Xbox on Windows 8 FAQ

The free Xbox SmartGlass app lets you access entertainment content through your Xbox LIVE account using your Windows 8-based computer or Slate and then play it back on your TV through your Xbox 360 console. You’ll be able to use any available input including touch, mouse, or keyboard to navigate and control your content playback with the app. In addition, the app shows you detailed information about the movies, TV shows, games, and music that you’re enjoying.

You don’t need to create a new account, but you can if you want to. On your computer, when you go to PC settings and sign in using the Microsoft account (formerly Windows Live ID) for your gamertag, you’ll be automatically signed in to any Xbox LIVE app that you open in Windows 8.

Microsoft Studios is bringing strong studio support with several great titles for Windows 8 at launch. We’ll continue to add more from them and from other game publishers in the months ahead, and we’ll provide more information then.

The Music and Video tiles on Windows 8 are Xbox LIVE applications that you can use to play your local media files. Because we’re still early in the development process, the Windows 8 apps aren’t fully operational, so the tiles may change at launch.

To add music to the Music app in Windows 8:

1. At the Windows 8 default screen on your computer, find and click the Desktop tile. This will take you to the classic desktop view.
2. Select Windows Explorer (the manila folder next to the Internet Explorer icon).
3. Under Libraries, select Music.
4. Right-click Music, and then select Properties.
5. Click Add.
6. Include the folders where your music is stored.
7. Click OK.
8. Close, and the re-open the Music app.

Note If music content is stored externally (for example, on a USB flash drive or an external hard drive), you can copy or move the content to any folder in the Library locations field, and the Music app will pick up the content.

To solve this problem, follow these steps:

1. On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and the E key at the same time to open Windows Explorer.
2. Under Libraries, expand Music.
3. Right-click My Music, and then click Properties.
4. Click Advanced.
5. Do one of the following:
• If the Allow files in this folder to have contents indexed in addition to file properties check box is selected, go to step 6.
• If the Allow files in this folder to have contents indexed in addition to file properties check box is not selected, go to step 10.
6. Click to clear the Allow files in this folder to have contents indexed in addition to file properties check box.
7. Click OK, and then click Apply.
8. In the Confirm Attribute Changes dialog box, click Apply changes to this folder, subfolders, and files, and then click OK.
9. In the My Music Properties window, click Advanced.
10. Click to select the Allow files in this folder to have contents indexed in addition to file properties check box, click OK, and then click Apply.
11. In the Confirm Attribute Changes dialog box, click Apply changes to this folder, subfolders, and files, and then click OK.
12. Click OK.
13. Repeat steps 2-12 for every folder that appears under Music.
    
    Note The window titles will change to reflect the name of the folder.

After you do this for your music library folders, close and reopen the music app.

When the music app opens, it will start inspecting the music library and should start receiving the album and artist data.

Note Windows 8 generally suspends apps when they are in the background. If you want make sure that the music app keeps processing, you need keep it in the foreground or snapped to the side.

To add videos to the Video app in Windows 8:

1. At the Windows 8 default screen on your computer, find and click the Desktop tile. This will take you to the classic desktop view.
2. Select Windows Explorer (the manila folder next to the Internet Explorer icon).
3. Under Libraries, select Video.
4. Right-click Video, and then select Properties.
5. Click Add.
6. Include the folders where your videos are stored.
7. Click OK.
8. Close, and the re-open the Music app.

Note If video content is stored externally (for example, on a flash drive or an external hard drive) you can copy or move the content to any folders in the Library locations, and the Video app will pick up the content.

• Browse the movie and TV stores to buy (in supported locales) the TV episode or movie of your choice
• Watch the videos in your personal collection in a touch-optimized playback experience
• Use Play to Xbox to cue up the movie or TV episode on your Xbox 360 console
• Use the Share Charm feature to share your favorites with your friends