Burning CDs in Windows Media Player
Learn tips for burning CDs in Windows Media Player.
Answers refer to Windows Media Player 10, unless otherwise noted.
On This Page
 | Why doesn't the Player recognize my CD drive? |
| How can I burn a crossfaded CD? |
| Why doesn't the CD player in my car play the CDs that I burn? |
| How do I burn WMA and MP3 files to a CD? |
Why doesn't the Player recognize my CD drive?
If you receive "Device not detected" or "Burner not detected" error messages or have other problems with your CD drive, it is possible that the drive is not supported or is not installed correctly. First, make sure that your CD drive is enabled for burning.
To enable CD burning
1. | From the Start menu, right-click My Computer, and then click Open. |
2. | In the Devices with Removable Storage area, right-click the CD drive, and then click Properties. |
3. | If your CD drive is recognized, you will see a Recording tab. On the Recording tab, verify that the Enable CD recording on this drive check box is selected. |
Next, verify that the Image Mastering API (IMAPI) CD-Burning COM service on your computer is enabled.
To enable IMAPI
1. | Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Services. |
2. | Right-click IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service, and then click Properties. |
3. | Set the Startup type to Automatic. |
4. | Click Start to start the service, and then click OK. Note that you may have to log off and then log on for this change to take effect. |
If Windows Media Player still doesn't detect your CD drive, and if your computer is running the Microsoft Windows XP operating system, check the Windows Marketplace Tested Products List to ensure that your CD drive is designed for use with Windows. If the drive is not listed, it may not work correctly.
You should also check that your CD drive has all the updated drivers from Windows Update.
NoteIf your computer is running the Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Millennium Edition, or Windows 2000 operating systems, the Roxio CD Burning plug-in is used to create CDs. If you are having problems creating CDs, confirm that your CD drive is supported at the Roxio Web site.
In addition, the Roxio CD Burning plug-in might quit unexpectedly when you are burning licensed files to a CD if you exceed the burn limit specified in the license for one or more of the files. You can prevent this problem by downloading the updated Easy Media Creator for Windows Media Player.
How can I burn a crossfaded CD?
When crossfading is turned on in Windows Media Player, the end of one song gradually overlaps the beginning of the next song. This results in a smooth transition between songs. Unfortunately, it is not possible to apply crossfading to tracks as they are burned in the Player. If you are using Windows Media Player 9 Series, you can install the Nero Fast CD-Burning Plug-in to add this capability. A version of this plug-in for Windows Media Player 10 is not available yet, so if you are using Windows Media Player 10, you will need to use another CD-burning software program that eliminates the gaps while burning tracks.
If you are using Windows Media Player for Windows XP or later, you can apply crossfading to Windows Media Audio (WMA) and MP3 files that are playing and record the audio output to a single variable-bit-rate WMA file in Microsoft Windows Movie Maker. You can then burn the WMA file that contains the crossfaded tracks to an audio CD or a data CD.
To turn on crossfading in the Player, see the question "How do I crossfade between songs?" in the Media Advice archive.
For more information about recording audio in Windows Movie Maker, see the question, "How can I rip the tracks on a CD to one file in the Player?" in the Media Advice archive.
Why doesn't the CD player in my car play the CDs that I burn?
Your CD player might not be able to play the CD for several reasons, including the following:
| • | It can only play audio CDs and you have burned a data CD. Data CDs can be played only in your computer and in some newer CD players. When creating data CDs, the Player burns your WMA and MP3 files to the CD in their current format without converting them for an audio CD. Consequently, the CD player that you use to play a data CD must be able to play WMA or MP3 files. |
| • | It can play data CDs, but can't play the type of files that are burned on your data CD. (For example, it can play WMA files but not MP3 files.) |
| • | It can play data CDs, but can't play protected files (for example, you burned a licensed WMA file that you purchased from an online store to your data CD). |
| • | It can play data CDs, but can't play the particular brand or type of disc that you used. |
| • | It can't play data CDs that have not been finalized. For more information about this issue, see question 7.4, "When I burn a CD, does the Player 'finalize' or 'close' the disc?" in the Windows Media Player FAQ. |
Review the documentation that came with your CD player to determine its playback capabilities, and then do one of the following:
| • | Burn audio CDs, not data CDs. If your CD player can't play a data CD that contains either WMA or MP3 files, or it can't play protected files, then burn the tracks to an audio CD (not a data CD) on CD-R (not CD-RW) media. An audio CD plays in most CD players (in your home stereo, your portable CD player, your car stereo, your computer, and so forth). When creating audio CDs, the Player converts your WMA and MP3 files to the pulse code modulation (PCM) format that standard CD players can play, before burning them to disc. Follow the instructions in the next question for burning a CD in your version of the Player. However, in step 8, click the Audio CD option to burn an audio CD. |
| • | Burn a data CD that only includes MP3 files. If all of your songs are in the WMA format, you’ll need to use another program to convert them to the MP3 format first, and then add the new files to your Player library. To find an audio conversion program, try searching the web for “wma mp3 file converter.” |
| • | If your CD player can't play data CDs that have not been finalized, you must use another CD burning or authoring software program to burn a finalized data CD. |
How do I burn WMA and MP3 files to a CD?
You can create a data CD that contains your WMA and MP3 files by choosing the Data CD option when creating a CD in Windows Media Player 9 Series or later. Creating a data CD lets you copy the audio files from your library, in their current format, to a recordable CD.
The option to create a data CD in Windows Media Player is only available if your computer is running the Windows XP operating system.
To create a data CD in Windows Media Player 9 Series
1. | Click Copy to CD or Device. |
2. | In the Items to Copy pane (the left side of Copy to CD or Device), select the playlist or category of tracks that you want to copy from Media Library. |
3. | To either create or change a playlist of items to copy, click the Playlists button. The number of selected items and total time is displayed at the bottom of the Items to Copy pane. |
4. | If necessary, clear any check boxes for items that you don't want to copy. |
5. | Insert a blank CD-R or CD-RW in your CD drive. |
6. | If you are using a CD-RW disc, if necessary, click the Delete button to erase the CD. |
7. | If you want to change recording or data CD settings, such as the CD write speed or quality level, click the Properties button, and then make the appropriate changes. |
8. | In the Items on Device pane (the right side of Copy to CD or Device), click the drop-down list at the top of the pane, and then click Data CD. |
9. | Click the Copy button. |
For more information, see "Creating your own CDs" in Windows Media Player 9 Series Help.
To create a data CD in Windows Media Player 10
1. | Click Burn. |
2. | In the Items to Burn pane (the left side of Burn), select the playlist or category of tracks that you want to burn from Library. |
3. | To add digital media files from other playlists or categories in your library to the playlist of items to burn, or to remove items from the playlist, click the Edit Playlist button. The number of selected items and total time is displayed at the bottom of the Items to Burn pane. |
4. | If necessary, clear any check boxes for items that you don't want to burn. |
5. | Insert a blank CD-R or CD-RW in your CD drive. |
6. | If you are using a CD-RW disc, if necessary, click the Erase disc button to erase the CD. |
7. | If you want to change recording or data CD settings, such as the CD write speed or quality level, click the Display properties and settings button, and then make the appropriate changes. |
8. | In the Items on Device pane (the right side of Burn), click the drop-down list at the top of the pane, and then click Data CD. |
9. | Click the Start Burn button. |
For more information, see "Burning your own CDs" in Windows Media Player 10 Help.
Before tracks are copied or burned to your CD, they are inspected. This process takes several minutes. For more information, see the question, "Why does the Player stop while inspecting tracks for burning?" in the Media Advice archive.
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.