Windows 7: iTunes music in WMP - How to Remove

Hi Folks,

I installed my Windows 7 earlier this year.

Windows 7 and iTunes/WMP are not communicating properly. Currently, I have thousands of music files from iTunes in my WMP. How do I get rid of them! Removing them manually is not an option. Too much work! My iTunes Media folder is My Documents.

Can I uninstall Windows Media Player and start all over again? Other options welcome.

Thanks, MS

If you're using the Libraries feature in Windows 7, you're using the same thing as your WMP music library, because WMP directly reads the contents of your Libraries to add music, pictures and video.

If you don't use WMP, there's no reason to "uninstall" it (not that it's possible anyway, at least not in a traditional sense of uninstalling software). Simply don't use it, if iTunes is your preferred alternative.

Why don't you just not use WMP? You can't stop it from detecting audio files in your libraries.

Good Morning,

I've used both iTunes and WMP for many years with XP & XP Media Centre.

My iTunes Media Folder is not in My Music folder. It's in My Documents. Therefore, my iTunes music should not be in my WMP.

The current version of WMP has lost the functionality of the advanced monitoring of folders (this appears to a problem with several things in Windows 7):



My WMP is set-up to look for music files in only My Music and Public Music.

I've updated iTunes a few times since I installed Windows 7. It may have located the library back into My Music?! However, when I check my iTunes Media folder, it is located in My Documents.

In the meantime, I'm stuck with a huge amount iTunes music in my WMP. What about if I were to delete the My Music Folder and start all over again? Or do I have to re-installed WMP?


Thanks, MS

What is the full iTunes path its looking in?
by default, Itunes should be:

Documents Settings/Users/Music which is the same folder (My Music) WMP looks in by default.
I think its actually a subfolder (itunes media) in the music folder, but WMP will still grab it.

To clear out WMP, Right click the empty space at the top (left of the Burn,Play,Sync Tabs) and delete the library.


Sadly, anything you add to the Windows library WMP will add to its own as well. If you want to keep those librarys intact:

to prevent WMP from adding iTunes Media, you can move the iTunes directory.
For example, make a new folder at C:/Itunes Music, and put your itunes media in it.
Open iTunes and tell it where to look for and save music, at this new location.

WMP will still add from the My Music Folder, but will not add iTunes media.
By the same token, iTunes Media will only be accessible through iTunes itself, not through Windows 7 libraries.



The other alternative is to highlight all iTunes Media in WMP and choose "Delete from libary only"

That or, as suggested, do not use WMP at all.

Hi wishmaster:

Thanks for your help. iTunes is not the problem. It's the so-called updated version on WMP that is missing several key file management items.

How you do this?

How do I identify all my iTunes music vs WMP music. It's all jumbled together. I thought about removing all the music from WMP. Then just putting back what should be there.

I can't find the spot to 'check all' and then tell WMP to remove from the library (everything).

Normally, if you remove something from the library it shouldn't be there. Not the case ... it's still there.

Out of frustration I'm looking at removing it and then re-installing.

Thanks, MS

not sure if this will help,in wmp click organize /manage library /music.
this will show which folders are being monitored by wmp. you can add or remove from there.

Along with what Boohbah has suggested, you can also add a Folder view to the WMP library. (In case the particular folder is nested inside of MyMusic)


Right Click the Music Library, Customize navigation Pane, and Select Folder.


Then, browse by folder and "Delete From Library Only", those inside the itunes folder.

Hello wishmaster and boohbah:

Thank you so much for tip on adding the folder option to my library.




What I ended up doing is transferring my entire My Music folder to my external drive. Then I went back into WMP and highlighted all of the files and deleted the entire mess including the iTunes stuff.


Now I'm adding back all of my music into the Music Library bit by bit. This will also allow me to find any music files I have that are not properly identified with ID tags. A lot of my music in WMP are from old records.

Thanks again for your help, MS

P.S. Love your avatar Wishmaster.

Good for you. a good sort out and restock the shelves so to speak.