• For more detailed information about Windows Media Player Mobile, see Windows Media Player Mobile Help. To access Help on a Pocket PC, start Windows Media Player Mobile, tap Start (the Windows logo in the upper-left corner of the screen), and then tap Help. To download the Help file as a Microsoft Word document, see the Help Documentation page.
• To submit a question to the Windows Media Player Mobile newsgroup, see question 1.8.
• To submit a question to the Media Advice Column, see the Media Advice Archive page.
• To find additional support resources, see the Troubleshooting Windows Media Player Mobile page.
• For information about the version of Windows Media Player for desktop and notebook computers, see the Windows Media Player FAQ page.

• What is Windows Media Player 10 Mobile?
• How does Windows Media Player 10 Mobile differ from its previous versions?
• How does Windows Media Player 10 Mobile interact with Windows Media Player on my desktop computer?
• How do I start Windows Media Player 10 Mobile?
• How do I access Windows Media Player 10 Mobile Help on my device?
• What are the version numbers of Windows Media Player for Pocket PC and Smartphone?
• This FAQ doesn't answer my question. Where can I find other support resources?
• Is there a Windows Media Player Mobile newsgroup?
• How do I determine which version of Windows Media Player Mobile is on my device?

• Where can I download Windows Media Player 10 Mobile?

• Which devices support Windows Media Player 10 Mobile?

• How do I copy music, videos, recorded TV, playlists, and pictures to my device?
• Can I synchronize digital media files to locations other than a storage card?

• Which file types does Windows Media Player 10 Mobile support?
• Which codecs does Windows Media Player 10 Mobile support?
• Why can't I play a file that I copied to my device?
• Can Windows Media Player 10 Mobile play protected files?
• How do I tell if a file is protected?
• Why isn't album art displayed when I play a song?
• Where can I download music that will play on my device?
• Can I view QVGA video in full-screen mode on a VGA device?
• Can Windows Media Player Mobile play files created by Microsoft Photo Story?
• Which version of DRM does Windows Media Player Mobile support?

• What is a library?
• How do I copy music and video to my library?
• How do I use the library to find and play files?
• My digital media files don't show up in the library. What's wrong?

• Where can I find information about developing with Windows Media Player technologies?
• Where can I find information about developing for Windows Mobile-based devices?

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General

1.1  What is Windows Media Player 10 Mobile?

1.2  How does Windows Media Player 10 Mobile differ from its previous versions?

1.3  How does Windows Media Player 10 Mobile interact with Windows Media Player on my desktop computer?

1.4  How do I start Windows Media Player 10 Mobile?

• Tap Start (the Windows logo in the upper-left corner of the screen), tap Programs, and then tap Windows Media.
  Windows Media Player 10 Mobile starts.

• On the Home screen, select Start, select More, and then select Windows Media.
  Windows Media Player 10 Mobile starts.

1.5  How do I access Help on my device?

1.6  What are the version numbers of Windows Media Player for Pocket PC and Smartphone?

1.7  This FAQ doesn't answer my question. Where can I find other support resources?

1.8  Is there a Windows Media Player Mobile newsgroup?

• Windows Mobile operating system version.
  On Pocket PC, tap Start (the Windows logo in the upper-left corner of the screen), tap Settings, tap System, and then tap About.
  On Smartphone, select Start, select Settings, and then select About.
  In your question, include the full version name (for example, Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition Version 4.21 or Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition Version 0.0.1008 Build 0.2.0.0).
• Windows Media Player Mobile version.
  On Pocket PC, in Windows Media Player 10 Mobile, tap Back until the Playback screen is displayed, tap Menu, and then tap About.
  On Smartphone, in Windows Media Player 10 Mobile, press Back until the Playback screen is displayed, select Menu, and then select About.
  In your question, include the full version name (for example, Windows Media Player 10 Mobile for Pocket PC).
• The brand and model number of your device.
• The task that you were trying to accomplish prior to encountering the problem.
• If an error message is displayed, note the error message text (for example, "Windows Media Player has encountered an unknown error").
• If the problem only occurs when you use a particular file, link, or Web page, provide details about that item.

1.9  How do I determine which version of Windows Media Player Mobile is on my device?

• Tap Back until the Playback screen is displayed, tap Menu, and then tap About.

• Press Back until the Playback screen is displayed, select Menu, and then select About.

• On the Playback screen, tap Tools, and then tap About.

• Although no About command is available from within the Smartphone version of Windows Media Player 9 Series or earlier, you might be able to determine the version number by referring to the information in question 1.6.

