rip, or WMA as output format. EAC (or dBpoweramp) for ripping and flac as output

If this isn't an option, you can probably find a "virtual cd writer" and go that route - iirc Carol or app has mentioned something like that in the past.

techidave · « **Reply #2 on:** March 12, 2009, 06:25 PM »

I don't normally reinstall windows on the same hard drive on my machine.. but this time I did. So there is no going back.

I don't recall ever being asked about licenses on the xp machine either.

Excuse my ignorance but what is the problem with ripping with WMP?

So I guess we are out of luck on getting the music to play, especially if we cannot find a good cd of it.

f0dder · « **Reply #3 on:** March 12, 2009, 06:33 PM »

Well, one thing is that WMP afaik doesn't guarantee bit-perfect copies like EAC and dBpoweramp do - this isn't a problem to most people, as you probably won't be able to hear differences (unless something goes very wrong). I rip my CDs to lossless format for archival, so it matters to me. Next is the choice of format, WMA isn't all that bad but I prefer lossless FLAC or high-quality MP3 (because it's supported on a few more players than WMA).

I didn't know that ripping your own CDs did that copy-protection crap, though. If it always does this, I'll change my stance from "I'd never personally use WMP to rip CDs" to "violently advising people against using it". I'm afraid you're going to have to hunt after one of those DRM-removing applications since you've wiped out your old Vista install >_<

techidave · « **Reply #4 on:** March 12, 2009, 06:37 PM »

Thanks f0dder for the help. I have EAC installed but haven't used it yet. I will advise my kids to use it instead of wmp from now on.

f0dder · « **Reply #5 on:** March 12, 2009, 06:43 PM »

EAC does require a bit of techy configuration to set up properly, though, and it does rip slowly on some drives. dBpoweramp is more user-friendly and rips fast, but isn't free. Another alternative would be CDex which is hard to beat simplicity-wise, but it's ripping-engine is less thorough than EAC and dBp. It's fine for regular MP3 ripping, though

I really hope I'm wrong about the WMA license-issue wrt. your own ripped CDs though, it's a really mean and nasty thing to do, especially if it doesn't warn about it.

app103 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 12, 2009, 06:58 PM »

The problem is that the files are encrypted and your license files that you formatted away is your key for decrypting them. Without the key, nobody can decrypt them.

The theory that Microsoft had with this DRM was if they are your CD's and you rip them, if anything happens to the files that makes them unplayable you can rip them again, since you own the CD's. But you can't share those files with anyone else, so illegal file trading isn't possible.

I don't know of any way you can bypass the DRM in these files, unless you can actually play them. Every "DRM remover" and file converter that I know of requires the licenses to be installed on your PC and the files to be playable first. They are considered "fair use" converters, so you can play your files in other software and portable player devices that don't support Microsoft's DRM.

Even the "virtual CD writers" require the files to be playable. What they do is act as a phony CD burner drive, fooling WMP, allowing you to burn an image of an audio CD (saves you money by not having to burn on real CD media), which you can then rip to another format. But you can't burn them to any type of audio CD, real or fake, if they are locked and you don't have the key.

If you have lost your licenses, you are going to have to rip the CD's again (this time try a non-DRM format).

Darwin · « **Reply #7 on:** March 12, 2009, 07:00 PM »

Another issue to consider is that WMP 11 won't let you import/export licences... as far as I can recall, anyway.

techidave · « **Reply #8 on:** March 12, 2009, 07:01 PM »

I need something easy to setup so that all that use this computer can do it without many problems. I will give CDex a whirl first.

I wonder if copy those folders using windows explorer could have had something to do with it??? That is from one drive to another.

techidave · « **Reply #9 on:** March 12, 2009, 07:05 PM »

these cds, I would have thought been old enough to not have copy protection on them. I need to look real hard to find the original cd and try ripping it again.

I wasn't trying to share them, just play them. I don't recall it ever asking me to download or install some kind of license. but then again, my daughter probably ripped this cd.

f0dder · « **Reply #10 on:** March 12, 2009, 07:09 PM »

techidave: as I understand it, WMP generates a "license" for your user account (or possibly the entire computer) when you set it up. This "license" will be used to lock stuff ripped to WMA format to your account/computer. Long live big brother...

techidave · « **Reply #11 on:** March 12, 2009, 07:14 PM »

Wonderful news but good to know.

I have been trying to stay away from audio and video issues but I guess I need to learn more about it. Especially since I am the one and only tech at my school. As schools get more involved in using technology, this is one area that is going to get used and abused more and more.

