What follows are OverDrive WMA Audiobook and OverDrive Media Console troubleshooting questions. Click the question to hear the question and answer. Each answer is followed by a back to top link that leads back to the list of questions.
I was prompted to perform a 'Windows Media® Player Security Upgrade'. What is this, and how do I complete this process?
The Windows Media Security Upgrade is a process that must be performed before Microsoft® Windows Media Player will allow any DRM-protected files to be downloaded. A security measure, the security update identifies the copy of Windows Media Player with the computer on which Windows Media Player is being used. Publishers often require this sort of security in order to discourage the unlawful redistribution of digital content.
If you have not previously performed the security upgrade, the first time that you attempt to download DRM-protected content, OverDrive Media Console checks to see if you need to complete the security upgrade. If a security upgrade is needed, a message is displayed notifying you that in order to download and play DRM-protected content, you must first upgrade the security of your Windows Media Player. Follow the instructions provided in the message to complete the security update.
Alternatively, you may complete the security upgrade at any time. Complete the security upgrade as follows…
If you have Windows Media Player 11 (or newer)…
If you have Windows Media Player 9 or 10…
If at a later time you need to upgrade the security of your Windows Media Player again, do so as follows…
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What should I do if an OverDrive WMA Audiobook does not completely download?
If you need to download an audiobook, or a Part of an audiobook, you can do so using the 'Download' option of OverDrive Media Console as follows…
Instead of the OverDrive WMA Audiobook I expected, I downloaded a file with the extension 'ODM'. Where is the audiobook?
The download of an ODM file is part of the OverDrive Media file download process. However, the ODM file should automatically be processed, and prompt the OverDrive Media Console to open.
If you have not yet downloaded and installed OverDrive Media Console, click here to download OverDrive Media Console.
If you have installed OverDrive Media Console, you may need to adjust your computer's file associations. File associations tell a computer which program should be used to open a file. To determine if you need to adjust file associations, double-click the ODM file. This should launch OverDrive Media Console and allow you to use the title. If this does not launch OverDrive Media Console, follow the instructions below to manually set the file association for the ODM file type.
The steps taken to set file associations for the ODM file type vary by operating system…
If you have Windows 7 or Windows Vista…
Please note that the initial download is a small file; you download the actual audiobook file(s) from within OverDrive Media Console.
If you have Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows 2000, or Windows 98SE…
I downloaded an OverDrive WMA Audiobook using Firefox® but am unable to open it. What should I do?
The steps taken to access audiobooks using Firefox vary according to the version of Firefox in use…
If you have Firefox 3.0 (or newer)…
If you have Firefox 2.0…
I got an error message while trying to download an audiobook. It says a connection to the Internet could not be established, but I am connected to the Internet. Why am I getting this error?
This error typically indicates that OverDrive Media Console and/or Windows Media Player cannot connect to the Internet. It is possible to receive this error message even if you are connected to the Internet. The error can be corrected by taking the following steps:
I had a problem while downloading a Part of an OverDrive WMA Audiobook and now, OverDrive® Media Console™ won't let me download that Part again. What should I do?
The steps taken to re-download a Part vary by operating system…
Note that downloads of Parts cannot be resumed from the point at which they were interrupted.
On Windows 7 and Windows Vista…
On Windows 98SE, Windows 2000, Windows ME, or Windows XP...
On Windows Mobile…
When I try to download an audiobook, I receive the message 'Unable to open the specified OverDrive Media file', followed by a file path that references a temporary directory on my computer. What should I do?
This error typically indicates that your browser's temporary Internet files are too full to process the download. This can be corrected by clearing the temporary Internet files from your web browser. The steps taken to clear temporary Internet files vary by browser and browser version…
If you are using Internet Explorer® 8.0…
If you are using Internet Explorer 7.0...
If you are using Internet Explorer 6.0...
If you are using Firefox 2 (or newer)...
When attempting to download a title I receive the message 'An error occurred while attempting to download Part 1 of title. Unable to create the local folder needed to create file path\title-Part1.wma.tmp'. What causes this problem and how can I fix it?
This message typically indicates that the specified download location either does not exist or OverDrive Media Console does not have permission to write to the location. To resolve this issue, reset the download location in OverDrive Media Console to its default setting by following these steps…
If you are using OverDrive Media Console for Windows…
If you have OverDrive Media Console for Windows Mobile…
How do I clear my browser's temporary Internet files?
