Windows Media Player Library
Learn to manage playlists and adjust library settings in Windows Media Player.
Answers refer to Windows Media Player 10, unless otherwise noted.
On This Page
How can I print my playlist and library entries?
You can use the Media Info Exporter PowerToy to export your library to Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Access, or even to an HTML or XML file, and then you'll be able to print. For more information, see Export Information from Your Library.
How can I change the order of the tracks in a playlist?
The following procedure describes how you can change the order of the tracks in one of your regular playlists (under the My Playlists category in the Contents pane).
To change the track order in playlists
1. | Be sure the Player is in full mode. (If you are in skin mode, press CTRL+1 to switch back to full mode.) |
2. | Click Library. |
3. | In the Contents pane, expand My Playlists, right-click the name of the playlist that you want to change, and then click Edit. The track names from the selected playlist appear in the Now Playing List in the List pane, and the Now Playing List label at the top of the List pane changes to the name of your playlist. |
4. | Now, in the List pane, you can drag track names to new locations in the list. (It doesn't matter what is in the Details pane at this point.) |
5. | After you have made all the changes you want to make, click the playlist name above the List pane and click Save Playlist. |
Note that this process does not work for auto playlists (under the Auto Playlists category in the Contents pane).
See the next question for more information about how you can use sorting in the Player to quickly rearrange tracks in your playlists.
How can I sort my playlist entries by artist?
The following procedure describes how to change the order of the tracks in one of your regular playlists (under the My Playlists category in the Contents pane).
To sort playlist entries
1. | Be sure the Player is in full mode. (If you are in skin mode, press CTRL+1 to switch back to full mode.) | ||||||||||
2. | Click Library. | ||||||||||
3. | In the Contents pane, expand My Playlists, right-click the name of the playlist that you want to change, and then click Edit. The track names from the selected playlist appear in the Now Playing List in the List pane, and the Now Playing List label at the top of the List pane changes to the name of your playlist. | ||||||||||
4. | Click the playlist name above the List pane, click Sort, and then click one of the following options:
| ||||||||||
5. | Click the playlist name above the List pane again, and then click Save Playlist. |
For more information about sorting items in your library, see Change How You Sort Files in Your Library.
How can I add folders to the Categories pane?
Unfortunately, it is not currently possible to add folders to the Categories pane.
How can I delete a file from my library?
To delete a single file, album, or artist, simply click the item in your library, and then press the DELETE key. You will be prompted to choose one of the following options:
| • | Delete from library only |
| • | Delete from library and my computer |
Note that if you if you choose Delete from library and my computer and also select the check box Don't show me this message again, the Player will remember your choice. The next time you delete an entry from your library, it will also be deleted from your computer. See the next question for information about undoing this setting.
How can I change the setting that deletes files from my computer when I delete a file from my library?
1. | In Windows Media Player, on the Tools menu, click Options. |
2. | On the Library tab, in the Add and delete media files area, clear the Delete files from computer when deleted from library check box: |
How can I prevent Windows Media Player from adding small audio files to my library?
When you add items to your library by letting the Player search for digital media files, set your Player to skip smaller audio and video files when searching. This prevents the Player from adding audio files that are not music (such as sound effects from games or other sounds that might be on your computer) to your library.
To skip small audio and video files
1. | In the Player, on the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Library tab. |
2. | In the Add and delete media files area, in the Audio files box, type a file size, in kilobytes (KB), to specify the minimum file size that an audio file needs to be for it to be added to the library. |
3. | In the Add and delete media files area, in the Video files box, type in the same information, and then click OK. |
Now when the Player searches for digital media files to add to your library, only the digital media files found in the specified location that meet the minimum file size requirements are added. For more information about adding files to your library, see "Add to Library by Searching Computer" in Windows Media Player Help.
Why are alternate tracks in my library covered by a white line?
This problem occurs if you use the Group by Sorted Field option to highlight items in the Details pane that contain media information for the selected sort order, and your Player background color is black. To fix this, just clear the option that sets the background color to black.
To change Player background color
1. | In the Player, on the View menu, point to Enhancements, and then click Color Chooser. |
2. | In the Color Chooser Enhancement pane (below the Details pane), clear the Use black as Player background color check box. |
If you don't find the answer to your question in this column, be sure to check the Archive. Media Advice is not an official Microsoft Support channel. If you need immediate help for an urgent problem, we recommend that you visit Microsoft Help and Support.