What is 'mounting'? Use for decrypting?

While googling this morning I keep encountering the phrase 'mount
image file' and similar. Could someone spell out in relatively simple
terms just what that means please? And how would I do it?

The background to my question is that I'm researching methods to
'decrypt' a few score of WMA files that I downloaded from Tesco UK,
originally to burn a CD for my wife. I'd like to listen to the tracks
on my PC, but they won't play in my preferred MediaMonkey player. They
do play in WMP9, Creative Player etc, but I use MM for its library
facilities and I'd prefer to play the music there. The WMAs are
apparently 'encrypted' or 'licensed' - i.e. they have this DRM stuff
preventing my using them as freely as I believe I should be able to.

The method I'm using this morning so far is playing each WMA in WMP9
while recording in Goldwave, and then saving with a new name, which is
proving very tedious.

I found the following alternative guidance:
1. Copy the CDs to the disk file image .NRG with Nero.
2. Mount image file as virtual CD drive.
3. Setup from that.

I have Nero Express (part of OEM package that came with my DVD writer
a few months ago) and I've just done step 1. But how do i 'Mount'? And
what does 'Setup from that' actually mean?

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK

Terry Pinnell wrote:
While googling this morning I keep encountering the phrase 'mount
image file' and similar. Could someone spell out in relatively simple
terms just what that means please? And how would I do it?

It means to use a program such as Daemon Tools, Alcohol 120%, or (ugh)
Nero to create a virtual drive...one that does not actually exist but
which functions as one. They will let you "mount" ("put in") an image
file so that the virtual drive can function as if there were a disc in a
physical drive.
_______________

I found the following alternative guidance:
1. Copy the CDs to the disk file image .NRG with Nero.
2. Mount image file as virtual CD drive.
3. Setup from that.

I have Nero Express (part of OEM package that came with my DVD writer
a few months ago) and I've just done step 1. But how do i 'Mount'?

Try the help file. If it doesn't discuss it then virtual drive handling
isn't included in your abbreviated version. If not, go get Daemon
Tools.
_______________

And what does 'Setup from that' actually mean?

One squashes DRM by making an audio disc from the protected WMA files
and then ripping from it. Generally, people use CD-RW discs for that
purpose so they can be reused. Your "alternative guidance" is telling
you to skip using a physical disc.

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

"dadiOH" wrote:

Terry Pinnell wrote:
While googling this morning I keep encountering the phrase 'mount
image file' and similar. Could someone spell out in relatively simple
terms just what that means please? And how would I do it?

It means to use a program such as Daemon Tools, Alcohol 120%, or (ugh)
Nero to create a virtual drive...one that does not actually exist but
which functions as one. They will let you "mount" ("put in") an image
file so that the virtual drive can function as if there were a disc in a
physical drive.
_______________

I found the following alternative guidance:
1. Copy the CDs to the disk file image .NRG with Nero.
2. Mount image file as virtual CD drive.
3. Setup from that.

I have Nero Express (part of OEM package that came with my DVD writer
a few months ago) and I've just done step 1. But how do i 'Mount'?

Try the help file. If it doesn't discuss it then virtual drive handling
isn't included in your abbreviated version. If not, go get Daemon
Tools.
_______________

And what does 'Setup from that' actually mean?

One squashes DRM by making an audio disc from the protected WMA files
and then ripping from it. Generally, people use CD-RW discs for that
purpose so they can be reused. Your "alternative guidance" is telling
you to skip using a physical disc.

Thanks, good stuff, much appreciated.

Developers of MM hope to include playing facility for encrypted WMAs
in some future release. So meanwhile I still need to decrypt them, one
way or another.

I made an NRG 'image' file in Nero Express, size about 1 GB. I cannot
find a way to 'mount' this file in Nero itself, although I gather from
your post that it should be possible. I suspect my OEM Nero package
(which came with my DVD-writer a few months ago) does not cover this
facility. There is a program in ahead's menu called Nero ImageDrive,
but on trying to run it I get a message saying my licence doesn't
allow it.

So I have now installed Daemon Tools, as you recommended, and
'mounted' the file with that. Can you possibly help me to finish the
task please? IOW, having mounted say MyWMAfiles.nrg in the pseudo
drive that Daemon has created, called G:, what next? Either with Nero
or MM or anything else. In MM for example I can see the individual
files in G:, with names like Track01.cda etc, and I can play these.

But so far the penny hasn't dropped on how to get the WMA files
extracted and decrypted, so that I can then treat them like the other
WMA files in my MM library.

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK

Terry Pinnell wrote:

But so far the penny hasn't dropped on how to get the WMA files
extracted and decrypted, so that I can then treat them like the other
WMA files in my MM library.

But happily it did a few minutes later. Duh - simply rip from that
virtual drive, of course g.

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK

Terry Pinnell wrote:
Terry Pinnell wrote:

But so far the penny hasn't dropped on how to get the WMA files
extracted and decrypted, so that I can then treat them like the other
WMA files in my MM library.

But happily it did a few minutes later. Duh - simply rip from that
virtual drive, of course g.

Ta da...

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

On 10/30/2005 2:07 PM dadiOH plucked Senior Frog's Magic Twanger and said:

Terry Pinnell wrote:


Terry Pinnell wrote:



But so far the penny hasn't dropped on how to get the WMA files
extracted and decrypted, so that I can then treat them like the other
WMA files in my MM library.


But happily it did a few minutes later. Duh - simply rip from that
virtual drive, of course g.



Ta da...

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico




From a historical perspective "mount" goes back to the days of
Mainframes and Tape Storage. Computer Operators would literally "mount"
a volume (reel of tape) on a tape drive.

--
________
To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address.
Brian M. Kochera
"Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!"
View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951