The steps taken to clear temporary Internet files vary by browser and browser version…
If you are using Internet Explorer 8.0…
If you are using Firefox 2.0 (or newer)...
If you are using Internet Explorer on Windows Mobile [Pocket PC (Touch screen)]…
If you are using Internet Explorer on Windows Mobile [Smartphone (Non-Touch screen)]…
Where are OverDrive WMA Audiobooks saved on my computer?
The default download location depends on which operating system you have. OverDrive WMA Audiobooks are saved to the following locations by default…
On Windows 7 and Windows Vista®… Documents > My Media > WMA Audiobooks
On Windows® XP, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows 98SE, and Windows Mobile 5 and 6… My Documents > My Media > WMA Audiobooks
OverDrive Media Console™ allows you to modify this default location and save OverDrive WMA Audiobooks to an alternative location.
Is there a way I can change the point from which OverDrive Media Console starts playing titles?
Yes. OverDrive Media Console allows you to choose how media titles begin playing. The following options are available within OverDrive Media Console's 'Options' menu…
To change the point at which audiobooks start playing in OverDrive Media Console for Windows…
To change the point at which audiobooks start playing in OverDrive Media Console for Windows Mobile…
Note that MediaMarkers™ allow you to link to, and begin play at, specific sections of audiobooks. For information on MediaMarkers and other features of OverDrive Media Console, click here.
When I attempt to transfer a file to my portable device the Transfer Wizard reports that 'No portable players could be found' even though the player is connected. Why won't the Transfer Wizard recognize my device?
If you connected the device and immediately attempted to transfer files, it is possible that Windows had not yet recognized the device. Wait a few moments after connecting the device and attempt the transfer again.
If the error persists, the device may not support the transfer and playback of OverDrive WMA Audiobook titles. To review a list of supported portable devices, click here.
Note that many OverDrive WMA Audiobook titles can be transferred to Apple devices (where permitted by the publisher) using the Transfer Wizard in OverDrive Media Console v3.2 (or newer). For more information on transferring OverDrive WMA Audiobook titles to Apple devices, click here.
In order to use OverDrive WMA Audiobook titles on a device other than an iPod or an iPhone, the device must either support the bit rate of 32kbps or be able to transcode 32kbps files to a supported bit rate. You may want to check device documentation to determine if the device supports DRM-protected Windows Media content at 32kbps.
When I attempt to transfer an OverDrive WMA Audiobook to an Apple device, I get an error message stating that the format of the title is not compatible with the device. What should I do?
If you want to use the OverDrive Media Console v3.2 (or newer) Transfer Wizard to transfer content to an Apple device, the iTunes setting 'Manually manage music…' must be enabled for the device before you can complete the transfer. Adjust this setting as follows…
When I attempt to transfer an OverDrive WMA Audiobook to an Apple device, I get an error message stating 'The license for this title prohibits conversion and transfer to Apple devices'. What should I do?
This error indicates that the publisher has not allowed this title to be transferred to Apple devices. The publisher of each title decides whether to allow the title to be transferred to an Apple device; this decision is at the publisher's discretion. Many publishers enable this functionality while others choose not to permit this use of their content.
Check if an OverDrive WMA Audiobook title has publisher permissions for transfer to an Apple device as follows…
When I transfer OverDrive WMA Audiobook titles to an Apple device, the transfer process takes longer than I expected. Why does it take longer than usual to transfer OverDrive WMA Audiobook titles to Apple devices?
When OverDrive WMA Audiobook titles are transferred to Apple devices, the DRM-protected WMA files that make up the audiobook are converted. The conversion process typically takes a few minutes per Part, resulting in transfer times that are longer than what you typically see on your Apple device. To minimize the time it takes to transfer OverDrive WMA Audiobook titles to Apple devices, use the OverDrive Media Console recommended settings in iTunes.
Before transferring OverDrive WMA Audiobook titles to Apple devices, the OverDrive Media Console Transfer Wizard detects the iTunes settings that affect transfer time and sound quality. If your iTunes settings do not match OverDrive Media Console's recommended settings, the Transfer Wizard displays a prompt that shows both the current iTunes settings and the recommended settings. At this prompt, you can press the F1 key to access detailed instructions for updating iTunes settings. After the files are transferred to the device, the Transfer Wizard displays your previous iTunes settings so that you can, if desired, restore the original settings.
