Pimsleur Method Audio Download FAQ / Troubleshooting:

• How do I download the media files?
• The download stopped mid-stream, or the download file is corrupted.
• The files will not play on my computer.
• Where is my username and password?
• I have tried to install the license, but it never asks me for my username and password.
• I have entered my username and password, but it "cannot authenticate" me.
• How do I burn audio CDs of my media files?
• When burning CDs, it says I do not have burn rights.
• How do I transfer the audio to my MP3 player?
• What if my MP3 player is not Windows Media compatible, what do I do?

  1. How do I download the media files?

  Click on the download link which appears on your email receipt. When the "file download" box appears, select "save" and save it to a location that you can remember. If it doesn't work the first time, or times out, don't worry. Simply start over and download it again. You can download the files as many times as you need to get a complete copy of the media files.

  All of the media files are in one, two or three zip files (depending on the size of your course) for easy data transfer. You can unzip (extract) the files with programs like WinZip, or using Windows. To extract the files using Windows XP, right-click on the zip file, select "open with" then select "compressed (zip) files." Now, select "extract all files" in the blue menu area to the left. This will launch the Windows extraction wizard. Be sure you select a location that you can remember as the destination for the extracted (unzipped) files. To extract the files using Windows Vista, right-click on the zip file and select "extract all files."

  2. The download stopped mid-stream, or the download file is corrupted.

  There was probably a temporary internet interruption during the download process which prevented the complete file from downloading. Simply delete the corrupted file and try again by clicking on the download link provided in your email receipt. You may want to wait a few minutes before attempting to download again to give the system time to stabilize. You can download the file as many times as you need to, in order to get a complete copy.

  3. The files will not play on my computer.

  You must install the license to play the media on your computer. To do this, simply navigate to the folder where you saved the unzipped media files. Select one (or all) of the files and press enter as if you were going to play the files.

  You will be prompted to enter your username and password (found on your email receipt) for each title that you purchased. Once you do this, the license to play and use the files will automatically be installed directly from our server to your computer. The files should be played using Real Player. Some other media players may not recognize the license. If your computer automatically opens a different program to play your media, simply right-click on the track, select "Open With" then "Real Player." You can download Real Player free here.

  4. Where is my username and password?

  Each title that you purchased has its own unique username and password. The username and password are located just below each product title on your email receipt.

  5. It never prompts me for my username & password.

  Please be sure that you are up-to-date on all Windows updates, including optional updates to Windows Media Player and DRM updates. You can update your computer at http://update.microsoft.com. After installing the “Critical Updates”, be sure to select “Custom” and install the “Optional Software” updates including all updates for Windows Media and WMDRM updates. Once you have done this, you will be prompted to enter your username and password when you attempt to play a media file using RealPlayer.

  6. I entered my username & password, but it cannot "authenticate" me.

  Your username and password are case sensitive and they must be entered exactly right for it to work. If it will not work after typing it in, we recommend that you copy and paste the username and password directly from your confirmation email when prompted. This way, you will not inadvertently put in a wrong character. If you have entered it correctly and it still cannot authenticate you. Please contact us to see if your password needs to be reset. You can contact us at info@pimsleurmethod.com.

  7. How do I burn audio CDs of my media files?

  We recommend that you use Real Player (the free version) to create audio CDs of your files. Audio CDs can hold a little over 1 hour of audio. You will need approximately 1 CD for every 2 Pimsleur lessons. The program will alert you when you run out of space on your CD.

• Open your Real Player. Select "Burn/Transfer" at the top, then select your CD burner as the "Current Burner/Device."
• Now, navigate to the folder where you saved the unzipped (extracted) audio files.
• Select all of the audio files that you want to put on the audio CD.
• Then, drag and drop them into the burn list. (If you have trouble dragging and dropping files into the burn list, it means that you have not extracted the files from the zip file yet - (Please see #1 above.)
• Make sure that all of the tracks are in the correct sequence in the burn list. If not, simpley drag them up or down until they are in the correct order.
• Place a blank CD in your CD burner.
• Click "Start Burn" to begin the conversion and burn process.
  (If you have any burning issues, please see #8 below.)

  
  8. When burning CDs, it says I do not have burn rights.

If you have successfully entered your username and password and installed the license, you do have burn rights. You can verify that the license is working by playing one or all of the audio tracks. If it will play, you have the license.

There is a bug in Windows Media Player v.11 which sometimes causes it to indicate that you do not have burn rights, even though you do. Microsoft has released a fix for the bug but it is very complicated to run. If you are having issues with Windows Media Player v.11, we recommend using Real Player instead. You can download it free and it works great. Download Real Player.

9. How do I transfer the audio to my MP3 player?

To transfer the audio files directly to your wma-compatible MP3 player, simply open Real Player, and go to the "Burn/Transfer" area. Select your mp3 player as the "Current Burner/Device." Add the audio files that you want to transfer to the list and then click on "transfer" or "copy to device." The audio files will be loaded on your player along with the license which allows you to play them. You must use a media player like Real Player to synchronize the files because other software programs may not be able to read and transfer the license. If the transferred files will not play on your mp3 player, it indicates that your mp3 player is not compatible with wma files (see below).

10. What if my MP3 player is not Windows Media compatible, what do I do?

No problem, just burn audio CDs of the files using Windows Media Player (see #7 above). You should do this anyway as a permanent backup of your audio. Then, transfer the audio directly from the audio CDs that you just created to the MP3 player -- just as you would with any other music CD. The audio files on the CD are in a different format so they will play just fine on any portable media player, including iPod.