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Installation

2.1  Where can I download Windows Media Player 10 Mobile?

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Devices

3.1  Which devices support Windows Media Player 10 Mobile?

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Synchronization

4.1  How do I copy music, videos, recorded TV, playlists, and pictures to my device?

1. Install Windows Media Player 10 and ActiveSync 3.7.1 on your desktop computer.
   To download the software, see the Windows Media Download Center and the Windows Mobile Downloads and Applications page.
2. On your computer, start Windows Media Player 10.
3. Right-click the title bar, point to Tools, and then click Options.
4. On the Player tab, select the Enable picture support for devices check box.
5. Insert a storage card into your Pocket PC or Smartphone, and then connect your device to a USB port on your computer by using the cable that came with your device.
6. If this is the first time that you have connected your device to your computer, the ActiveSync New Partnership Wizard starts. Click Standard partnership, and then follow the instructions.
7. If this is the first time that you have used your device with the desktop version of Windows Media Player 10, the Windows Media Player Device Setup Wizard starts. Choose a synchronization method:
   • Automatic. With this option, the desktop Player synchronizes content to the device automatically every time you connect the device to your computer or when you change your synchronization settings.
     If there is enough free storage space on your device, the desktop Player synchronizes all of the content in your desktop library to your device.
     If there is not enough free space on your device to synchronize all of the content in your desktop library to your device, the desktop Player synchronizes the highest priority (that is, your favorite) content first.
     Note that automatic synchronization is not available unless there is at least 32 megabytes (MB) of free storage space available on one of the device's storage locations (such as on a removable storage card).
   • Manual. With this option, you pick only the items that you want to synchronize to your device right now. The next time you connect your device, no content will be copied to your device automatically.
8. (Optional) If you selected Automatic synchronization in the previous step and you want to customize the order in which content is synchronized, select the Customize the playlists that will be synchronized check box.
   The Custom Sync Settings page of the wizard is displayed.
   1. Select the check boxes of the playlists you want to synchronize to your device.
   2. Click the arrows to move playlists up or down; the playlists will be synchronized in the order shown on this page.
9. Click Finish.
   Depending on the synchronization method you chose, the following happens when you click Finish:
   • Automatic. The Player begins synchronizing the content. The next time you connect your device to your computer while Windows Media Player 10 is running, your content will be synchronized to your device automatically (the wizard will not appear).
     If you want to change the order in which content synchronizes at a later time, see Changing the Priority Order.
   • Manual. No items are synchronized. To manually select items to synchronize, see Selecting Items to Synchronize Manually.
     The next time you connect your device to your computer while Windows Media Player 10 is running, the wizard will not appear.

4.2  Can I synchronize digital media files to locations other than a storage card?

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Playback

5.1  Which file types does Windows Media Player 10 Mobile support?

5.2  Which codecs does Windows Media Player 10 Mobile support?

• Microsoft Windows Media Audio codec versions 1.0, 2.0, 7, 8, and 9.
  Although Windows Media Player for Pocket PC supports all the variants of the Windows Media Audio 9 codec (including the Windows Media Audio 9 codec, Windows Media Audio 9 Professional codec, Windows Media Audio 9 Voice codec, and Windows Media Audio 9 Lossless codec), the following variants are only partially supported:
  • Windows Media Audio 9 Professional codec. Multiple channels are combined into a stereo mix during playback. Depending upon the audio playback capabilities of your device, content with an audio sampling rate higher than 48 kilohertz (KHz) might be played as 48 KHz.
  • Windows Media Audio 9 Lossless codec. Depending upon the audio playback capabilities of your device, content with an audio sampling rate higher than 48 kilohertz (KHz) might be played as 48 KHz.
• MP3

• Microsoft Windows Media Video codec versions 7, 8, and 9.
• Microsoft Windows Media Video 9 Image codec versions 1.0 (used by Microsoft Photo Story 1 and 2) and 2.0 (used by Photo Story 3).
• Microsoft MPEG-4 codec version 2.0 and 3.0.
• ISO MPEG-4 video codec version 1.0.

5.3  Why can't I play a file that I copied to my device?

• You did not use the Sync feature in Windows Media Player 10 to copy the file to your device.
  The Sync feature detects the playback capabilities of your device and, when possible, converts the file into a format and bit rate appropriate for the device. If the file is protected and the license permits synchronization to a portable device, the Sync feature copies the license to the device and stores it in the appropriate location.
  For more information about synchronizing files to a device, see question 4.1.
• You did not synchronize the file to a removable storage card while the card was inserted into your Pocket PC or Smartphone.
  Synchronizing protected files to a storage card while the card is inserted into a storage card reader (rather than inserted into a Pocket PC or Smartphone) can prevent Windows Media Player 10 Mobile from being able to play the file.
  For more information about synchronizing files to storage cards, see question 4.2.
• You are trying to play a file format that Windows Media Player 10 Mobile does not support (such as files with the extensions .avi, .divx, .m4a, .mpeg, .mpg, .ms-dvr, .ram, .wav, or .xvid).
  For more information about supported file formats, see question 5.1.
• You synchronized a protected file that requires you to install a security upgrade on your computer before you can play it or synchronize it properly.
  To resolve the problem, play the file in the desktop version of Windows Media Player 10 and then, when prompted, follow the steps on the screen to upgrade the security components of the Player. (Alternatively, you can install the upgrade by using your desktop computer to visit this Security component update page.)
  After you have upgraded your security components, synchronize the file to the device again. To determine whether a file is protected, see question 5.5.

