Only .wma and some other DRM files
(like .aa audiobooks) should give you the subscription error when the
Fuze can’t find unlock codes.
,mp3 files should not give you this problem. Make sure they are really, truly .mp3 files by checking them with the free Gspot Codec Information. if they are not .mp3 then yes, you are going to have to re-rip them.
You can’t easily remove copy protection from existing files. Strictly speaking it’s illegal. Less strictly speaking, it’s easier to re-rip. Erase them off the Fuze, get them off the computer and rip again. It will take time but it’s worth it to avoid future annoyance.
In fact, if the vast majority of your files are a problem, the easiest thing to do is to look in the Fuze under Settings/System Settings and use Format. It will erase everything you have put on, so make sure you have other copies.
Windows Media Player has tabs like Rip, Sync, etc.–though it may not show them in its smallest view, so click on the top (where it says Windows Media Player on the upper left) to see the expanded view and the Rip, Sync, etc. tabs. Go to Rip and make sure it is mp3. You have a choice of quality setting, and that’s where to set 192 kbps. Take a look at it anyway to doublecheck that Rip is making mp3 files.
Sending files over via Windows Media Player could also be messing things up, because it does like to send over secret stuff. But you don’t need any middleman between you and the Fuze. You can just drag-and-drop files directly from Windows.
The way to do that is to (on the Fuze, turn the wheel), go to Settings/System Settings/USB Mode and change it to MSC. When you connect it, your computer now treats it like any other disc drive. You can put it in a Music folder, make your own folder, etc.–just don’t put albums in Podcasts, Photos or Audiobooks which are treated differently.
Just to make things more fun, when you switch to MSC, your computer can’t see files you sent over via MTP. So you have to switch modes again to see the files you sent in MTP (while the MSC files become invisible.) The Fuze doesn’t care how they were transferred, but your computer does.
Auto-Detect will go to MTP mode if it finds Windows Media Player 10 or above when it connects. So use MSC to make sure it always connects via MSC. .
If it were me, I would Format the Fuze, put it in MSC, transfer one of the albums that was giving you a problem and see if it works now via direct drag-and-drop. If it does, great, you don’t have to re-rip. You can just copy-and-paste or Send your albums back onto the Fuze. If not, you’ll have to re-rip, but it will avoid future problems.