How to Play Music Off External Hard Drives

You can access music files on a computer by navigating to the file through Windows Explorer, then double-clicking the file to launch it in your default music program. Whether the music is on an internal drive or an external one, Windows Explorer can browse the file system. Navigating to a music file on your external hard drive this way will allow you to play that file with a music program on your computer.

Instructions

1. Connect the hard drive end of your USB cable to the port on your external hard drive. If your external hard drive also requires an additional power source, plug the power cable into a wall outlet.

2. Connect the other end of the cable to a USB port on your computer.

3. Click "Start," then click "Computer."

4. Double-click your external hard drive in the "Hard Disk Drives" section.

5. Navigate to the location of the music file on your external hard drive.

6. Double-click the music file to play it in the default program associated with that file type.

Tips & Warnings

• Adjust the program opened when you click a music file by opening "Default Programs" from the "Start" menu. Click "Associate a file type or protocol with a program," then select the type of music file you want to open with a particular program. Click the "Change program" button, then choose the application with which you want to open that file.

References

• Microsoft: Install or Remove a Hard Disk Drive