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This section contains alternative methods for accomplishing some common tasks more quickly and efficiently. In addition to the methods listed below, you can accomplish many tasks quickly by right-clicking an item in Media Library, or right-clicking inside a pane, such as the Now Playing pane. A shortcut menu of common commands appears.
Click one of the following links to go to that section:
| To | Do this |
| Add digital media files to a playlist from My Computer. | Open My Computer, find the digital media files you want to add, right-click, and then click Add to Playlist.*
-or- Drag the files to a playlist in Media Library. |
| Temporarily add items to a playlist | Open My Computer, find the digital media files you want to add, right-click, and then click Queue-it-Up.*
-or- Drag the files to the playlist pane in Now Playing. |
| Add the contents of folders containing digital media to a playlist. | Open My Music, right-click the folder containing digital media files you want to add, and then click Add to Playlist.* Add the items to an existing playlist or to one you create. |
| Search your computer for specific kinds of digital media files by using wildcard characters such as an asterisk (*) or a question mark (?). For example, *.mp3. | Open My Computer, click Search, follow the instructions on your screen, and then drag the files to Media Library. |
| Specify whether to automatically add digital media files to Media Library when they are played. | On the Tools menu, click Options. On the Player tab, select the Add items to Media Library when played check box. If you also want files from removable media added automatically, select the Include items from removable media check box. |
*This feature is only available on select versions of Windows. For more information, see Special features.
| To | Do this |
| Copy a digital media file to a CD or portable device. | Open My Computer or the My Music folder, find a digital media file you want to copy, right-click the file, and then click Copy to CD or Device.* Select the type of CD or portable device, and then click Copy. |
| Erase a CD-RW before copying digital media files to it. | Open My Computer, right-click the CD recorder drive, and then click Erase CD-RW. |
| Change the quality level of a file while you copy it to a portable device. You might want to do this to save space on your device. | Click Copy to CD or Device, and then select the portable device you want to copy to. Click the Portable device properties button. On the Portable Device tab, click Select quality level, and then move the slider to decrease the size of the file or increase the quality level. |
*This feature is only available on select versions of Windows. For more information, see Special features.
| To | Do this |
| View track and album details for a CD simultaneously. | Click Copy from CD, and then click View Album Info. Point to the top border of the Album Information pane. When the pointer changes into a vertical double-headed arrow, drag the border down. |
| Change the information that appears in file names of digital media files that you copy from a CD. | On the Tools menu, click Options. Click the Copy Music tab, and then click Advanced. Select the details you want to add to the file name, and then in Separator, click the type of separator you want to use. |
| View license information for a digital media file. | Right-click the digital media file you want to view license information for, click Properties, and then click the License tab. |
| Update information about a DVD you are playing. | On the View menu, point to DVD Features, and then click Update DVD Information. Click Yes to overwrite the existing information with the updated information. |
| To | Do this |
| Play a video faster or slower than normal speed while maintaining audio and video fidelity. | Play a video file. On the Play menu, point to Play Speed, and then click Fast or Slow.
This feature is only available on select versions of Windows. For more information, see Special features. |
| Play a file. | Open My Computer or the My Music folder, find a digital media file you want to play, right-click the file, and then click Play.
-or- Drag the file to the quick access box at the top of the Player to play the file. |
| Play a track repeatedly | Insert a CD into the drive. Click Copy from CD. Press CTRL + all the tracks that you do not want to play. Right-click, and then click Disable Selected Tracks. On the Play menu, click Repeat. Click the Play button.
-or- Click Media Library. Create a playlist that includes only the track that you want to play repeatedly. On the Play menu, click Repeat. Select the playlist, and then click the Play button. |
| To | Do this |
| Save a copy of a playlist with a different file name extension. | Play a playlist. On the File menu, click Save Media As. In the File name box, type a different file name extension, such as .m3u for the file |
| Back up the licenses for your digital media files. You should do this in case your licenses are lost, or you want to transfer them from an old computer to a new one. | On the Tools menu, click License Management. Click Browse, click a folder you want to store backup copies of your licenses to, and then click OK. Click Backup Now. |
| Delete files while using the Copy to CD or Device feature. | In the Items to Copy or Items on Device pane, right-click the file, and then click Delete from Library or Delete from Playlist. |
| Select all files or cancel the selection of all files in the Copy from CD, Items to Copy, or Items on Device panes. | Click the check box  at the top of the Copy from CD, Items to Copy, or Items on Device panes. |
| To | Do this |
| Choose a visualization. | Click Now Playing, click the Select Now Playing options button (above the Play button), point to Visualizations, and then click the visualization you want to use. |