Windows 10 Cortana, what's going on?

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

This is one of the things about Windows 10 and Cortana in particular that drives me crazy.
I've been using Cortana to play my music since she first showed up in Windows 10

Starting yesterday, when I say "Hey Cortana, Play my music." she says "Sure thing, shuffling your music."
Then there is a short pause and then she says "Something went wrong, try again in a little bit."

Now I have no idea what's going on, and this it the bit that drives me crazy, I have no idea how to figure it out.
Because Cortana seems to have no interface to solve issues like this.

It doesn't give me any clue why it does't play my music list, it doesn't say for example, "I can't find your music!", "I don't find a default music player" etc.

I've checked and my Cortana play list plays if I click on it and select Play.

I've tried setting my default music player to both Windows Media Player, which is what it's been using lately and to Winamp which is what it was using before I reinstalled Windows 10.

But there seems to be no way to know what Cortana is supposed to do, no place to tell her where my music is located, (by default it has placed the Cortana.cpl file in my Music\Playlist folder which at least seems logical).

Previously (before reinstalling) it played the music from my iTunes media folder.

The thing is that I can't even see where Cortana is looking for the music or tell her where to look.

Sometimes simplified is too simple.

Mike

I just remembered that iTunes updated in the last couple of days, I wonder it that has anything to do with it stopping working?

 

[kemical]

Hey Mike,
not really sure about using cortana to play music as I've never tried but what i did want to mention is that recently I've been playing with an app called VLC for windows 8. The title is a little misleading as it's been upgraded for windows 10 but i find it very slick and polished. Plus it looks great too:
Link Removed

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

I've actually used WinAmp for so long I can't remember when I started.
It has updated through the years to stay up to date.

I've never used VLC but I know that WinAmp is a big improvement over Windows Media Player.

And it worked with Cortana up until my final upgrade to Windows 10.

After that I could only get her to use Windows Media Player.
Now she won't use anything.

All her other functions seem to be working, but she won't play my music which I used to be able to do from across the room.
Really impresses visitors.

I still have a WinAmp link on my Taskbar so it's really just as easy to click on it than it is to talk to her, if I'm sitting at my computer.
I just hate it when stuff doesn't work. LOL

Mike

 

[Mikerman]

I realize that your post is from almost a year ago, but I still find it relevant.

It feels to me as if Cortana gives the "try back later" message (I also get it now-and-again) when there has been an issue in connecting to Microsoft's servers (when I get the message, I have checked to make sure that I have Internet service, and I typically have). Being the impatient sort--do you really want to wait for Cortana?--I might try again immediately thereafter, typically without issue.

 

[BIGBEARJEDI]

It's important to know the speed of your Internet connection, as Cortana along with W10 are more Internet-dependent than any earlier version of windows in the history of windows! Prior to switching ISP's (was on Verizon with a speedtest.net speed of 7Mbps), and now am on Charter with a speedtest.net speed of 65Mpbs), I couldn't even get Cortana to talk to me at all in the Tech Preview editions in late 2015 early 2016. After my ISP switch in Feb. 2016, I tried her again and she seemed to work much better as Mike Hawthorne and I both noticed and had in several discussions here. I haven't been using her much, since I misplaced my Microphone for my desktop PC, and have been busy with preparing for a big Win10 workshop for my local computer club which is this coming Monday. I would suggest that slower D/L speeds to your provider and running a slow Wifi connection can both contribute to Cortana under-performing. She's also been known to be somewhat temperamental so you do need to be quite careful what you say around her (there's a story there!).

Best,
<<<BIGBEARJEDI>>>