There are so many factors involved especially when you add a projector or a hook up to a sound system. Plus the fact that you are trying to play a dvd from a laptop.

Target · « **Reply #12 on:** March 12, 2009, 10:43 PM »

another alternative to CDex is <a href="http://www.bonkenc.org/">Bonk</a>;

It seems (to me) that it could be a little more flexible/capable than CDex, though not quite as simple

As a rule I use EAC, but it occasionally baulks at a CD so I use either Bonk or CDex to do that rip

Set up on EAC can be fiddly, but the wizard generated config will probably work just fine to start with.

Curt · « **Reply #13 on:** March 12, 2009, 11:34 PM »

Quote from: techidave on March 12, 2009, 05:35 PM

Trying to find a solution has been driving me crazy. The problem is I cannot play ripped music cd files on my vista computer.

WinAmp Pro 5.5 ($20) will most likely play your files

http://www.winamp.com/player

save 10% (no, not 10$ !!): https://shop.winamp.com/servlet/ControllerServlet?Action=DisplayPage&Env=BASE&Locale=en_US&SiteID=winamp&id=QuickBuyCartPage

techidave · « **Reply #14 on:** March 12, 2009, 11:48 PM »

what makes winamp Pro so much better than the other players??

Curt · « **Reply #15 on:** March 12, 2009, 11:55 PM »

- maybe not that much "better", but less critical

f0dder · « **Reply #16 on:** March 13, 2009, 08:21 AM »

Curt, how on earth would winamp be able to play DRM-covered tracks that you don't have a license for?

Dirhael · « **Reply #17 on:** March 13, 2009, 11:20 AM »

Quote from: f0dder on March 13, 2009, 08:21 AM

Curt, how on earth would winamp be able to play DRM-covered tracks that you don't have a license for?

Heh, I was wondering the same thing myself.
---
I also just thought I'd mention that this problem did not happen by itself. See, WMP does have the possibility to add DRM to ripped files, but it is not enabled by default. You have to mark the relevant checkbox manually, and here's where you'll find it (screenshot shows the default settings):

lanux128 · « **Reply #18 on:** March 13, 2009, 01:52 PM »

Audiograbber is a good candidate for cd ripping, even though it's no longer in active development.

f0dder · « **Reply #19 on:** March 13, 2009, 05:09 PM »

Quote from: lanux128 on March 13, 2009, 01:52 PM

Audiograbber is a good candidate for cd ripping, even though it's no longer in active development.

Bad candidate - outdated ripping engine, poor MP3 encoder.

Darwin · « **Reply #20 on:** March 13, 2009, 06:32 PM »

Quote from: f0dder on March 13, 2009, 05:09 PM

Quote from: lanux128 on March 13, 2009, 01:52 PM
Audiograbber is a good candidate for cd ripping, even though it's no longer in active development.
Band candidate - outdated ripping engine, poor MP3 encoder.

Which band is putting it forward as a candidate?

f0dder · « **Reply #21 on:** March 14, 2009, 12:25 AM »

Shades · « **Reply #22 on:** March 14, 2009, 12:33 AM »

Quote from: Darwin on March 13, 2009, 06:32 PM

Quote from: f0dder on March 13, 2009, 05:09 PM
Quote from: lanux128 on March 13, 2009, 01:52 PM
Audiograbber is a good candidate for cd ripping, even though it's no longer in active development.
Band candidate - outdated ripping engine, poor MP3 encoder.

Which band is putting it forward as a candidate?

Don't want to be called a 'snitch' or something, but....I think it was the rubber band

lanux128 · « **Reply #23 on:** March 14, 2009, 01:31 AM »

Quote from: f0dder on March 13, 2009, 05:09 PM

Quote from: lanux128 on March 13, 2009, 01:52 PM
Audiograbber is a good candidate for cd ripping, even though it's no longer in active development.
Bad candidate - outdated ripping engine, poor MP3 encoder.

yeah, it's been ages since i had ripped a CD and that shows.

steeladept · « **Reply #24 on:** March 14, 2009, 09:30 AM »

Quote from: Shades on March 14, 2009, 12:33 AM

Quote from: Darwin on March 13, 2009, 06:32 PM
Quote from: f0dder on March 13, 2009, 05:09 PM
Quote from: lanux128 on March 13, 2009, 01:52 PM
Audiograbber is a good candidate for cd ripping, even though it's no longer in active development.
Band candidate - outdated ripping engine, poor MP3 encoder.

Which band is putting it forward as a candidate?

Don't want to be called a 'snitch' or something, but....I think it was the rubber band

Hey, leave Ryan Shupe out of this.

He has some good songs though - IMNSHO.