When I attempt to transfer an OverDrive Audiobook to my Zune® device, I get an error stating that 'The OverDrive Media Console Transfer Wizard requires version 3.0 or higher of the Zune software'. How can I get a copy of the Zune application v3.0 (or newer)?
If you wish to transfer OverDrive Audiobooks to your Zune device, you need to have the Zune application v3.0 installed on your PC. To download the Zune application, click here.
When I attempt to transfer an OverDrive Audiobook to my Zune device, I get an error stating that OverDrive Media Console can't access my device and that my Zune device needs an update. Why am I getting this error and how can I fix it?
If you wish to transfer OverDrive Audiobooks to your Zune device, your Zune device must have firmware v3.0 (or newer) installed. For instructions for updating your Zune device firmware, click here.
When I attempt to transfer an OverDrive Audiobook to my Zune device, I get an error stating that my Zune is already connected to another program. What should I do?
Before you can transfer OverDrive Audiobooks to a Zune device using the OverDrive Media Console Transfer Wizard, you must close any other program to which your Zune is connected. Once you close an application to which the Zune is connected, attempt the transfer again.
I tried to transfer an OverDrive WMA Audiobook to my Windows Mobile® device and got an error saying 'Unable to locate folder of Windows Mobile device because folder is not found.' Why can't I transfer an audiobook to my Windows Mobile device?
This error occurs if you have specified that you want to save a title to a sub-folder on an encrypted SD card. Currently, OverDrive Media Console only supports transfer of OverDrive WMA Audiobooks to the root folder of encrypted SD cards. Transfer to sub-folders is supported if the SD card is not encrypted.
My iriver® device does not seem to support OverDrive WMA Audiobooks although the device documentation says that it supports DRM-protected WMA files. Are there any known issues with iriver devices?
Some iriver devices do not natively support DRM-protected WMA files and the iriver T10 and iriver T30 are such devices. However, with a firmware upgrade released by iriver, these devices will support our audiobooks. Please visit the iriver website or the OverDrive Device Resource Center for more information on completing this firmware upgrade.
When I download a title using OverDrive Media Console for Windows Mobile®, the title is not displayed in the Media Library. What should I do?
To refresh the Media Library so that the most recently downloaded title is displayed, close OverDrive Media Console for Windows Mobile and then re-open it.
When trying to burn a CD of an OverDrive WMA Audiobook Part, the process will not complete due to errors. What should I do?
OverDrive Media Console v3.2 (or newer) features a 'Burn Wizard' that allows for burning OverDrive WMA Audiobook titles (where permitted by the publisher) in a 'Test mode'. Completing a burn in 'Test mode' simulates the burn process, allowing you to test the CD compilation for errors before actually burning any data to disc.
In order to test the burn process, complete the following…
If the 'Test mode' burn completes without error, and you wish to perform an actual burn, complete the following…
My CD player won't play the audio CD to which I burned a Part of an audiobook. What is the problem?
Many CD players, especially older models, will not play CDRs. Fewer still will play CD-RWs. If you have successfully burned an audio CD but it won't play on your CD player, check your CD player's documentation to see if it supports playback of CDRs and CD-RWs.
I burned all of the Parts of an OverDrive WMA Audiobook to a single CD but the files won't play on my CD player. Why won't the files play?
OverDrive WMA Audiobooks must be burned as audio CDs, and each Part requires a CD. In Windows Media Player, be sure to specify 'Audio CD' when burning to CD. For instructions for burning a title to CD using OverDrive Media Console v3.0 (or newer), click here.
When I try to burn an OverDrive WMA Audiobook to CD using OverDrive Media Console v3.0 on Windows 2000 or Windows 98 SE, I get an error. What should I do?
OverDrive Media Console v3.2 (or newer) is required to burn OverDrive WMA Audiobook titles to CD on Windows 2000 and Windows 98 SE. To download the latest version of OverDrive Media Console for Windows, click here.
I cannot find the information I am looking for. What should I do?
If you cannot find the information you are looking for with reference to our Help section, please email support. In order to facilitate troubleshooting, please include the following information in your correspondence: