Missing Length (Duration)

[Dana Pressnall]

I converted several vinyl LP's to .WAV files using a USB turntable and the
software that came with it. It worked great, except for one problem. I was
able to add the albums and get the information automatically, but all of the
track lengths are missing. I get the following error for each track if I try
to burn an audio CD:

It is not possible to determine if this file can fit on a disc because
Windows Media Player cannot detect the length of the file. Playing the file
before burning may enable the Player to detect the file length.

Playing the tracks does not help. Is there a way I can repair this
situation? iTunes automatically determined the durations when I imported
the files, but WMP 11 did not.

Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks.

[Wilcox@discussions.microsoft.com Keith Wilcox]

Dana;

I've run into the same problem with WMP 10. In my case, the length
information is present on a few of the tracks, but missing from most of them.
The information is clearly available in the files, but for some reason, WMP
doesn't pick it up.

I have come up with a work-around, but it's a real bodge. I found that if
you drag-and-drop the tracks from Windows explorer onto the "Now Playing"
list, then double-click them to start them playing, WMP retrieves the length
information. However, it still does not store this information in the
library. I've been able to burn CD's by dropping each track onto the "Now
Playing" list, then double-clicking each, then burning the "Now-Playing" list.

This certainly isn't satisfactory, but it's all I've been able to do. I
noticed that you posted your question a couple of months ago. If you've been
able to make any progress on this problem, I'd certainly appreciate any
suggestions you may have.

[Presssnall@discussions.microsoft.com Dana Presssnall]

Keith,
Thanks for your reply. I will give the work-around a try (I suspect it will
help).
I didn't find any other work around, so I have just been using iTunes to
burn my CD's instead of WMP, since WMP has an obvious (or deliberate) defect.

Both WMP and iTune have their quirks, just to keep life interesting I guess
:-)

[bob renfro]

Everyone seems to have the problem of songs (tracks) for which Media Player does not show the time length. I have a fix for this, but it is cumbersome. I just cleaned up my entire music library, fixing all the items with no lengths. Media player monitors certain folders for any music that is added to them. Click the library tab and select options, then you can see which folders are monitored. In my case, when I added music to the monitored folders without using Media Player, all of those items wind up with no track lengths.

Here is the solution:

1.Shut down Media Player.

2.Copy (do not "cut") the track in question to a new folder you create, say "Temp tracks" or something.

3.Say the name is "Track01.wav" for example. Change the name. For example: "01 Track01.wav".

4.Copy the "01 Track01.wav" back into the folder that contains the album for the original Track01.wav.

5.Don't change anything there yet, so now you have both Track01.wav and 01 Track01.wav in the album's folder.

6.Bring up Media Player and immediately click the library tab and select "Add to library".

7.That will cause a scan of all the music folders and the new "01 Track01.wav" will get added to your library with the track length.

8.Select the album view in your library.

9.Scroll all the way to the bottom of the list and you will find an album "Other".

10.Double click "Other" and you will see 0 01 Track01 with its length.

11.Edit the artist name and enter the artist for the original "Track01".

12.Select the artist view for your library and scroll to the artist in question.

13.Double click the artist and you will see whatever albums you have plus the new one with 01 Track01.

14.Click and drag the 01 Track01 to the original album. Now you have both 0 01 Track01 and 1 Track01.

15.Right click the original 1 Track01 and delete it from your library and your computer.

16.You are done, unless you wish to edit the name and the track sequence number of the new 0 01 Track01.



I have been using this procedure for entire albums where there are as many as 15 tracks without times. I shut down Media Player and copy all 15 to a temp folder, rename all 15 and copy them back, then bring up Media Player, scan for new music, go to the bottom of the albums, edit the artist name, go to artist and etc.



If you forget and copy the new renamed track(s) into the music library while Media Player is active, you will get the new tracks added without time lengths and you will have to delete them and do it again.

>> On Thursday, August 28, 2008 8:35 PM Keith Wilco wrote:

>> Dana;
>>
>> I've run into the same problem with WMP 10. In my case, the length
>> information is present on a few of the tracks, but missing from most of them.
>> The information is clearly available in the files, but for some reason, WMP
>> doesn't pick it up.
>>
>> I have come up with a work-around, but it's a real bodge. I found that if
>> you drag-and-drop the tracks from Windows explorer onto the "Now Playing"
>> list, then double-click them to start them playing, WMP retrieves the length
>> information. However, it still does not store this information in the
>> library. I've been able to burn CD's by dropping each track onto the "Now
>> Playing" list, then double-clicking each, then burning the "Now-Playing" list.
>>
>> This certainly isn't satisfactory, but it's all I've been able to do. I
>> noticed that you posted your question a couple of months ago. If you've been
>> able to make any progress on this problem, I'd certainly appreciate any
>> suggestions you may have.
>>
>> "Dana Pressnall" wrote:

>>> On Thursday, August 28, 2008 9:56 PM Dana Presssnal wrote:

>>> Keith,
>>> Thanks for your reply. I will give the work-around a try (I suspect it will
>>> help).
>>> I didn't find any other work around, so I have just been using iTunes to
>>> burn my CD's instead of WMP, since WMP has an obvious (or deliberate) defect.
>>>
>>> Both WMP and iTune have their quirks, just to keep life interesting I guess
>>>

>>> "Keith Wilcox" wrote: