Windows Media Player 11 Help

How To Sync Digital Media With Portable Device

Using Windows Media Player 11, you can easily copy or sync your digital media such as music and video files with several different types of portable devices. Some of the popular devices used to sync data with Media Player are:

• Portable media players
• Windows Mobile Smartphones
• Pocket PCs
• Storage cards
• Portable Media Centers

In order to start syncing, you just need to connect the device that you want to sync, to your PC, set up the sync details, and you are ready to start. The four main tasks involved in the syncing process are discussed here.

How to Setup the Device

Media Player 11 provides two sync techniques—Automatic and Manual. By default, the player decides the method that works best with your devices, when you connect it to your computer.

Automatic sync method is used if your device has 4 gigabytes (GB) or more storage space on it and if all media files in your library can be accommodated on the device.

Note : You can also select the playlists that you would like your device to sync automatically.

Manual sync method requires you to manually specify the files and playlist that you want to be synchronized when you make changes to your digital media files. This method is usually chosen if your media device comprises limited storage space.

Steps to setup the device

1. Open Media Player 11 on your system, power on your digital media device, and connect it to your PC.
2. If your system prompts, select the option that enables you to sync your device using Media Player 11. (Optional)
3. Next, perform one of the following tasks:
1. If the Automatic sync method is selected, select the Finish button to allow your player to automatically sync the media player library on your system with your device. This happens only the first time you connect your device. After this, every time you connect your device it will sync automatically with your Media Player 11 library.
2. If the player selects the Manual sync method, then when you select the Finish button, you will have to manually select the files and playlists on the Sync tab that you would like to sync manually.

Media Player 11 will now add your device to the Navigation pane, were all default categories of your device are displayed.

How to Select and Prioritize Automatic Sync

Even if your device syncs automatically with Media Player 11, it is not compulsory for you to sync the entire media library every time you connect your device to the PC. You can actually setup the playlists that you would prefer to sync every time. Let’s see how.

1. In the Windows Media Player window, open Sync tab, selects its down-arrow, point to the name of your digital media device, and then select the Set Up Sync command.
2. In the Device Setup dialog box that is displayed, you can do the following to add and remove playlists to be synchronized.
   
1. Select the existing playlists in the Available playlists list, and then select the Add button—to select multiple playlists, hold the Ctrl key down while making your selection with the mouse key.
2. Create a new playlist by selecting the New Auto Playlist button, then follow the screen instructions to create and add media files to this play list.
3. If you want to remove a playlist, select the playlist(s) you want to remove from the Playlists to sync list and then select Remove.
   
3. Next, to prioritize how playlists are synced with your device, perform one of the following activities:

1. In the Playlist to sync list on the Device Setup dialog box, select the playlists one-by-one and then choose the appropriate priority (Up and Down) arrow to set the order in which you would like your data to be synchronized. This way if your device gets filled up before entire data is synchronized, it will be only your low priority files that will get left behind.
2. If you like to rotate the music you listen to, if the storage capacity of your device is limited, or if your library is much larger than the space available on your device, then you may select the Shuffle what syncs check box located below the Playlists to sync list in the Device Setup dialog box. When you select this option, then every time you sync your device, all files on it are removed and new files from the playlists in the Playlists to sync list are added to the device.

How to Use Manual Sync to Select and Shuffle Items

If your device needs to be synchronized manually, you will have to do the following tasks yourself:

• Each time you connect your device, you will have to manually create a list of files and playlists to sync.
• Manually remove the files from the device and then use the shuffle option of the player to shuffle the playlist before you sync with your device.

The steps to perform manual sync are given below.

1. In the Windows Media Player window, turn on and connect your device, and then open Sync tab
2. If required, select the Clear List pane button, to remove the contents displayed in the List pane.
3. In case, multiple devices are connected to the system, select the device you want to sync from the Navigation pane.
4. Now, to add items, such as albums, files, playlists, to the list of items you want to sync, drag these items to the List pane on the right.
   
   Tip: Press and hold the SHIFT key if you want to select more than one adjacent item. Similarly, press and hold the CTRL key if you want to select multiple items that are not located adjacent to each other.
   
5. To remove one or more items from the list, select and right-click on them, and then select the Remove from list command.
6. Review the size of the selected files to ensure that your device can hold all the files that you have copied in the List pane.
7. Finally, to start, select the Start Sync button.

Shuffling Manual Sync Items on a Device

To shuffle from Manual sync items, open the Sync tab, select the down-arrow, point to your device, and then select the Shuffle command.

You may also do this the other way, by selecting the Shuffle music link in the List pane, to enable Media Player 11 to automatically shuffle the songs in your library and add them to the List pane.

Finally, go through the list, add or remove songs as per your choice from the list, and then select the Shuffle Now button.

How to Switch Between Automatic Sync and Manual Sync

To switch from Automatic sync to Manual sync, open the Sync tab, point to your media device, and then select the Set Up Sync command.

Here, select the Sync this device automatically check box to enable automatic sync and clear it to enable manual sync.