Amazon MP3 downloader error?

May 4, 2008 7:46 PM

Has anyone here tried the Amazon MP3 downloader? I have tried to install it, but I keep getting an error message of "requires Windows XP or later," yet I am totally rocking XP! I have all the latest updates, so it is not a service pack issue. Any ideas? I need the downloader in order to download an entire album. Amazon will only let one download single songs without the software, not entire albums.
posted by foxinthesnow to Computers & Internet (8 answers total)

Best answer: For anyone with any interest, Amazon failed to add that not only does it require Windows XP, but it also apparently requires Internet Explorer, not FireFox. Baloney.
posted by foxinthesnow at 8:38 PM on May 4, 2008

Amazon Downloader does not require IE. I'm downloading an album right now.
posted by lukemeister at 8:45 PM on May 4, 2008

Also, it doesn't require XP-- they do have Apple (Mac OS X 10.4 and up) and Linux versions.

Are you sure it's not an update/ service pack / OS problem?
posted by sharkfu at 8:51 PM on May 4, 2008

High bit rate mp3 downloads, less expensive than iTunes, play on all players, does not require XP or IE, what is not to like? Is your copy of XP fully up to date and legit? Do you have full admin rights?
posted by caddis at 8:55 PM on May 4, 2008

It has nothing to do with Internet Explorer. My copy of Amazon Downloader works fine - gotta love DRM-free Amazon! Hope you can get yours working okay. Have you uninstalled and reinstalled the program?
posted by Gerard Sorme at 8:59 PM on May 4, 2008

Echoing that IE isn't required - I use Firefox 3, songs download fine. Are you having trouble downloading the downloader itself, or downloading songs with the program? Once it's installed, it's not about your browser at all - it's a separate program.
posted by donnagirl at 9:29 PM on May 4, 2008

Best answer: Well, whichever browser you install it with must apparently also be set as your default browser for Windows. But you seem to be saying the installer is just refusing to run, i.e. to install the software.

Are you in a Windows account that has administrator privileges? Have you tried creating a separate profile and testing the installer there?
posted by dhartung at 10:23 PM on May 4, 2008

Response by poster: When I called their service number, the third representative I spoke to told me to download it in IE, not Firefox, and I did, and it ran. It doesn't make any sense to me at all because I was able to download the .exe file in Firefox, but every time I tried to run it, I got the message. The first time I tried it in IE, it worked without a hitch.

I suspect that what dhartung says about the default browser was the problem, yet it still doesn't makes sense to me.

Anyway, it works. I'm happy.
posted by foxinthesnow at 5:21 PM on May 5, 2008