WMA, MP3, Help!

[Guest]

I use a voice recorder to record classes.
It records in MP3 format.
On my old computer (Windows XP) it would upload as MP3.
On my new computer (Vista) it automatically uploads as WMA!
Not only that, but when I plug the recording device into the computer, and
open it, the computer shows the files ON THE RECORDER as WMA, even though in
reality they are MP3.

1 - How can I get my computer to leave them, and upload them, as MP3?
2 - How can I change what was already uploaded as WMA back to MP3?

Please help. Thank you very much.

 

[Drew T]

ALP,

Not sure if they are related but if you open Windows Media Player, select
'Tools > Options > Rip Music' tab. Under 'Format', change the default .WMA
to MP3. You may also have to change the option below that to 'Always', click
OK & exit WMP.

Drew

 

[Guest]

Thanks, but that just helps when I rip from a CD.
However, my issue remains.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the help. But do you know how I can get Vista to realize that they
are MP3 files without having to manually convert them. (On my XP computer
everything was fine).

 

[Guest]

Someone from Yahoo answers showed me how to convert from WMA to MP3 without
downloading any software, and it works. However, I'm still trying to get
Vista to recognize these files as MP3 without having to do anything, as was
the case with my XP computer.

Here that fellow's tip though:

***************

you dont need special software.
open the control panel go to folder options switch to view and scroll down
to 'Hide Extensions...'
Uncheck the box>click ok.
go to the WMA's file folder.
right click on the song>choose rename>change the last three letters after
the titles period mark from wma to mp3>press enter or click outside the
rename field.
No problems at all - I just did it myself.

**************

 

[tomlives2000]

Vista doesn't change file extensions when it wants to. If it says wma then
it was recorded as wma. If it says *.mp3 then it was recorded as mp3. gates
is good but he can't just change hardware stored files adhoc.

 

[Guest]

Tom, what should I tell you? It works. Try it, you'll see.
Perhaps it was always an MP3 file, just that Vista "calls it" WMA, hence a
name change will bring it back to MP3.
I know it sounds weird, but it's true.