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Cannot set ringtones or play sounds
Cannot set ringtones or play sounds
I have windows mobile 6.0 on my HTC Touch - Sprint
Just started having this problem. Whenever I try to set a ringtone, I'm getting "Ring Tone Error" This ring tone file is corrupted or unavailable. Please choose a different ringone. I get this error nomatter what ringtone or mp3s I try to set up for my ringtone. So all I can have at this time is vibrate.
Also realized after I started having this problem, I am not able to launch windows media player and sound recorder. Whenever I try to launch these programs nothing happens. Also I use SPB time for my alarm and it has stopped playing any sounds as well. Whenever the alarm goes off no sounds come out. So I guess its something to do with sound playback?
Answers
- Ok, if it were my device, based upon what you said, I would do a hard reset and start fresh. Something got "wacked" and IMHO, it is far easier to start fresh.
Jack Cook
http://www.experiencemobility.net
http://www.mobilitysite.com- Marked As Answer byJack Cook - aka Help_LineMVP, ModeratorTuesday, June 02, 2009 8:57 PM
- Hi everybody!
I used to have the same problem. When I tried to set an mp3 ring tone for incoming calls or when I tried to set an alarm with mp3 sound, a box appeared saying "This ring tone file is corrupted or unavailable. Please choose a different ring tone." The ring tone defaulted to Ring-WindowsMobile. I use Samsung SGH-i780 PPC with Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional. The problem occurred after installation of .NET compact framework 3.5 or after installation or deinstallation of NoteM 1.21 voice recording software. I have read many posts and come to the conclusion that apart from hard reset of my PPC there is no other useful suggestion on the web :( So I had to figure it out myself and I did :)
First thing I have noticed is that I could use *.wma ring tone and alarm sound. So i used Free Mp3 Wma Converter 1.8.0 on my laptop to convert two mp3 files, meant to be used as a ring tone and alarm sound, to WMA format and then I put them it into /My Documents folder, using ActiveSync. Then I could select these two wma files as my ring tone and alarm sound. Good start.
Then I realized that when I clicked on any mp3 file in file explorer, this file did not opened in my Windows Media Player Mobile 10. So I used my Total Commander for Windows Mobile (Total Commander/CE V. 2.51), which by the way is a great stuff, to set default application for opening mp3 files. After "right-clicking" (i.e., holding down the stylus/mouse until a context menu appears) on any mp3 file you can select Properties. Then choose second tab - Open with. Here you should have an antry ".mp3 -> mp3file". If you do not have one, you can add it by clicking on the Open with button and typing: Command: wmplayer.exe (this application is in \Windows folder, so you do not need full path), Parameters: "%1", Icon file: \Windows\wmplayer.exe, Index: 0. Last two options are not essential. Note that %1 must be quoted! Ok, after accepting these settings, you should be able to open your mp3 files with Windows Media Player. Not bad, right?
The second step involves editing your registry. I am going to describe how to do this with the aforementioned Total Commander, which fits this task very well. You should go to the root of your directory tree: \. Then choose \\Plugins\registry\HKCR. First, go to .mp3 folder (you can just start typing letters - Total Commander will navigate you to the proper folder) and enter it. Click on Default - you should see mp3file. Yes, this is one of the results of setting WMP as a default application to handle mp3 files.
Now, the most important part comes! Navigate to another folder in HKCR, called mp3file and enter it. In my case, I had only two subfolders here: DefaultIcon and Shell. By the way, you can see that subfolder Shell\Open\Command contains a key Default with value wmplayer.exe "%1". This is the second of the results of setting WMP as a default application to handle mp3 files. So, coming back to the point - we are in mp3file folder. Now, you should set a correct event sound handler for mp3 files by adding the following folders: Shellex\EventSoundHandlers\{245F94CF-DD9C-46F9-B4C8-D2B14A877893} (i.e., you have to add Shellex subfolder, then enter it and add EventSoundHandlers subfolder and then enter this subfolder and add next subfolder called {245F94CF-DD9C-46F9-B4C8-D2B14A877893}). Note braces in the last subfolder name! Ok, once you are in the subfolder {245F94CF-DD9C-46F9-B4C8-D2B14A877893}, add a new DEFAULT key by hitting New value, then ticking default check box and pressing the OK button. When asked for the value of the new default key, type XME EventSound Player and accept. Now, you should be able to set mp3 ring tones as well as set mp3 alarm sound. At least I was able :)
Two more notes:
1) The name of the subfolder created in HKCR\mp3file\Shellex\EventSoundHandlers should be identical to the name of the subfolder in HKCR\WMAFile\Shellex\EventSoundHandlers (it seems that wma and mp3 files are handled by the same event sound handler). If you have different subfolder name in HKCR\WMAFile\Shellex\EventSoundHandlers, and your wma files can be set as a ring tone and alarm sound, use your folder name instead of mine ({245F94CF-DD9C-46F9-B4C8-D2B14A877893}).
2) You can reenable an option of setting mp3 file as a ring tone from the context menu. To achieve this, you need HKCR\mp3file\Shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\{...} folder. In this folder add default key with value Set As Ringtone. Check what should be placed inside braces (instead of ...) by checking the name of the folder found in HKCR\WMAFile\Shellex\ContextMenuHandlers. My value is E88B4A18-6F77-4bb6-8E0D-DCD4B1F8F1DA.
I hope this helps. Good luck!- Marked As Answer byJack Cook - aka Help_LineMVP, ModeratorMonday, November 09, 2009 2:39 PM
All Replies
- Have you recently installed some new program(s)? On the surface it appears to me that something got corrupted. If you want the fastest way to bring it back, I might consider doing a hard reset to bring it back to factory settings.
Jack Cook
http://www.experiencemobility.net
http://www.mobilitysite.com - I haven't changed anything. In fact the ringtone was playing until I slep at around 2 am and suddenly next day this started to happen. Ya, I'm thinking of doing a hard reset later today after backing up my data.
- So if you click on a music file use file explorer, it will not play ... correct?
Jack Cook
http://www.experiencemobility.net
http://www.mobilitysite.com - Correct. It will not play. when I click on a music file nothing happens. and also when I click on the windows media player, nothing comes up and same with sound recorder.
- Ok, if it were my device, based upon what you said, I would do a hard reset and start fresh. Something got "wacked" and IMHO, it is far easier to start fresh.
Jack Cook
http://www.experiencemobility.net
http://www.mobilitysite.com- Marked As Answer byJack Cook - aka Help_LineMVP, ModeratorTuesday, June 02, 2009 8:57 PM
- Hard reset did the trick. thanks.
- Hi touchuser,
Thanks for reporting back that your problem was solved. I'm glad the Forum was able to assist!
Thank you from the Microsoft Windows Mobile Team
http://www.WindowsMobile.com/TotalAccess - Excellent nnews! Good luck with it!
Jack Cook
http://www.experiencemobility.net
http://www.mobilitysite.com - Hi everybody!
I used to have the same problem. When I tried to set an mp3 ring tone for incoming calls or when I tried to set an alarm with mp3 sound, a box appeared saying "This ring tone file is corrupted or unavailable. Please choose a different ring tone." The ring tone defaulted to Ring-WindowsMobile. I use Samsung SGH-i780 PPC with Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional. The problem occurred after installation of .NET compact framework 3.5 or after installation or deinstallation of NoteM 1.21 voice recording software. I have read many posts and come to the conclusion that apart from hard reset of my PPC there is no other useful suggestion on the web :( So I had to figure it out myself and I did :)
First thing I have noticed is that I could use *.wma ring tone and alarm sound. So i used Free Mp3 Wma Converter 1.8.0 on my laptop to convert two mp3 files, meant to be used as a ring tone and alarm sound, to WMA format and then I put them it into /My Documents folder, using ActiveSync. Then I could select these two wma files as my ring tone and alarm sound. Good start.
Then I realized that when I clicked on any mp3 file in file explorer, this file did not opened in my Windows Media Player Mobile 10. So I used my Total Commander for Windows Mobile (Total Commander/CE V. 2.51), which by the way is a great stuff, to set default application for opening mp3 files. After "right-clicking" (i.e., holding down the stylus/mouse until a context menu appears) on any mp3 file you can select Properties. Then choose second tab - Open with. Here you should have an antry ".mp3 -> mp3file". If you do not have one, you can add it by clicking on the Open with button and typing: Command: wmplayer.exe (this application is in \Windows folder, so you do not need full path), Parameters: "%1", Icon file: \Windows\wmplayer.exe, Index: 0. Last two options are not essential. Note that %1 must be quoted! Ok, after accepting these settings, you should be able to open your mp3 files with Windows Media Player. Not bad, right?
The second step involves editing your registry. I am going to describe how to do this with the aforementioned Total Commander, which fits this task very well. You should go to the root of your directory tree: \. Then choose \\Plugins\registry\HKCR. First, go to .mp3 folder (you can just start typing letters - Total Commander will navigate you to the proper folder) and enter it. Click on Default - you should see mp3file. Yes, this is one of the results of setting WMP as a default application to handle mp3 files.
Now, the most important part comes! Navigate to another folder in HKCR, called mp3file and enter it. In my case, I had only two subfolders here: DefaultIcon and Shell. By the way, you can see that subfolder Shell\Open\Command contains a key Default with value wmplayer.exe "%1". This is the second of the results of setting WMP as a default application to handle mp3 files. So, coming back to the point - we are in mp3file folder. Now, you should set a correct event sound handler for mp3 files by adding the following folders: Shellex\EventSoundHandlers\{245F94CF-DD9C-46F9-B4C8-D2B14A877893} (i.e., you have to add Shellex subfolder, then enter it and add EventSoundHandlers subfolder and then enter this subfolder and add next subfolder called {245F94CF-DD9C-46F9-B4C8-D2B14A877893}). Note braces in the last subfolder name! Ok, once you are in the subfolder {245F94CF-DD9C-46F9-B4C8-D2B14A877893}, add a new DEFAULT key by hitting New value, then ticking default check box and pressing the OK button. When asked for the value of the new default key, type XME EventSound Player and accept. Now, you should be able to set mp3 ring tones as well as set mp3 alarm sound. At least I was able :)
Two more notes:
1) The name of the subfolder created in HKCR\mp3file\Shellex\EventSoundHandlers should be identical to the name of the subfolder in HKCR\WMAFile\Shellex\EventSoundHandlers (it seems that wma and mp3 files are handled by the same event sound handler). If you have different subfolder name in HKCR\WMAFile\Shellex\EventSoundHandlers, and your wma files can be set as a ring tone and alarm sound, use your folder name instead of mine ({245F94CF-DD9C-46F9-B4C8-D2B14A877893}).
2) You can reenable an option of setting mp3 file as a ring tone from the context menu. To achieve this, you need HKCR\mp3file\Shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\{...} folder. In this folder add default key with value Set As Ringtone. Check what should be placed inside braces (instead of ...) by checking the name of the folder found in HKCR\WMAFile\Shellex\ContextMenuHandlers. My value is E88B4A18-6F77-4bb6-8E0D-DCD4B1F8F1DA.
I hope this helps. Good luck!- Marked As Answer byJack Cook - aka Help_LineMVP, ModeratorMonday, November 09, 2009 2:39 PM
- Hi MarcinSzelag,I must say your post had just solved one of the biggest mysteries of Windows Mobile that I have encountered so far.A couple of weeks ago, all of a sudden, my phone could no longer set WMA as ringtone. I can play them in WMP10 and any other media players that I have installed on my phone so there were no problems with the WMA files. I can see the WMA files in the list of ringtones under Settings - Sounds & Notifications but when I set them as ringtone, they just don't play -- no vibration, no sound. It only happens to WMA file, no issues with MP3 and WAV files.I have tried all possible workarounds and solutions I could find online only to no avail. I hard reset my phone and surprisingly, it works after the hard reset. I then fully restored my phone to the previous state, the problem is back. That said there must be something wrong somewhere in the registry.I have been using Resco File Explorer all this while. Some gut feeling told me maybe I should try the default File Explorer. Then I noticed there is this option called 'Set As Ringtone' in the context menu when I tap and hold on an MP3 or WAV file, and this option was missing when I tap and hold on a WMA file. So that gave me a new direction to look for the solution, and thank goodness I found your post.Your post is about MP3 file format but it applies to WMA too! Now I have finally solved this annoying issue that has been driving myself mad for weeks!Thanks a bunch dude! You made my day.
- Thanks for post on your success with the issue ylihao and particular thanks to the well presented post MarcinSzelag!
Jack Cook
http://www.experiencemobility.net
http://www.mobilitysite.com
