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Article information Posted September 22nd, 2008 25 comments

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Napster won’t stream songs anymore

If you have an internet connection and have tried the obvious (firewalls, restarting the computer, etc) and you still can’t stream songs from napster it may be that your Windows Media Player settings have decided to randomly change.

I had to phone up Napster support in the end, having tried everything else, and although they are also helpful and friendly, hopefully this will save someone else some time.

Steps to take:

Close down Napster (including the icon in the start bar by the clock).
Open up Windows Media Player (assuming WMP 11).
Go to Tools > Options
On the Player tab, check that ‘Connect to the Internet (overrides other commands)’ is ticked
Go to the Network tab, check that RTSP/UDP is unticked.
If you have the same problem I did, there won’t be anything in the ‘Streaming proxy settings’ box.
Close Window Media Player
Open up ‘My Computer’
Go to Tools > Folder options
Click on the view tab
Select ‘Show hidden files and folders’
Untick ‘Hide protected operating system files’
Go to C:Documents and SettingsYour UsernameLocal SettingsApplication DataMicrosoftWindows Media11.0
Delete the file WMSDKNS.xml
Open up Windows Media Player and check you now have ‘Streaming proxy settings’ on the network tab of options.
Close down WMP.
Open up Napster
Start streaming again!

If that doesn’t work, give Napster support a call. They’re pretty good, better than most support companies I deal with.

Comments

25 Responses to “Napster won’t stream songs anymore”

My PC won't stream live audio from radio stations or Napster. - Computer Forum - PC Hardware, Software Forums September 22nd, 2008 at 7:15 pm

[...] My computer recently stopped streaming music from Napster randomly. After a quick Google I found it may be something to do with my Streaming proxy settings in Windows Media Player. You need to make sure that on the Player tab, ‘Connect to internet’ is ticked. Then untick RTSP/UDP under network. If you’re streaming proxy settings box is blank, delete the file WMSDKNS.xml in C:Documents and SettingsYour UsernameLocal SettingsApplication DataMicrosoftWindows Media11.0 For more detailed instructions on the above please visit my post about it here: Napster won’t stream songs anymore [...]

David October 4th, 2008 at 2:30 am

Hallel…. Hallelu…uh, GOSH! That worked! I’ve been trying to watch Napster Videos or stream songs to see if I like them for months!!Someone tag this web page with all the keywords a good search engine needs;Napster,Vista,Problems, and STREAMING!.

Thanks ever so much for the help!I can now not only stream songs from Napster and watch their admittedly limited list of videos, but I think my receding hairline is filling in and I’m pretty sure a cavity I had went away.Woohoo!!

Thanks again.

Doroteja P October 21st, 2008 at 7:31 pm

Amazing. After months of searching for the solution on Napster, on the web I FINALLY find the actual solution, not another half-assed “solution.” Thank you for making it simple, clean, and idiot-proof. This has been frustrating me so much since not only could I not stream Napster, but also any other music application that relies on the internet. Thank you!!

Angie Jay October 25th, 2008 at 11:51 am

Blimey you are a genius !!!! thanks !!!! I can now play my music !!!!

Interventional Cardiology October 31st, 2008 at 4:04 am

I’ve had this problem before. Just run through the steps he listed above and it should work. If not, reset default settings for both Napster and Windows Media Player.

Slabo November 23rd, 2008 at 3:28 am

Thank you very much ! I was ready to cancel Napster. I thought it was a problem with WMP but couldn’t figure how to fix. Thanks again

Letchman December 13th, 2008 at 4:45 am

Wow!! I think I love you. Haha Thanks a Ton!

Gary December 15th, 2008 at 2:49 am

How did you figure this out? And how exactly did my settings change so drastically on it’s own? This should be on Napster’s troubleshooting website.

Stu December 27th, 2008 at 9:30 pm

Genius!!! Well done, thanks so much for posting this. Napster should publish this as a quick fix on their home page – i’ve had this problem on two PCs and my parents have too. We’ve not been able to stream for 2 years. UNTIL TONIGHT!!! Thank you!!!

Hannah January 4th, 2009 at 10:20 pm

Absolute LEGEND! Thank you so much!

Steve M. January 10th, 2009 at 8:29 pm

Cohen, thank you! My Napster started having this problem two days ago, and I was driving myself crazy trying to fix the problem. Thanks again, your instructions were perfect, except my windows media folder showed two versions (9.0 & 11.0) and I had to delete that file in both versions for it to allow the Napster stream. MANY THANKS!

Cecilio January 13th, 2009 at 8:23 am

Thanks for the info…

I have been trouble shooting this for about a week… I did restore point, uninstalled, tried older versions. I read the help on Napster, but it doesn’t mention the removal of the WMSDKNS.xml file…

Thanks again…

-Cecilio

scott January 31st, 2009 at 3:41 am

holy jesus i love you. why isn’t this fix on the napster troubleshooting website???

Biggedi February 6th, 2009 at 12:14 am

Great fix, you are totally genius.
Such a thing should be on the napster site!!!

Lindsay February 7th, 2009 at 3:29 am

I followed your instructions with great success except I just cleared out all 5 files I found in the folder in step 14, not just the file you suggested. Deleting the others allowed Napster to work…
THANKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK YOU SO MUCH. Like everyone else is saying…genius

nicole March 7th, 2009 at 11:53 am

thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keith Rogers March 7th, 2009 at 9:50 pm

For those that tried this (like myself) and it didn’t cure the problem. I managed to find a cure when doing Windows Updates.
Please look at the below website for the problem resolution:

http://blog.gamermatrix.co.uk/?p=101