DRM/music licenses problem!

[Si Hunt]

Can anyone help with this sudden and unexpected problem?

We've been buying songs legally on-line for ages, as .wma files from Tesco Download service, and they play fine. Except, suddenly, they don't!

When I turned our PC on yesterday I got a message informing me the registry had changed. When I bought 2 songs later than evening, they wouldn't play, instead displaying a "Server error /DRM".

Something has clearly gone amiss with the DRM (digital rights management) as of course I paid for the tracks so I should have the license to play them. Does anyone know how to fix this without destroying licenses for other applications?

I have googled and a few message boards suggest deleting the DRM folder. Will this work? Or will it affect licenses for other things? Where is this folder likely to be?

Any help appreciated!

Si.

[Si Hunt]

It's a slow burning mega-hit

Where's Pip, font of all such techy knowledge, when you want him?

Si.

[Pip Madeley]

I've not a clue I'm afraid, I don't bother with DRM/music licences...

[Lissa]

Is it affecting all the tracks you've bought or just the new ones?

If it is a registry problem, have you done anything to the registry recently (eg scanning it with a de-cluttering application)? You might be able to restore the registry to an earlier working state using System Restore.

This might be of some use - it looks as if Tesco are one of the few sites to let you download things again.

The above also mentions WMP's licence back up / restore function. If you've been prompted during better times to back your licence up it should let you restore it.

I've only ever used iTunes to buy DRM tracks and that checks with the iTunes store that you're on an authorised machine so if I deleted my hard drive and reinstalled, I could still use those tracks as long as I logged into my iTunes account. I've no idea if less pretty sites work the same way.

[Si Hunt]

Hi!

If it is a registry problem, have you done anything to the registry recently (eg scanning it with a de-cluttering application)? You might be able to restore the registry to an earlier working state using System Restore.

Well we installed VLC to take those screen grabs (!) and now all Windows Media Files are 'VLC' files and the icon has changed. I've tried opening with Real Player and clicking 'always use' but it still recognises them as VLC files.

A slight update - TODAY when we tried the files it took us to a Windows Upgrade page and told us to download an upgrade. So we did, and the files now play... but stutter, like a jumping CD.

We can however convert them using Protected Music Converter to MP3s and they seem to play all right. So I'm happy, although m'Mr Rayner likes to play them as .wma and not convert so he's a bit disgruntled still.

Si.

[Lissa]

You can change the default program for opening a particular file type by right clicking on (for example) a .wma file and clicking "Open With". You might have to hold down shift and right click in XP - I can't remember. It will then give you a list of programs, select the one you want, make sure "Always use the selected program" is ticked and it will change them.

VLC does use a lot of open source codecs so it might be worth reinstalling your media player of choice in case it has nudged something it shouldn't.

[Si Hunt]

We did that! And Realplayer opens when you double click .wma files.... but Exploror still thinks they are called "VLC files" (and it keeps the little traffic cone VLC icon) and we still get the stuttering, so it's done something amiss.

Si.