# Why don't my MP3's play in Winamp anymore?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-my-mp3s-play-in-winamp-anymore/23292
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 23, 2000, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-my-mp3s-play-in-winamp-anymore/23292 "2000-06-23T06:15:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Blunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blunt)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2000, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-my-mp3s-play-in-winamp-anymore/23292/1 "2000-06-23T06:15:03Z")
There is probably a really simple answer to this question, but I don’t know what it is. Up to today all my MP3’s automatically played in Winamp when I would double clicked on their icons. Today I downloaded and installed another MP3 Player (Earjam) so I could burn MP3’s directly to CD’s. Now all my MP3’s automatically bring up Earjam when I double click on them, and they even have the Earjam logo for their icons. How can I switch them back to Winamp?
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### Author:  [@argyle87](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/argyle87)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2000, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-my-mp3s-play-in-winamp-anymore/23292/2 "2000-06-23T06:23:48Z")
When you installed earjam, it made that your default MP3 player. You need to change the default player back to winamp.
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### Author:  [@Blunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blunt)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2000, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-my-mp3s-play-in-winamp-anymore/23292/3 "2000-06-23T06:29:51Z")
Thanks for the quick reply, but how do I change my default MP3 player?
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### Author:  [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2000, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-my-mp3s-play-in-winamp-anymore/23292/4 "2000-06-23T06:47:14Z")
I guess the quickest way would be to reinstall Winamp which will most likely reclaim its association with the mp3 extension upon installation.
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### Author:  [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2000, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-my-mp3s-play-in-winamp-anymore/23292/5 "2000-06-23T07:15:07Z")
Go to any old folder on your computer. Click on “View”. Down at the bottom, click on “Folder Options”. Then click on “File Types”. Now comes the fun part…
This should bring up a huge listing of all the different types of files on your computer, so now you get to search through them all and look for “.mp3” files (They may be listed as “Mp3”, “Mpeg-3”, or similar names… or even as “Earjam Audio File”, or something similar to THAT).
Anyway, if you find the correct file, click on “Edit”. There should be a window in this new menu listed “Actions”. Underneath should be two listings “Open” and “Play”. Click on each, one at a time, and click “Edit” again. You’ll then have to search through your computer and find the “Winamp.exe” file. Then press “Okay” a billion times.
Anyway, it’s long and arduous, so I’d reccomend Neutron Star’s suggestion. However, if you still have trouble, feel free to E-mail me.
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### Author:  [@Gatsby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatsby)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2000, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-my-mp3s-play-in-winamp-anymore/23292/6 "2000-06-23T07:20:26Z")
Just open up an explorer window (like “my computer”), go “tools/folder options” then click the “file types” tab.
Scroll down the list until you find mp3 file type, then click on change to associate mp3 files with Winamp.
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### Author:  [@Blunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blunt)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2000, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-my-mp3s-play-in-winamp-anymore/23292/7 "2000-06-23T07:30:25Z")
I was able to bring up the list of different file types, but there was nothing on it like mp3, mpeg3, or earjam audio file or anything. I then tried to create a new type with the extention .mp3, and it gave me a message that the .mp3 extention was already used by ‘earjam.file’, but that name is definitely not on the list.
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### Author:  [@Gatsby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatsby)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2000, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-my-mp3s-play-in-winamp-anymore/23292/8 "2000-06-23T07:37:54Z")
That sounds like some very evil software you installed.
Remove all traces and re-install Winamp.
I hate pushy software.
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### Author:  [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2000, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-my-mp3s-play-in-winamp-anymore/23292/9 "2000-06-23T07:45:38Z")
If you’re really desperate, you can go through each type of file, one by one, and search for files that “Include Extension Types…” (there’s a small space listed at the bottom of the “File Types” window that shows what extensions are included in which file types), but there are hundreds of listings there.
Just try reinstalling Winamp… or even uninstall Earjam.
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### Author:  [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2000, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-my-mp3s-play-in-winamp-anymore/23292/10 "2000-06-23T07:52:51Z")
**NONOONONONONONONONONONONO!!!**
DO NOT LISTEN TO ANY OF THIS!
They are making it TOO hard. Just do this:
1. Right click on the main body of WinAmp
2. Go to Options \> Preferences
3. Click on Setup \> File Types
4. Click Select All
Done!
Note to others: Don’t make things more complicated than they have to be. For someone with as little knowledge about computers as this person displays (don’t be offended, Blunt, ya just obviously don’t know yet), you have to make things as easy as possible. Sorry for the preaching.
–Tim, who knows WinAmp inside and out.
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### Author:  [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2000, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-my-mp3s-play-in-winamp-anymore/23292/11 "2000-06-23T07:58:42Z")
Ya, what Homer/Tim said (which is it? Homer or Tim?)
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### Author:  [@Blunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blunt)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2000, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-my-mp3s-play-in-winamp-anymore/23292/12 "2000-06-23T08:08:50Z")
That fixed it homer, thanks. I still wonder why I couldn’t change it the other way though, and I don’t know why the earjam.file extention wasn’t on the file types list, even though it clearly exists/existed. Maybe something in the earjam program tries to make it tough to change your default MP3 player so you have to stick with earjam?
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### Author:  [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2000, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-my-mp3s-play-in-winamp-anymore/23292/13 "2000-06-23T08:16:29Z")
Spoofe: Doesn’t matter a lick. Whatever you prefer.
Tim’s the real name, Homer’s the handle.
–Tim
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### Author:  [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2000, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-my-mp3s-play-in-winamp-anymore/23292/14 "2000-06-23T10:01:01Z")
Even easier…
Find an MP3 file, shift-right-click and select “open with”. Select winamp from the list, and click the “always open with this program?” button, and Voila!
-Sam
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### Author:  [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2000, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-my-mp3s-play-in-winamp-anymore/23292/15 "2000-06-23T12:11:51Z")
I can’t believe you guys. Don’t you know MP3’s are _gasp_ _illegal_?
_D&R_
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### Author:  [@DippyMonger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DippyMonger)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2000, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-my-mp3s-play-in-winamp-anymore/23292/16 "2000-06-23T12:35:06Z")
THANKYOU “GaWd”
I have been trying to find out for AGES how to re-associate files, and it was something as simple as that.
THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU!!!