# Windows Media Player can't find/play files that are RIGHT THERE
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-cant-find-play-files-that-are-right-there/488320
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 4, 2009, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-cant-find-play-files-that-are-right-there/488320 "2009-03-04T21:05:26Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2009, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-cant-find-play-files-that-are-right-there/488320/1 "2009-03-04T21:05:26Z")
OS: XP 2002 SP3
WMP: 11.0.blahblahblah
The music in question is all my mp3 files on a WD USB hard drive.
Yesterday it worked fine. Today, whenever I try to play something WMP says it can’t find the file. If I right click and Open File Location, it goes right there. I can play the file with iTunes or Real Player, so I’m quite sure it’s WMP that is the problem.
How do I fix it?!?
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### Author:  [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2009, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-cant-find-play-files-that-are-right-there/488320/2 "2009-03-04T21:09:43Z")
Are the files open in any other program, maybe something running in the background? Sometimes WMP is unable to play a file if another application is using it…
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### Author:  [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2009, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-cant-find-play-files-that-are-right-there/488320/3 "2009-03-04T21:44:29Z")
File associations got messed up? If another program has been assigned to play mp3’s, and WMP is only showing supported formats, then they won’t be in the list. Go to the directory using explorer and see what is associated with the files. (Check the icon, right click and see what “open with” has to say.)
There can also be malware issues.