WMA Files Won't Play in WinAmp

[Inquisitor]

I'm running both Win98SE and Win2k on my machine.
I have a SB128PCI soundcard.. not the best of course but it works..

The problem is Winamp doesn't want to play my WMA files in Win2k.

I can't figure this out at all!
I'm running Windows Media Player 6.4 in both OS's cuz it's better than that 7 shit.
Win2k can play my WMA's just fine in WMP.
Win98SE plays my WMA's just fine in both Winamp and WMP.

So why can't Winamp play WMA's in Win2k?

I read through all of this post and thought I had found the answer. Codecs! I had thought that from the beginning. Maybe it wasn't installed or something hence I checked it playing in WMP which worked so the codecs were installed and working.
Tried shifting them around, no luck.

What be your guesses to this situation?

[StephenG]

Make the Windows Media codec Priority 1, and see what happens. I shifted all of the most likely to be better priority, and that somehow is what did it for me. Else, I'd uninstall the codecs, check to make sure they're all gone, then reinstall. Beyond that, remove the card from Device Manager and uninstall its software - AND the codecs - then re-add all that and see.

I feel your pain, mon. Good luck!

[Inquisitor]

Like I said man I tried what you had done.. no workage!

As for the installing/uninstalling codecs I have a gut feeling that won't work.
Especially because they are windows ones that I can't really just *reinstall*. That'd mean the operating system.
Which is wrong.

My friend also has the same problem as me.
Different sound card though.

So this leads me to believe it is not a soundcard problem.
(or drivers for that matter).

So back to the codec. Maybe it's a version thing. But where do you attain different versions of a windows codec specific to an OS?

M$ doesn't really dish it out too you on a silver spoon and maybe they hide it in the install of their newer versions of Media player.. but I doubt this as Win98SE works just fine with the older ones.

This one is puzzling indeed!

[StephenG]

Originally posted by Inquisitor
Like I said man I tried what you had done.. no workage!

As for the installing/uninstalling codecs I have a gut feeling that won't work.
Especially because they are windows ones that I can't really just *reinstall*. That'd mean the operating system.
Which is wrong.

Well, not morally wrong. And it is possible. Just try going to Control Panel/Multimedia, and choose the Devices tab, where you reshuffle the codecs' priority. Remove 'em from there. Add them back by deleting the multimedia device from Device Manager, and then using the WIN98SE disk to install again, using Add New Hardware. The codecs should be part of this. If ya haven't tried it, don't knock it!

[DJ Egg]

Weyhey . . . the beast is back from the dead (ie. the beast = this thread)

Easiest way to uninstall -> reinstall the codecs:
1. Win2k Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs -> Windows SetUp tab
2. Multimedia Components -> Details
3. Uncheck: Media Player & Audio Compression Codecs
4. Okay -> Okay
5. Repeat 1 & 2
6. Checkmark: Media Player & Audio Compression Codecs

Naturally, if the default Media Player with Win2k is WMP7, and it isn't installed in the first place (and rightly so, you don't want it to be) . . .
Ignore unchecking & rechecking "Media Player" in steps 3 & 6
Instead, Add/Remove Programs -> Microsoft Windows Media Player 6.4 -> Remove.
Reinstall WMP6.4 using the setup.exe

btw, are you sharing the same version of Winamp between both OS's?
If so, I've got a sneaky feeling that the wmaudioredist.exe included with the full version of Winamp only got installed in your Win98 "C:\Windows\System" dir & not in Win2k's "C:\WinNT\System32" dir as well.
If this is the case, you should be able to copy the relevant files from Win98 to Win2k, then reboot.

The 4 files included in wmaudioredist.exe are:
ATL.DLL
AudioExCtl.DLL
WMAUDSDK.DLL
MSAUD32.ACM

Good luck!

ps. Hi SG

[Inquisitor]

Yes this beast has come alive again!
BUUUUUUUUUUUUUT.. hopefully it won't become larger after this :o)

I was right. Twas not the codecs.

I wasn't knocking your suggestion SG, just said that I had a gut feeling it wasn't that! :o) And it turned out right..
(I recalled how to install/uninstall codecs right after you mentioned Add/Remove buttons.. slipped my mind.. and that wasn't the only thing.. read on)

DJEgg.. Yes I was running the same winamp in both OS's.. but I had already figured the same thing as you. It probably needed extra files. So I had already installed Winamp in Win2k as a fresh one.
And that was a no go.

Before posting this I grabbed the wmaudioredist.exe and *thought* I had installed it just to make sure.. apparently I had forgotten to do this. Must have been doing other things and completely slipped me.
Your post reminded me of it.. So I checked.. Yes all those files were in fact installed already!
But I decided to run the wmaudioredist.exe anyways for assurance as it probably registers the DLLs again.

Voila! It works.

So for any of those people running Win2k and WMA's don't work give the wmaudioredist.exe a go from the start as it may not be your codecs.
And just a ref for others:
Running Win2k Service Pak 2
Windows Media Player 6.4

I'm gunna test this on my friends computer as well (he has the same problem) and if it works then all will be well :o)

[DJ Egg]

Yeehar! Than gawd for that!

For everyone else's benefit,
the wmaudioredist.exe package can be downloaded seperately here:
http://cdex.n3.net/download/wmaudioredist.exe