Convert WAV to 8 bit, 8 KHz u-Law format, version 2

So you have a wonderful new recording you would like to upload to Cisco UCCX (or IPCC, Unity Connection, Unity Express, or whatever) and know that it needs to be in a 8bit, 8KHz, u-Law format.

How do you convert it?

In Windows XP, the Sound Recorder application would allow you to simply change the format by opening it, choosing to save it and then selecting Change in the dialog box. The correct format there is Format: CCITT u-Law and Attributes: 8.000 khz, 8 Bit, Mono.

Now that Microsoft has apparently sucked the life out of Sound Recorder in Windows 7, my next preference is using Audacity.  Unfortunately Audacity, while extremely feature rich, can be a bit overkill for this purpose.

If you are so inclined, you can find my original post regarding how to convert files in Audacity here: http://webmaxtor.blogspot.com/2012/05/convert-wav-to-8-bit-8-khz-u-law-format.html

My new preference is using the Windows XP version of Sound Recorder on Windows 7.

What?! How, you say?

The first step is to find an XP machine that you can steal files from. You can find the Sound Recorder executable on a typical XP machine at C:\WINDOWS\system32\sndrec32.exe.  Copy that file and move it to your Win 7 machine's C:\WINDOWS\system32 folder.

Edit 09/14/2015:  You can find a copy of the 32 bit Sound Recorder application from Windows XP by searching for sndrec32.zip here: https://sites.google.com/site/raymaslanka/

Now, running that executable may pop an error indicating "There was an error updating the registry".

Here I suggest you:

• Close the message box.
• Close the Sound Recorder application.
• Right click the sndrec32.exe and choose "Run as Administrator".
• The XP version of Sound Recorder should run without issue.
• Close the application and simply run or open it again, not as an administrator.

If it runs successfully, you should be all set.

To make life easy, now:

• Right click sndrec32.exe and choose Send to | Desktop (create Shortcut)
• Rename the short cut as Sound Recorder XP, or something similar.
• Drag that short cut to the Windows start bubble, over All Programs, over Accessories and wait for the accessories list to expand.  
• Then drop it in the list of accessories.

You should then be able to search for, find and run the Sound Recorder XP application with the CCITT u-Law options, as well as the newer version if you'd like.

TaDa.