How can I rip my CDs to a portable HD directly - ie not to MP3 via Windows media then copy to HD later?

If you're using Windows XP, you can do the following:

Insert the CD

Point at Start & right click

Select the 2nd line down from the top - Explore

On the left side, select the CD drive

Select all the songs you want to burn on the right side of the screen

Drag them over to the location of the portable HD

MusicMatch Jukebox will do precisely what you want. A know awareness: whenever you replace audio from a million lossy format (WMA) to a special lossy format (mp3), you'll adventure sound degradation. even if it really is discernable, or no longer, might want to matter on the bitrate and the music. you're continually better to bypass from lossles (CD, Flac, WMA-Lossless, Apple Lossless) to lossy. That being suggested, MusicMatch will do what you want interior the shortest era of time.

I do not understand just go to tools and options and select rip music tab and then select the change button to the hard drive you want it on and thats it otherwise you can use third aprty software and do the same. Good luck.

open media player CLICK ON RIP u will see a menu go to MORE OPTIONS ----RIP MUSIC and under "rip music to this location" click on CHANGE find your portable drive letter and voila u done.