Maximum PC

I'm having trouble locating a previously viewable music folder - going to list the exact steps I took before it disappeared, it's going to be confusing so try to pay close attention to the details. thanks.

1. I learned that the windows environment offered no file conversion to get from the my lossless library to mp3 format so I DL'd a converter from cnet.com (switch sound). I specified an output folder, changed the mp3 format conversion to variable bit rate, and selected "add file" from the top menu. I noticed that it browsed as normal to the regular windows file list and in there, under "music" was a folder named "playlists" from windows media player where I had already saved one playlist I named "rock vids". I didn't realize the program saved the lists somewhere you could find them and figured it would be much easier to create a list in the windows media player and then output the entire list.

This is where I got into trouble.

2. I opened windows media player and could not find a way or a button to "create a new list" - If the list on the far right was blank and waiting for files to be added - when I clicked on anything on the right, it would auto add the folder or an entire group of folders. Hence, I went back up to playlists and highlighted it, right clicked, could STILL find no *&%$ option to create a new list - now I went over to the existing "rock vids" list (while not highlighting it in the left pane - it was still showing up while highlighting "playlists" and I clicked on "clear list".

3. This seemed to work. The rock vids list was still on the left side. I created a new list, named it, saved it and went back to the converter to browse to it.

4. It's empty. The *&%$ folder named "playlists" under "mymusic" is now empty. Where did the files go? I don't know. The lists still show up in the WM player. I closed the app thinking it wouldn't let me view them if it was open. No dice. I right clicked the folder, selected "properties" but I can't find the old "view" tab to check and see if it's become hidden. I don't know why it would, I wasn't messing around in there. It was viewable before I hit the "clear list" button on the player. I'm just confused and flabberghasted at this point...

** it shows as empty under the converter and under the windows tree where previously it had shown "rock vids" - rock vids is/was video. I found a spot to specify file types and selected "all" at which point my new list shows up under windows but "rock vids" is still missing. It does not show up under the converter so I guess I can't use this method as it must be only showing a shortcut. I am however, still wondering where "rock vids" went and why they both disappeared in the first place.


** on another note, the converter I found, while nice and simple (thus it fits me perfectly :p), only converts .wav to mp3 - which is fine for music conversion. I still need one to rip out the music component of a windows movie video file (.wmv) and convert it to mp3 -- if anyone knows of one. thanks.

You're lost from the start. Can't help you manage your hard drive or how windows works in a simple post. Are you new to windows since Win95?Oh I am to pay attention to close attention to. Details? Nah...You mean this isn't 4chan? I'm confused.

the word "to" is supposed to be "so" - it's a typo - sue me.

no, I'm not new to windows since 95 although I did avoid both the win millenium and vista edition disasters.

I have never used real player or any other player all that much. Mostly because they aggravate me.

One final note here - I resolved most of my issues with this. However, a new issue has cropped up.

I created a folder to save the converted files to so I could then simply burn the entire folder or at least select from it instead of having to peruse my entire library - which is quite extensive. I've been replacing CD's lost over the years as well as adding new ones to the collection and have burnt them all in lossless format to one of my hard drives. Currently, there are over 500 albums taking up 400gigs of space on the 1TB drive reserved for music.

The problem is this: Windows automatically saved all of the converted files to the library which gave me extensive copies of quite a lot of albums/songlists. I had to go in and manually remove them all so they didn't futz up default playlists and so they didn't get played accidentally through my home theater (I think mp3's sound like shit - yes, I grew up on lossless audio, tyvm).

Is there a way to prevent the shortcut links to be automatically written to media player's library?

I did find a workaround - a program that converts before burning - it just takes longer. However, I'd like to know if there's a way to prevent the write shortcut routine just to know. Since I'm old and senile - I'll probably forget in a couple weeks anyway but my unending thirst for knowledge drives me to ask this question just the same.