# Desperate question from computer illeterate

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-question-from-computer-illeterate/228430>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 10, 2004, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-question-from-computer-illeterate/228430 "2004-02-10T12:16:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![marky33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@marky33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marky33)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-question-from-computer-illeterate/228430/1 "2004-02-10T12:16:06Z")

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Can anyone tell me how to change audio tracks recorded on (probably) an old version of RealPlayer and stored on my PC hard drive into a format (MP3, WAV, WMA, AIFF or VQF, apparently) suitable for burning using Nero software?

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**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-question-from-computer-illeterate/228430/2 "2004-02-10T12:46:16Z")

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This _might_ help. Been along time since I had to do something similar.

[http://www.mp3-converter.com/real\_jukebox.htm](http://www.mp3-converter.com/real_jukebox.htm)

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**Author:** ![Shepherdless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85f322/32.png) [@Shepherdless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shepherdless)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-question-from-computer-illeterate/228430/3 "2004-02-10T13:57:26Z")

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Try [dBpowerAMP](http://www.dbpoweramp.com/dmc.htm) Music Converter. It’s a very nifty program specifically designed for conversion from one format to another, and it’s free. You can also rip and encode with it. It supports pretty much all formats, but you may have to download the specific codec - which is probably, in your case, the Real Audio codec (for ra, ram and rm extensions).

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**Author:** ![Thylacinewas\_taken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@Thylacinewas\_taken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacinewas_taken)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-question-from-computer-illeterate/228430/4 "2004-02-11T16:17:07Z")

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You should try what those two recommended first, but usually when you need software for something it can be found legally at [www.cnet.com](http://www.cnet.com). There are a lot of programs to choose from and They are all trial versions or shareware.

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**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperate-question-from-computer-illeterate/228430/5 "2004-02-12T16:58:12Z")

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I used something called TINRA + TINRA-GUI (“This is not ‘Real’ Anymore”), both available at either VersionTracker or TUCOWS, I don’t remember which. TINRA is a command-line app, the GUI lets you run it without memorizing obscure DOS commands. It’s fast enough that I made good use of it under VirtualPC on my Mac.