Ok, let me just chime in on this.

I think people know I've been around here for a while, so here goes:

1. This DOES work, with some provisos.

2. I don't know why there are so many new users posting about it, I'm guessing because it's high in the Google search list for "drmdbg" which is supposedly "hard to find".

3. There's a 29-page thread over on Doom9 about this very topic, and lots of people there are having great success with this.

So here's the scoop.

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A. There is currently NO KNOWN VERSION of these tools which will work with WMP10's latest version, OR with the latest Windows Media Format update. Not only that, but rolling back does NOT downgrade some of the key DLL's involved. This means that if you were foolish enough to let MS update your machine... you're out of luck unless you feel like uninstalling.

B. IF you have an older version of WMP10, or WMP9, AND you haven't installed the W.M.F. updates... then later versions of these tools will work.

C. The latest version of the tools is (as of today, February 19, 2006):

- drm2wmv_e.exe, the English-modified version of the original, created by a Doom9 forum member.
- drmdbg.exe version 1214 (that's December 14, 2005's release)

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So there you have it. It IS valid, it DOES work (I'm not ADMITTING to having unprotected WMA/WMV files on my hard disc... but... *grin*), but MOST people don't have the right versions of the software.

Complicating matters is that there are a LOT of bad sets of instructions out there that advise unfortunate things like copying in older DLL's, copying in Japanese DLL's, etc.

So... leave the thread or close it, I don't much care. Just wanted to clear the air a bit!