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How To Automatically Manage Libraries On Windows Media Player 12

If you want to take control of your Windows Media Player 12 experience, you can start by managing its library. With Media Player 12, you can automatically sort through the pictures, recorded TV shows, digital music and videos you have on your libraries.

Caution: Windows Media Player 12 was built for Windows 7, therefore, it isn’t compatible with versions of Windows that were created earlier.

However, if you want to access the other media files such as those on your Windows Home Server or files found elsewhere on your network, you might want to change how your Media Player 12 builds its history. Here are the steps on how to automatically manage libraries.

How To Automatically Manage Libraries On Windows Media Player 12

Step one: Open Windows Media Player 12.

There are two ways in which you can open the Windows Media Player 12. One, you can type the word ‘Media Player’ at the Start Menu or two, you can open it by clicking on its icon in the taskbar.

Step two: Click the ‘Organize button and choose ‘Manage Libraries’ from the drop-down menu.

Once you have done this, a pop-out menu will open listing about four types of media. These include Recorded TV, Music, Pictures, and Videos

Step three: Click on the type of media that is missing files.

Once you have done this, a window will appear listing all the folders that are monitored for that type of media. For instance, the Video Library on Windows Media Player 12 normally monitors the My Videos folder and the Public Videos folder.

Step Four:  Click the ‘Add’ button, then select the folder that has your files, click the ‘Include Folder’ button and finally click ‘OK’.

Once you have followed the instructions above, your Media Player 12 should start monitoring the new folder you have just added. It should also start adding its videos to your library. You can repeat these steps until you have added all the places Media Player should search for media.

If you want to stop Media Player form monitoring a folder, you should follow the firth three steps exactly as shown above. When you reach step four click on the folder that you no longer want Media Player to monitor. Lastly, click on the ‘Remove’ button.

Tip: Windows Media Player 12 will continue to monitor the other folders you selected for new media. However Media Player also collects media in the following ways:

  • Ripped music from CD – Every time you rip music from a cd, Media Player notices where you it therefore adding to the library.
  • Adding played items – every time you play a music file on the internet or on your PC, it is automatically added to your Media Center Library.
  • Downloaded videos and music from online stores – every time you use Media Player to buy videos and music those items get added to your library.

With a much larger selection of codecs, the new Windows Media Player 12 allows you to recognize more types of video and audio files than its previous version.

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