Cannot play audio CDs

I'm working on a friends computer that has a strange problem. We get the following error message when we try to play an audio CD, store bought or otherwise:

"Windows Media Player cannot find the specified file. Be sure the path is typed correctly. If it is, the file does not exist at the specified location, or the computer where the file is stored is offline."

Now we've tried reinstalling all audio codecs, different sound cards as well as differnet CD drives. It plays DVD's fine including their audio, it plays all other audio files, it just will not play audio CD files (CDA)?

I have also tried other players besides media player with the same results. I have seen this problem listed in the forum before, and have tried any suggestions offered, but so far no solutions.

My last resort would be to reinstall XP which I'd hate to do as the system is working great otherwise. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Welcome to Windrivers Musky!

It seems its lost its file association with windows media player. Using explorer, right click on one of the .cda files on the cd drive. Now if open with is not listed, then release the mouse, hold down the shift key and right click while holding the shift key. Now you will get open with... click that. You will then get a list of programs that you can choose from. Choose windows media player first of all. Before applying, make sure the check box to apply this to every opening of cda is checked. Apply.

Does that cure it? If you reboot does it?

Has the association been lost after reboot?

If it hasn't cured it, dig around in c:\windows\ for cdplayer.exe - try using that. What happens?

Thanks for the fast response!

I have tried associating files with both media player as well as other "Cd Players" and get the same results.

When I highlight any of the tracks and choose "properties" it say's under file type: "CD audio file", so XP seems to be recognizing them, but when I try to play them, I get the error message I posted in my original post.

I have been having this problem for some time and have been looking for a solution.

Thanks much for the help!

oh this is sooo helpful Mr Gates how about cleaning the cds? How about checking for viruses and spyware?

Dodgy codec download?

I've tried many different CD's with the same results, have reloaded codecs twice.

Searching through posts on this forum and others as well as Google seaches have revealed many people with this problem, just no solution :(

Thanks for your time!

Ok whats the make and model of the cd drive?

Have you considered removing through add/remove programs all audio related stuff? Then removing the sound card, then the cd rom untill you have a soundless machine. The putting it back?

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..we've tried reinstalling all audio codecs, different sound cards as well as differnet CD drives. It plays DVD's fine including their audio, it plays all other audio files, it just will not play audio CD files (CDA)?

I have also tried other players besides media player with the same results

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So you already tried Noo's last suggestion 'near enough' ..

Is this 'beast' connected to the internet ? Media player does dumb things with all that digital rights stuff & wants to look in some stupid places for files ;)

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Windows Media Player checks for an echo from the default gateway. If there is no IP gateway, Windows Media Player may try to ping the HTTP proxy instead. If the HTTP proxy is outside your firewall and the firewall filters ICMP packets, Windows Media Player may determine that there is no connection.

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that's from Microsoft Knowledge Base Article - 303275

So daft as it sounds your firewall or proxy server can come into play ..

Maybe this Kb explains it !?! .. (bang on the 'right' message !) windoze is most confus-ed about local adresses vs non local ! once you've got all the right stuff there as far as windoze is concernced everything is 'local' & that can provide some 'inexplicable' stuff until you cotton on ..

Hi Guys,

Yes, I've tried Noos suggestions and have also read that (Helpful) Microsoft article. There was even a better one that told me to "clean" my CD's. (Why didn't I think of that?)

We are connected to the internet, just in case that's Media players problem, and all the network settings seem correct with no firewall.

What leads me to believe that this is a problem with Windows XP and not just Media player is that NO CD player program can play audio CDs. I've tried Winamp, as well as several "freebies" and all give me error messages when trying to play any audio CD.

Like I said, I have tried different CD drives (which also won't play audio CDs) as well as these drives in different systems and they work fine.

I'm leaning toward the dreaded re-install of XP unless I can fnd an answer in the next day or so.

I really appreciate all the suggestions and will continue to check back here for an answer.

Thanks Much!

You can install over the top without losing your programs and if you go digging for the updates you have already downloaded and put them in a directory other than c:\windows you can reapply without having to download.

This is an off-chance, but what about trying sfc to see if maybe there's a system file problem?

Thanks for the thought Percy, I actually did run SFC as well as went to the repair center and ran 'Chkdsk" without results, but hey, thanks for thinking :)

I discovered one interesting fact today, of all the players I tried, today I downloaded MusicMatch Jukebox and it plays audio CD's fine. My thought is that this player probably dosen't use any portion of Media player to play files, as I suspect the rest do.

I am determined to fix the problem though, so I think I'm going to put on a pot of coffee and do the dirty deed, reformatt and reinstall.

Thanks for the suggestion on how to save my programs and upgrades, but I think if I'm going to go through the trouble to do this, I want a clean install, no chance of Windows not loading a file because it sees a newer one is already there, I've seen it happen before.

Thanks for everything guys!

Pleasure, but what are you going to do when windows doesn't install a file at all? :devil: