Windows Media Player 12有一个非常酷的功能，它允许您通过(Windows Media Player 12)Internet从任何(Internet)Windows 7机器播放整个媒体库。这意味着一切：歌曲、视频、照片，甚至购买的媒体。当您想在办公室、笔记本电脑或家中的另一台计算机上欣赏Windows Media Player 12库时，这非常有用。(Windows Media Player 12)在本教程中，我们将向您展示如何启动并运行它。
第 1 步(Step 1)：允许Internet 访问(Internet Access)家庭媒体(Home Media)
第一步是允许Internet 访问(Internet access)您保存媒体文件的计算机上的家庭媒体。显然，您的主机应该连接到Internet，并且您应该已经将一些文件夹添加到您的音乐(Music)、图片或视频库(Pictures or Videos Libraries)中。（请参阅： 库- (Libraries)Windows 7的一项重要功能， 了解如何在库(Libraries)中包含文件夹。）
完成后，启动Windows Media Player 12并转到您的播放器库(Player Library)视图。如果您也对该术语不熟悉，请查看Windows Media Player 12 菜单和视图解释(Menus & Views Explained)。从Player Library中，单击Stream并选择“允许 Internet 访问家庭媒体”('Allow Internet access to home media')。
在下一个窗口中，选择“链接在线 ID”('Link an Online ID')。您将授予通过Internet访问计算机文件的权限，因此您需要确保只有授权用户才能连接到您的计算机。在线 ID 提供了一种安全方法(secure method)，允许您通过将其链接到用户名和密码来从(username and password)Internet访问您的家庭媒体。
单击“链接在线 ID”('Link an Online ID')将带您进入控制面板窗口(Control Panel window)，让您设置在线ID 提供程序(ID provider)。将在线 ID 链接到您的 Windows 7用户帐户(user account)后，您将能够访问网络上其他计算机（包括Windows Media Player 12 ）上的文件和信息。如果您已经将在线 ID 链接到您的用户帐户(user account)，则可以继续并跳过此步骤。有关链接在线 ID 的更多好处，请查看Microsoft 的网站(Microsoft's website)。
在添加在线 ID 之前，您必须安装一些在线ID 提供程序(ID provider)软件。单击(Click) “添加在线 ID 提供程序”('Add an online ID provider')将被带到Microsoft 的网站(Microsoft's website)，您可以在其中下载“.msi”文件，该文件允许您将Windows Live ID与您的Windows 用户(Windows user)帐户相关联。按照网页上的说明将Windows Live添加为Windows 7的在线ID 提供程序(ID provider)。
注意：(Note:)此在线ID 提供程序(ID provider)软件只允许您将您的一个在线帐户（例如您用于电子邮件和即时消息的那个）链接到您的 Windows 7 用户帐户。目前，您只能链接您的Windows Live 帐户(Windows Live account)，但计划推出其他在线ID 提供商(ID provider)（例如Google、OpenID 或 Facebook(OpenID or Facebook)）。
添加在线ID 提供者(ID provider)后，您应该将其视为“在线 ID 提供者”('Online ID Provider')下的一个选项。单击“链接在线 ID”(Link online ID')，系统将提示您输入您的凭据。如果您有Hotmail 或 Windows Live Mail 帐户(Hotmail or Windows Live Mail account)或在线购买了Microsoft 软件(Microsoft software)，您应该已经有一个链接到您的电子邮件地址的(email address)Windows Live 帐户(Windows Live account)。如果您没有Windows Live ID，请继续注册(sign up)，然后返回此步骤。
完成此操作后，您应该会在“在线 ID 提供者”('Online ID Provider')下看到您的在线 ID 。如果您想随时更改此设置，请单击“更新凭据”('Update credentials')。如果您想取消该计算机与您的在线 ID 的链接（例如，如果您被封杀并正在上交公司计算机(company computer)），请单击“删除链接的 ID”('Remove Linked ID')。
完成此操作后，继续在其他计算机上重复此确切过程。
第 2 步(Step 2)：刷新连接并查看远程(Remote)主机上的其他库
一旦两台计算机都启用了对家庭媒体的Internet 访问并链接了(Internet access)Windows Live ID(Windows Live IDs)，下一步就是确保您可以查看您正在使用的计算机上的远程主机和其他库。(Other Libraries)首先再次单击Stream并单击(Stream)“对家庭媒体的 Internet 访问”('Internet access to home media')，就像我们在第一步(step one)开始时所做的那样。（注意：如果您已经可以在Navigation Pane中看到您的远程主机，那么您可以跳过此部分。）
现在您已允许通过Internet 访问(Internet access)家庭媒体，您将在“通过 Internet 访问家庭媒体”('Internet access to home media')窗口中看到一些额外的选项。单击“诊断连接”('Diagnose connections')。
在“诊断连接”('Diagnose connections')窗口中，您将能够看到所有激活的连接。如果您没有看到远程主机(remote host)的名称，那么您需要点击刷新(Refresh)按钮。完成后，它应该会启动您的远程主机(remote host)（只要您已将其设置为允许Internet 访问(Internet access)家庭媒体并且它已打开并连接到Internet）。完成后，单击关闭(Close)。
刷新连接后，可能需要最后一步。返回Player Library并单击Organize并选择'Customize navigation pane'。
在下一个窗口中，单击下拉菜单并选择'Other Libraries'。接下来，选中“显示其他库”旁边的框和('Show Other Libraries')远程主机(remote host)名称旁边的框。完成后单击(Click) 确定(OK)。
第 3 步：通过(Step 3)Internet播放 Windows (Internet)Media Player 12库中的歌曲
现在，您是远程主机媒体库应该像您的本地库一样显示在您的导航窗格中。(Navigation Pane)向下滚动(Scroll)，直到看到远程主机的名称并将其展开。导航远程库并选择一首歌曲并像往常一样播放。如果您对导航Windows Media Player 12和播放歌曲仍然有点生疏，请查看我们的其他教程，如何在Windows Media Player 12中播放(Windows Media Player 12)音乐(Music)。
故障排除：端口转发 -出现问题(Issues)时该怎么办(Case)
如果您仍然无法通过Internet访问您的家庭媒体库，您可能需要在远程主机(remote host)上设置端口转发(port forwarding)。此过程因计算机而异，并且每个品牌和型号(brand and model)的路由器的方向都不同。几乎所有路由器的端口转发(port forwarding)权威指南是PortForward.com。
但是，在您开始之前，Windows Media Player 12中有一些信息可以帮助您完成Portforward.com上的教程。返回“诊断连接”('Diagnose connections')并单击“端口转发信息”('Port forwarding information')。
在下一个屏幕中，您将看到您必须打开的所有端口的列表，以使这一切正常工作。写下这些并将它们应用到您可以在Portforward.com上找到的说明中。
结论
使用Windows Media Player 12 ，您可以通过(Windows Media Player 12)Internet共享您的媒体库，让您可以从任何运行Windows 7并可以访问 Internet(Internet access)的计算机立即访问您的所有歌曲、视频和照片。当然，正如您可以想象的那样，这确实构成了适度的安全威胁(security threat)，但是在链接的在线 ID(Online ID)的帮助下，您可以阻止未经授权的用户和黑客的努力。
如果您想通过家庭网络(home network)共享库，您也可以这样做，而且更简单、更安全。请继续关注有关如何在(Stay)Windows 7机器之间实现这种更安全、更快速的媒体共享方法的分步教程。现在，为什么不看看我们下面的其他一些很棒的Windows 7教程。
Streaming Your Windows Media Player 12 Library Over the Internet
Windows Media Player 12 has one very cоol feature which allows уou to play your entire media library from any Windows 7 machine over the Internet. Τhаt means everything: songs, νideos, photos, even purchаsed media. This is useful for when you wаnt to enjoy your Windows Media Player 12 library at the office, on your laptop or simply from anothеr computer in your homе. In this tutorial, we'll show you how to get it all up and running.
Step 1: Allow Internet Access to Home Media
The first step is to allow Internet access to home media on the computer where you keep your media files. Obviously, you're host machine should be connected to the Internet and you should already have some folders added to your Music, Pictures or Videos Libraries. (See: Libraries - A Great Feature of Windows 7 to learn how to include folders in your Libraries.)
Once that's taken care of, fire up Windows Media Player 12 and go to your Player Library view. If that term is new to you, too, check out Windows Media Player 12 Menus & Views Explained. From the Player Library, click Stream and choose 'Allow Internet access to home media'.
On the next window, choose 'Link an Online ID'. You'll be granting access to your computer's files over the Internet, so you'll want to ensure that only authorized users will be able to connect to your machine. An Online ID provides a secure method for allowing you to access your home media from the Internet by linking it to a username and password.
Clicking on 'Link an Online ID' will bring you to a Control Panel window that lets you set up an online ID provider. Once you link an online ID to your Windows 7 user account, you will be able to access files and information on other computers on the network, including Windows Media Player 12. If you've already linked an online ID to your user account, you can go ahead and skip this step. For more benefits of linking an online ID, check out Microsoft's website.
Before you add an online ID, you'll have to install some online ID provider software. Click 'Add an online ID provider' to be taken to Microsoft's website where you can download an '.msi' file that allows you to link your Windows Live ID with your Windows user account. Follow the instructions on the web page to add Windows Live as an online ID provider for Windows 7.
Note: this online ID provider software simply lets you link one of your online accounts (such as the one you use for email and instant messaging) to your Windows 7 user accounts. For now, you can only link your Windows Live account, but there are plans to roll out other online ID providers (such as Google, OpenID or Facebook).
After you've added an online ID provider, you should see it as a choice under 'Online ID Provider'. Click Link online ID' and you'll be prompted to enter your credentials. If you have a Hotmail or Windows Live Mail account or purchased Microsoft software online, you should already have a Windows Live account linked to your email address. If you don't have a Windows Live ID, go ahead and sign up and then return to this step.
Once you've done so, you should see your online ID listed under 'Online ID Provider'. If you want to change this at any point, click 'Update credentials'. If you'd like to unlink that computer from your online ID (for example, if you got canned and were turning in a company computer), click 'Remove Linked ID'.
After you've done this, go ahead and repeat this exact process on the other computer(s).
Step 2: Refreshing Connections and Viewing Other Libraries on Remote Hosts
Once both computers have Internet access to home media enabled and Windows Live IDs linked, the next step is to make sure that you can view the remote hosts and Other Libraries on the computer that you're using. Begin by clicking Stream once again and clicking 'Internet access to home media' just as we did in the beginning of step one. (Note: If you can already see your remote host in the Navigation Pane, then you can skip this section.)
Now that you have Internet access to home media allowed, you'll see a few extra options in the 'Internet access to home media' window. Click 'Diagnose connections'.
In the 'Diagnose connections' window, you'll be able to see all of your activate connections. If you don't see the name of your remote host, then you need to hit the Refresh button. Once you do, it should pull up your remote host (as long as you've set it up to allow Internet access to home media and it's turned on and connected to the Internet). After this is done, click Close.
There's one last step that may be required once you've refreshed your connections. Go back to the Player Library and click Organize and choose 'Customize navigation pane'.
In the next window, click the drop-down menu and choose 'Other Libraries'. Next, check the boxes next to 'Show Other Libraries' and the box next to the name of your remote host. Click OK when you're done.
Step 3: Playing Songs from your Windows Media Player 12 library via the Internet
Now, you're remote hosts media library should show up in your Navigation Pane just like your local library. Scroll down until you see the name of you remote hosts and expand it. Navigate the remote library and choose a song and play it just like normal. If you're still a bit rusty on navigating Windows Media Player 12 and playing songs, check out our other tutorial, How to Play Music in Windows Media Player 12.
Troubleshooting: Port Forwarding - What to Do in Case of Issues
If you're still having trouble accessing your home media library via the Internet, you may need to set up port forwarding on your remote host. This process varies from computer-to-computer and the directions will be different for each brand and model of router. The definitive guide for port forwarding for nearly every router under the sun is PortForward.com.
However, before you go, there is some information in Windows Media Player 12 that will help you with the tutorials over at Portforward.com. Go back into 'Diagnose connections' and click 'Port forwarding information'.
In the next screen, you'll see a list of all the ports you'll have to open up in order to make this all work. Write these down and apply them to the instructions you'll find over at Portforward.com.
Conclusion
With Windows Media Player 12, you can share your media library via the Internet, giving you immediate access to all of your songs, videos and photos from any computer that runs Windows 7 and has Internet access. Of course, as you can imagine, this does pose a moderate security threat, but with the help of a linked Online ID, you can hinder the efforts of unauthorized users and hackers.
If you want to share libraries over your home network, you can do this as well and it's a bit easier and more secure. Stay tuned for a step-by-step tutorial on how to achieve this more secure, faster method of sharing media between Windows 7 machines. For now, why not check out some of our other great Windows 7 tutorials below.
