Windows 7: Music library in Windows media player?

MrShaky · 22 Feb 2009

I'm also trying to move my music and photos to a network drive. Is it possible to see my music library in Windows media player?

mhealy · 23 Feb 2009

I've written a guide on using network folder in Windows 7 libraries, you can find it right here you can also find a general guide on using libraries over here.

MrShaky · 23 Feb 2009

I appreciate the help, but I'm a bit lost. Are you saying that another computer must do the indexing? When I go to my "indexing options" there's no entry for the network drive.

mhealy · 23 Feb 2009

Quote: Originally Posted by MrShaky

I appreciate the help, but I'm a bit lost. Are you saying that another computer must do the indexing? When I go to my "indexing options" there's no entry for the network drive.

If you want to add the folder from WMP you just need to make sure the folders are shared on the remote computer. If you want to add them through the library interface in windows explorer then yes, the remote computer will have to be told to index the files first.

The drive would be listed under the indexing options of the computer holding the drive.

LePoilu · 24 Feb 2009

You need to say something very important:

The network drive must be NTFS formated!

It exist a sort of plugin for "non-NTFS" drive (like FAT and other) which names UNCFATDms but it's not compatible with Seven at this time (I try it).

So if, like me, your network drive are on a linux file serveur (ext formated), you can't add it on the index and then you can't add to the Seven librairies.

I hope that MS will do something until the release of seven, because NAS solution become more and more popular and it's really offen linux inside

Barman58 · 24 Feb 2009

Another thing to consider is that to work with the libraries feature on windows 7 the sharing OS must be running Search 4.0 which is available for xp vista and Server 2003

Description of Windows Search 4.0 and the Multilingual User Interface Pack for Windows Search 4.0

MrShaky · 25 Feb 2009

My network drive is a Buffalo Linkstation external NAS, so there's nothing else to do the indexing.

I don't know what I did, but after a bit of fiddling around, WMP spent over an hour scanning the network drive and imported all my music into it's library.

Perhaps a related question: When I click on the icon on my desktop with my name, up pops a file-explorer window with several special icons (AppData, Contacts, Desktop, Downloads, Favorites, Links, My Documents My Videos, Saved Games, Searches) But now that I've moved my music and pictures to my network drive, the icons for those are very different. They just look like an open folder, and the "properties" dialog is all different. Any ideas?

I'd post a picture if I could figure out how...

jfar · 25 Feb 2009

Hi, to post a picture use the snipping tool, in accessories.

MrShaky · 25 Feb 2009

Here's a snip of the icons I'm talking about.

Also, I discovered that my music folder on the NAS is now in my Music Library in windows (as well as in my WM library).

Barman58 · 25 Feb 2009

Have a look at this tutorial from our sister site that vista forums which gives information on resetting the display of user folders, It should be valid for windows 7

Personal User Shell Folders - Vista Forums