Playing music from my Creative Zen Vision M

[mxd208]

I have my Zen docked and can browse the music via MM, but I can't figure out how to play the music directly from the zen. I don't want to synchronize with my laptop, just want to have the music played off of the device while connected.

What do I have to do?

[sauzatime]

Sorry about the last post. This is what I meant to say:

I'm fairly new to the Zen myself, so I could be wrong. However, I don't think the Zen allows you to play the music from the device, THROUGH THE PC, while it is docked. You CAN play music from the player through headphones while it is plugged into the PC.

So, for example, if you want to charge the player (by connecting to a pc) and listen to it at the same time, you have to close anything that could be trying to access it (like MM, Creative Software, WMP, etc). OR, you could do this (for a windows machine): Start>Control Panel>System>Hardware>Device Manager, go to Portable Devices, right-click and say disable. This allows you to continue charging and play from your player (through headphones). You then need to right-click and enable if you want to sync, or unplug and plugin again.

[nynaevelan]

The only way to play music while the Zen is connected to the computer is to use Creative's Mediasouce software or Windows Media Explorer. I wish Creative would change this but I won't hold my breath.

Nyn

[mxd208]

Don't know if that's 100% true though...because if you have Creative Media Explorer, you can play through the computer...it accesses songs via your "Selected Music"

[nynaevelan]

But that is still with Creative's software, what I meant was you can only play through either Creative's software or Windows Explorer. I have not tried it with any other software but I know for sure you cannot play it through MM.

Nyn

[mxd208]

Right, but that means that the functionality exists. I'm wondering if Media Monkey can leverage that functionality, and make it possible for me to play my Zen.

Has anyone had luck with playing their device through MM?

[nynaevelan]

I've seen posts where owners of Ipods are able to play thru MM but I've not seen any indication that any Creative players are able to.

Nyn

[mxd208]

bump...

[Guest]

This is the main flaw I have found with MM. With my ZVM I cannot browse by tag info (genre, album, artist), but I can do this with my wife's ipod within MM. You also cannot play the ZVM through MM. Winamp can do both of these. I browse my ZVM by tag info, and it plays the ZVM within Winamp without a problem. If MM could fix this, I would use MM exclusively.

[nynaevelan]

That would be a nice feature, although not a major priority for me. I would however would like to be able to sync from the ZVM to MM like Ipod owners are able to.

Nyn

[Guest]

I am not trying to promote Winamp, but like I said before, you can play your ZVM through winamp unlike MM.

[Guest]

I need this too..still no solution for it?

[nynaevelan]

Is it possible to use the Winamp plugin which allows playback within MM3??

Nyn

[Guest]

Thank you!!!!!! I've misplaced my charger so was having to charge through my computer and was miffed when I couldn't play it as I generally listen to my tunes through stereo. I tried the steps you posted, and.........THEY WORK!!! Excellent. Thank you!!!

Sorry about the last post. This is what I meant to say:

I'm fairly new to the Zen myself, so I could be wrong. However, I don't think the Zen allows you to play the music from the device, THROUGH THE PC, while it is docked. You CAN play music from the player through headphones while it is plugged into the PC.

So, for example, if you want to charge the player (by connecting to a pc) and listen to it at the same time, you have to close anything that could be trying to access it (like MM, Creative Software, WMP, etc). OR, you could do this (for a windows machine): Start>Control Panel>System>Hardware>Device Manager, go to Portable Devices, right-click and say disable. This allows you to continue charging and play from your player (through headphones). You then need to right-click and enable if you want to sync, or unplug and plugin again.

[Jacob]

im dying for someone to find a way to play the zen through mediamonkey as its so frustrating having something that could be brilliant if it was only tinkered a little. Also, the way files are viewed in mediamonkey as folders (in the case of the zen) is annoying too. There seem to be no mediaplayers that allow the zen to playback tho (apart from the creative organiser which looks horrible). WMP 11 has the same issue, and i think foobar2000 might be the same!