Prevent Windows Media Player Album Art Download

Anonymous
2009-12-02T13:24:14+00:00

I have spent a large amount of time fixingand manually editing my music album art with 500x500px images.

I have read the article at http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7music/thread/6ff8c9fd-d97f-4304-bad5-693f7dbb4532/ however this isn't my problem - I can add the artwork as I need.

The problem I have is that Windows Media Player is going online and replacing my 500x500px artwork with the 200x200px artwork from the online database. In addition to this, it is creating all of the 75x75px Small artwork files which are cluttering the My Music folder.

I have set Retrieve Additional Information from the Internet to No, and I have set Update Music Files by Retrieving Media Info from the Internet to No also, however it still goes online.

I used Wireshark to determine it is going to the following addresses:

redir.metaservices.windowsmedia.com.akadns.net

serviceswitching.metadata.windowsmedia.com.akadns.net

I have blocked these addresses on my router but WMP is finding a way around. I looked in the registry and there is nothing regarding totally disabling the artwork download (although this should be disabled with the options already set).

I can set the Folder.jpg files as Read-Only and this prevents WMP from overwriting my 500x500px files, but I still don't want it creating the AlbumArtSmall files.

Richard Green, MCSA Windows Server 2003

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Music, photos, and video

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2011-11-02T20:30:33+00:00

easy... just totally block windows media player using your firewall... or add those address as 127.0.0.1 (redir.metaservices.windowsmedia.com.akadns.net; serviceswitching.metadata.windowsmedia.com.akadns.net)

in the HOSTS file.

Was this answer helpful?

4 people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

54 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2014-09-16T08:32:50+00:00

    I applied a couple of corrections to my steps below:

    The solution is simpler than you think and is not related to WMP, rather to Windows itself.

    By some way, your music directory became part of Windows so called Music Library.

    • Open Windows Explorer.
    • Under "Desktop" locate "Libraries".
    • Right click the "Music" one and select "Properties".
    • You should see your music directory in there (or any of its parent directories, e.g. Public Music).
    • Just select it and press "Remove".

    Done..

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2014-09-15T18:29:55+00:00

    The solution is simpler than you think and is not related to WMP, rather to Windows itself.

    By some way, your music directory became part of Windows so called Music Library.

    • Open Windows Explorer.
    • Under "Desktop" locate "Libraries.
    • Right click the "Music" one.
    • You should see your music directory in there (or any of its parent directories, e.g. Public Music).
    • Just select it and press "Remove".

    Done..

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2014-05-16T04:59:43+00:00

    I give up on WMP 12 as well. I give up on Windows 7 also. XP ran perfectly. Still use Office 2003, cause I hate the "ribbon" at the top. I am 60 years old. Microsoft does not care about the end-user. Most of us do not design rockets or nuclear reactors. I am a dentist. All I want to do with computer is write letters, balance bank account, listen to music, email and watch TED talks and the like. Windows 7 and 8 forces us to spend huge amounts of time learning to do what we already know how to do with XP.

    I too an finicky about what I want to see in a Media Player. Just the song title and artist. Not "album artist" or "contributing artist"......just "artist". Personally, I do not want albumart. Clutters up the screen. Takes up too much real-estate. If you want albumart and all the category lists showing, then fine, you should be able to have it. But the contrary should be possible as well.

    I tried MusicBee, but the sound quality on my speakers was poor. This remains a puzzle. So I use VLC. Simple, but also needed to track down and block automatic download of art. Because un-checking their boxes to prevent this was not completely successful at first. But at least it was done within 10 minutes.

    Old sayings never die....If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

    Thanks to all the **** Retentive Music Listeners on this forum.

    I too thought I was the only Crazy One.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2014-04-29T20:54:36+00:00

    Sadly this problem is going on years and it doesn't appear Microsoft even read this forum anymore. I for one will be ditching the XBox soon and building a dedicated media PC.

    P.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments