FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. Technology
2. Compatibility
3. Installation
4. Copying Tracks to My Computer
5. Transferring Tracks to My Portable Device
6. Media Players
7. Troubleshooting
8. Privacy
9. I Still Need Help

Technology

1. Why has the disc been copy controlled?

The disc has been manufactured using copy controlled technology to prevent unlimited copying of the audio on the disc. The disc includes software called MUSIC PLAYER which enables you to import tracks from the copy controlled disc to the PC, to listen to the tracks, or to export the tracks to OpenMG compliant applications.

Tracks imported to an OpenMG application (i.e. SonicStage Jukebox and OpenMG Jukebox) can be exported to an OpenMG compatible device, such as a Net MD device. CLICK HERE for more information about OpenMG and compatible products and services.

2. How do I know if a disc is copy controlled?

Releases that are copy controlled are clearly marked on the front and back cover of the packaging.

3. Can I get a copy of the disc without the copy controlled technology?

No. We manufacture only one commercial version of each new release, a copy controlled version.

4. What is a ConnecteD disc? When I insert the disc in my computer, the disc runs, then the startup screen mentions that this is a “ConnecteD” disc. What does that mean?

Some of our discs have ConnecteD options. Learn more about ConnecteD below.

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ConnecteD FAQ

1. I have the CD in my computer, but it says it can't find it.

First of all, check to make sure that no other programs are open that use the CD, programs like CDPlayer, RealJukebox, or MusicMatch. Also, make sure that you have an official version of the CD. ConnecteD will NOT work with CD-Rs.

2. I bought the CD, but it still won't work on my computer? What am I doing wrong?

Currently, the ConnecteD site will only work with Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, and XP.

3. The Shockwave movie won't play. What's wrong?

If you are running any other operating system or version of Windows, try increasing Netscape's memory partition to about 12 Mb or even more if possible. Do this by quitting Netscape, clicking on the Netscape application while in Finder, selecting Get Info from the File menu and changing "Preferred Size" under "Memory Requirements".
Also, make sure that you have the most up to date versions of Shockwave and the Apple Quicktime Player. Windows users who do not have administrative privileges might also encounter problems when trying to install software.

4. Other problems with movie playback

Make sure you can play back normal shockwave movies. You can find some to try out at the web sites of Macromedia, Sony, and many others. If a regular shockwave movie does not play correctly, then a ConnecteD one will not play either.

5. Other tips (Windows users):

• Make sure the Windows CD Player is not open. If it is, make it active and then quit the CD Player application.
• If your computer is set to Autoplay CDs when they are inserted, you can override this by holding down the Shift key for about 5 seconds after the CD has been inserted.
• Windows 95 users should use version 6.x of Microsoft Windows Media Player, while Windows 98 users should use Windows Media Player version 7.0.

6. AOL Users

For best results, run a separate browser on top of your AOL connection. For example, run AOL, then launch Netscape or Internet Explorer. Set up for ConnecteD as you would if you were running the browser independent of AOL.
If you have any other issues, please refer them to ConnecteD@sonymusic.com

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Compatibility

1. I have an Apple Macintosh computer.  Will the disc work on my MAC?

At this time the copy controlled technology disc is only compatible with PCs. Enhancements to the disc, including Mac support, are being evaluated.

2. How can I tell if the disc is compatible with my PC?

Please check the Minimum System Requirements.

3. How can I tell if my equipment is compatible?

If you are having problems making the disc work with your hardware, please contact us to help you determine whether your hardware is compatible. CLICK HERE.

Note: At this time we only support portable devices that operate with OpenMG.

For a list of OpenMG devices, please visit http://www.sony.net/Products/OpenMG and click "Electronics - Support". CLICK HERE more information on OpenMG.

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Installation

1. I was unable to install the MUSIC PLAYER. Can you help?

Depending on the Operating System you are using, you may need specific access rights to install or use MUSIC PLAYER.

To launch the MUSIC PLAYER installer manually, follow these steps:

1. Double click on the “My Computer” icon on your desktop.
2. Inside the “My Computer” window, double click on the icon for your CD-ROM drive.
3. Once you see the list of files on the disc, double click on the folder named “BIN”.
4. Once you see the list of files in the “BIN” folder, double click on the folder named “WIN32”.
5. Once you see the list of files in the “WIN32” folder, double click on the file named “MQSETUP.EXE”.
6. Follow the prompts. For more information on installing MUSIC PLAYER CLICK HERE.
   

2. What access rights do I need to use MUSIC PLAYER with Windows 2000 Professional / Windows XP Professional / Windows XP Home Edition systems?

You must log on to your computer with Administrator rights to install MUSIC PLAYER.

You must log on to your computer with Administrator or Power User rights to use MUSIC PLAYER.

Note: On Windows XP Home Edition system, you need Administrator rights to use MUSIC PLAYER. You cannot use MUSIC PLAYER with User rights.

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Copying Tracks To My Computer

1. How do I import tracks from the disc onto my computer?

To import tracks to your computer (for PC only, not MAC), you must use the MUSIC PLAYER software provided on the disc. This application will be installed the first time you try to extract the tracks.

You can import the tracks from the disc onto your computer with the “Album Import” function of MUSIC PLAYER. For more information on MUSIC PLAYER functionality, CLICK HERE .

You can transfer your music saved in the MUSIC PLAYER to other OpenMG compliant Jukebox software (i.e. SonicStage, or OpenMG Jukebox). Once a track has been imported to a PC, it cannot be imported again until the first copy has been deleted.
Once a track has been exported from MUSIC PLAYER to SonicStage, if you then delete the track from SonicStage, you will not be able to re-export the track from MUSIC PLAYER to SonicStage. Moving content (“exporting”) from MUSIC PLAYER to SonicStage is a one-time and one-way export.

If you delete a track from MUSIC PLAYER you can re-import that track (content file) only from the original disc.

Do not use Windows Explorer or other applications to move or edit track files. This will make them unplayable.

To launch the MUSIC PLAYER installer manually, follow these steps:

• Double click on the “My Computer” icon on your desktop.
• Inside the “My Computer” window, double click on the icon for your
  CD-ROM drive.
• Once you see the list of files on the disc, double click on the folder named “BIN”.
  Once you see the list of files in the “BIN” folder, double click on the folder named “WIN32”.
• Once you see the list of files in the “WIN32” folder, double click on the file named “MQSETUP.EXE”.
• Follow the prompts.

For more information on MUSIC PLAYER, please CLICK HERE.

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2. Can my existing MP3 collection be imported into the MUSIC PLAYER software?

Files such as MP3 or WAV cannot be imported into the MUSIC PLAYER software. The MUSIC PLAYER software is only compatible with our copy controlled discs. For more information on MUSIC PLAYER, please CLICK HERE.

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Transferring Tracks To My Portable Device

1. How do I transfer the tracks to my portable device?

To transfer a track to your portable device, you must have OpenMG Jukebox or SonicStage software (provided with OpenMG compatible devices) installed on your computer.
SonicStage comes preinstalled on VAIO computers.

2. Can I use MUSIC PLAYER with my iPOD or MP3 Player?

MUSIC PLAYER does not currently support iPOD and MP3 Players.
At this time, the software on the copy controlled disc is only compatible with portable devices that support OpenMG. OpenMG compliant jukebox software (supplied with OpenMG compatible portable devices) is required in order to be able to check out the MUSIC PLAYER tracks to a compatible portable device.

For a list of supported compatible devices please CLICK HERE. If you are still having problems with your equipment and your equipment is listed as a compatible device, please contact us to help you with your problem. CLICK HERE.

For further information about OpenMG and SonicStage, including software updates, please visit http://www.sony.net/Products/OpenMG and click "Electronics - Support"

For assistance with, or support for OpenMG and SonicStage please visit Sony IQ Online Support at http://www.iq.sony.com

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Media Players

1. Do I have to use MUSIC PLAYER to play back the tracks on my PC or can I use a different media player?

MUSIC PLAYER, the software included on the disc, is designed to play back the audio files contained on the disc when the files are moved onto the PC. It is designed to play back only the protected files which which are in a proprietary format. You may experience audio distortion and signal degradation if you use another media player for playback of the audio files contained on the disc.

In the future, we plan to offer compatibility with other media players. For the latest information on these software plug-ins, please CLICK HERE.

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Troubleshooting

1. I tried to copy the tracks onto my computer but I could not get it to work.

The copy controlled technology included in the disc is not compatible with other music players. You must successfully install MUSIC PLAYER on your PC (not MAC compatible) in order to playback music via your Hard Disk Drive and PC. Please be sure to follow the instructions for installing the MUSIC PLAYER.

IMPORTANT: You may need certain access rights depending on your operating system. This procedure may need to be performed while logged in as Administrator, or to an account with Administrator rights.

Please write down (or save as screenshots) the exact error message or messages that you receive, and describe where in the process you were, when the error message displayed.

For further assistance you may contact Customer Support.

2. What access rights do I need to use MUSIC PLAYER with Windows 2000 Professional / Windows XP Professional / Windows XP Home Edition systems?

You must log on to your computer with Administrator rights to install MUSIC PLAYER.

You must log on to your computer with Administrator or Power User rights to use MUSIC PLAYER.

Note: On Windows XP Home Edition system, you need Administrator rights to use MUSIC PLAYER. You cannot use MUSIC PLAYER with User rights.

3. Why do I get this error message when trying to import an album into the MUSIC PLAYER software - “ERROR: Unable to find selected disk. Please check that the selected disk is functioning properly.”

This error message may appear if the CD in the CD/DVD drive is not compatible with the MUSIC PLAYER software. Content included on a CD-R (burned disc) will not operate with your MUSIC PLAYER.

4. I inserted the disc into my PC and the player did not launch. What should I do?

If you are trying to play the disc on a PC, you can launch the player manually by following these steps:     

1. Double click on the "My Computer" icon on your desktop.
2. Inside the "My Computer" window, double click the icon for your CD-ROM drive.
3. Once you see the list of files on the disc, double click the folder named "BIN".
4. Once you see the list of files in the "BIN" folder, double click the folder named "WIN32".
5. Once you see the list of files in the "WIN32" folder, double click the file named "START.EXE".
6. Once the interactive player opens, you should see a button named “Play Tracks".  When you click a listing of all the audio tracks on the disc will appear.

5. The audio looks like it’s playing, but I don’t hear anything.

Make sure that your speakers are plugged in, and that your system volume is not muted. You can check these settings by double clicking the speaker icon (usually located on the right side of the Task bar) that displays on your monitor screen.

6. I inserted the disc in my PC, double clicked “START.EXE” and nothing happened. What do I do now?

First, make sure that you are using an original disc and not a CD-R. While the player should launch from a CD-R copy of the disc, the actual functionality required to play media or move content to the computer will not function.

If you are using an original disc, and the problem persists, try ejecting and reinserting the disc.

7. While playing the original disc in my PC, I had one of the following problems - can you help me?

• The music did not resume after I pushed the “start”, “stop”, or “play” button.
• The fast forward and rewind functions did not work.
• I could not play all of the songs listed on the disc.
• There were long delays between songs after I pushed a function button (e.g., “start”, “stop”, “play”).

We strive to improve performance. It would be helpful if you contact us and tell us what the brand and model number is of the player you are using, and describe the problem in detail.

8. While playing the original disc in my PC, the audio sounded distorted, and in general, the sound quality was poor – what's wrong?

Playback of the audio tracks using any media player other than the one that is included in the ROM session of the disc may cause audio distortion and signal degradation. For instructions on how to switch from another media player to the MUSIC PLAYER, please see MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS.

9. The audio started "skipping" when my screensaver activiated. What can I do?

If your computer works on a Windows operating system, sometimes while listening to your music with the disc in your ROM drive, screensaver activation may cause the audio signal to "skip". If this happens, the skipping will generally disappear when you either temporarily disable the screensaver, or, alternatively, when you click on the mouse (or keyboard), thus temporarily deactivating the screensaver feature.

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10. I try to play the content of the disc using a software player, but the music sounds scrambled. How can I fix this problem?

This CD is copy protected. Please use the player which is located on the disc. Please execute the file “start.exe” in the folder /bin/win32 on the disc.

11. The disc (or some tracks) does not play on my home stereo CD player. What can I do?

Please report this problem by contacting Customer Support.

12. Is it necessary to install any software in order to be able to play the audio content of the disc on a PC?

No. You can play the audio content using the Open MG Bundled player included on your disc; the player should automatically start once the disc is inserted in the PC. If you want to play the music on a PC without the disc, or if you want to export the tracks to a portable device, you must first install the Music Player software which is in the bin/win32 folder of your OMG disc.

13. I have installed Music Player but it does not see the disc so I am unable to import the tracks.

October, 2005 - It has been confirmed that Music Player, as well as other Sony application software for managing music files on the computer, will not work as originally intended if a user installs Microsoft Windows Security Update Program MS04-032 (KB840987) on his/her computer. Sony has been investigating the cause of this problem as well as working on countermeasures in collaboration with the Microsoft Corporation.

To fix this problem, please go to the following web site as shown below.

http://esupport.sony.com/perl/news-item.pl?news_id=52

14. My stereo equipment does not recognize or play the disc.

These discs contain an additional data session for computers to read. A standard CD player simply ignores the extra session. Please make sure that your equipment is capable of playing multi-session discs by trying a different unprotected CD with a data session on it. The vast majority of CD players are designed to recognize multi-session discs as many new CDs have this feature.

Privacy

Will personal information be collected from my computer during the installation process?

No, none of your personal information will be collected during the installation process.

I have questions or concerns that are not
answered in this FAQ. Can you help me?

Yes - it would be helpful if you send us detailed information regarding the issue you are experiencing, for example: how you operated the device, what symptoms occurred, and all messages and error codes.

To find out how you can find this type of information, CLICK HERE.

14. To contact Customer Support CLICK HERE.

To contact Press, Publicity, and Media Relations CLICK HERE.

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