Protected wma files...

[Themikemachine]

Well ppl I recently downloaded some wma files and now Im trying to burn them to cd, but it seems they are protected somehow. I cant burn them on media player cuz I dont have permision and when I try to change the files to mp3 I get an error message that says: this file is protected by (something I cant remember). So I cant change it, I wanna know if theres a way to overwrite this protection, or maybe if theres a way to make an mp3 of what youre hearing, so that I play it and reencode it.

[Psyonide]

Unless it has 'write protected' enabled under the right click>properties menu, I have no idea.

[Norgus]

I think its something written into the WMA format isnt it? the protection that is.

I hate WMA and WMA as formats anyway, but one workaround is to play the files whilst recording from the wave source using audacity or a simmilar program.

[Jaws]

What if you were to play the sound file in Windows Media Player and then: click file>save media as and save it to what you prefer? Or you tried that and it doesn't work either.

[Themikemachine]

Originally posted by Norgus
I think its something written into the WMA format isnt it? the protection that is.

I hate WMA and WMA as formats anyway, but one workaround is to play the files whilst recording from the wave source using audacity or a simmilar program.

How do I do that? It seems to be the only way since I cant record or change the format. so a little more help is appreciated

[Dark Neighbour]

Who ever made the files, made them protected....the fuckhead...

you need the permission certificate to be able to play them. Best thing to do is get them again, in MP3...i hate WMA files...

[Howie]

Convert them from .wma to .mp3/.ogg.

Search for dbpoweramp at download.com

[Themikemachine]

man it sucks cuz I already tried converting them but it seems they are encrypted in some way so that the prog I tried to convert them to mp3 doesnt work. I cant get mp3 cuz the group isnt very known.

[Xaenn]

Sorry to tell you but wmas are automatically made protected. It's a bullshit M$ thing. I wanted a bunch of music from my friend, but it was wmas so you can't play it on any computer other than the one it was made on.

There are programs to strip the protection but I believe only the person who created them can do so.

Have you tried winamp with one of the output plugins? That'd be my best guess.

[Themikemachine]

Well winamp cant really play wma files (I tried), I would really like to find a prog to strip copy protection. or maybe a prog that lets me record whats going out the speakeers. About the protected files youcan play them on other pcs I believe, all u have to do is play it and a internet explorer window pops up. then u choose to change licenses or sumthin like that and your done

[Del_Boy]

The protection of .wma files is an entirely optional element on the behalf of the encoder (mainly businesses that sell the music will protect the files).

Best way to fix the problem, would be to record the audio output with something like ..... forgot the name now.... erm I'll remember it...

Ah that's it! Total Recorder, that ought to do it for you. Probably some decent freeware solutions out there too, but that's the main one that springs to mind.

[Xaenn]

I wasn't aware it was optional to put the file protection on wmas. It must be put on by default I guess.

I thought there was a plugin for winamp to play wmas....I would at least assume there is one.

[Del_Boy]

Winamp by default can play .wma files, unfortunately AFAIK it can not play the protected versions.

[Themikemachine]

K well the total record prog seems to work fine, but its annoying having to manually start and stop the recording so I would like to be able to set software recording option on to work. Also I dont know why but it seems to be recording at like double the speed, so that when I play it it looks like slow motion, this sucks

[Norgus]

Use <a href="http://audacity.sourceforge.net/">audacity!</a> I tell you its the badgers nadgers! Not hard to use, but you have to remember to set your recording source to wav from your OS.

It is manual recording I am talking about so you have to start and stop it recording at the start and end of the track, if you get speed problems you can change the speed using audacity. (though I have no idea why you would get the wrong speed).