5.4  Can Windows Media Player 10 Mobile play protected files?

5.5  How do I tell if a file is protected?

1. Tap Start (the Windows logo in the upper-left corner of the screen), tap Programs, and then tap Windows Media.
   Windows Media Player 10 Mobile starts.
2. If you are not on the Library screen, tap Menu, and then tap Library.
3. On the Library screen, tap the Library arrow (near the top of the screen), and then tap the library that you want use (for example, My Device or Storage Card).
4. Tap a category (for example, My Music), tap a file, tap Menu, and then tap Properties.
   The Properties screen is displayed.
5. If necessary, scroll to the section titled "Protected."
   If the file is protected, the word "Yes" appears beneath the section title. If the file is not protected, either the word "No" appears beneath the section title or the section title is not displayed at all.

1. On the Home screen, select Start, select More, and then select Windows Media.
   Windows Media Player 10 Mobile starts.
2. If you are not on the Library screen, select Menu, and then select Library.
3. If necessary, on the Library screen, select Menu, select Library, and then select the library that you want to use (for example, My Device or Mounted Volume).
4. Scroll to a category (for example, My Music or My Playlists), and then press the Action key.
5. Select the file that you want to check (such as a song), select Menu, and then select Properties.
   The Properties screen is displayed.
6. If necessary, scroll to the section titled "Protected."
   If the file is protected, the word "Yes" appears beneath the section title. If the file is not protected, either the word "No" appears beneath the section title or the section title is not displayed at all.

5.6  Why isn't album art displayed when I play a song?

• The album art must appear when you play the file on the desktop version of Windows Media Player. If the desktop Player cannot display the album art, then the album art cannot be copied to your device.
• You must use the Sync feature in the desktop version of Windows Media Player 10 to copy songs to your device. This ensures that the album art on your desktop computer is copied to the correct location on your device.
• Windows Media Player 10 Mobile for Pocket PC or Windows Media Player 10 Mobile for Smartphone must be installed on your device. Only these versions can display album art.

5.7  Where can I download music that will play on my device?

5.8  Can I view QVGA video in full-screen mode on a VGA device?

5.9  Can Windows Media Player Mobile play files created by Microsoft Photo Story?

5.10  Which version of DRM does Windows Media Player Mobile support?

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Library

6.1  What is a library?

6.2  How do I copy music and video to my library?

6.3  How do I use the library to find and play files?

1. Tap Start (the Windows logo in the upper-left corner of the screen), tap Programs, and then tap Windows Media.
   Windows Media Player 10 Mobile starts.
2. If you are not on the Library screen, tap Menu, and then tap Library.
3. If necessary, on the Library screen, tap the Library arrow (near the top of the screen), and then tap the library that you want use (for example, My Device or Storage Card).
4. Tap a category (for example, My Music or My Playlists), tap and hold the item that you want to play (such as a song, album, or artist name), and then tap Play or Queue Up.

1. On the Home screen, select Start, select More, and then select Windows Media.
   Windows Media Player 10 Mobile starts.
2. If you are not on the Library screen, select Menu, and then select Library.
3. If necessary, on the Library screen, select Menu, select Library, and then select the library that you want to use (for example, My Device or Mounted Volume).
4. Scroll to a category (for example, My Music or My Playlists), and then press the Action key.
5. Select the item that you want to play (such as a song, album, or artist name), and then select Play (or select Menu, and then select Queue Up).

6.4  My digital media files don't show up in the library. What's wrong?

• Verify that you are looking at the correct library.
  Pocket PC
  • On the Library screen, tap the Library arrow (near the top of the screen), and then tap the library that you want use (for example, My Device or Storage Card).
  Smartphone
  • On the Library screen, select Menu, select Library, and then select the library that you want to use (for example, My Device or Mounted Volume).
• Manually update a library to ensure that it has links to any new files that you might have recently copied to your device or to a removable storage card.
  Pocket PC
  1. If you are not already on the Library screen, tap Menu, and then tap Library.
  2. On the Library screen, tap the Library arrow (near the top of the screen), and then tap the library that you want to update (for example, My Device or Storage Card).
  3. Tap Menu, and then tap Update Library.
  4. Tap Search, wait for the files to be added, and then tap Done.
  Smartphone
  1. If you are not already on the Library screen, select Menu, and then select Library.
  2. On the Library screen, select Menu, select Library, and then select the library that you want to update (for example, My Device or Mounted Volume).
  3. Select Menu, and then select Update Library.
  4. Select Search, wait for the files to be added, and then select Done.

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Development

7.1  Where can I find information about developing with Windows Media Player technologies?

7.2  Where can I find information about developing for Windows Mobile-based devices?

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Recent Changes to the FAQ

• 5/4/04:  Updated existing answers about supported devices (question 3.1) and codecs (question 5.2).
• 12/1/04:  Added a new question about digital rights management (question 5.10); updated an existing answer about new features (question 1.2); updated an existing answer about protected files (question 5.4).
• 11/11/04:  Updated existing answer about supported devices (question 3.1).
• 11/3/04:  Added a question about support for Microsoft Photo Story (question 5.9); updated an existing answer about supported codecs (question 5.2); added a question about determining the version of Windows Media Player Mobile (question 1.9); and updated the list of Player versions (question 1.6).
• 10/12/04:  FAQ created.

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