Media player programs on computers are a big plus for both the people who use them and the companies who make the OS. These media player apps come with a lot of features that let users watch video and listen to audio files. Users do not have to install a third-party app to access media files because the app is built in. This article is about How to Fix Windows Media Player Not Working.
So, most modern operating systems have a media player built in, and if there is a problem with the player, it should be fixed as soon as possible. Well, the Windows operating system has a built-in media player called Windows Media Player. It is a very simple piece of software that lets you play basic audio and video files. The first Windows Media Player came out in 1991 with the Windows 98 SE operating system.
Since then, most Windows operating systems have included a version of the player. Since the first time the WMPlayer came out, it has been updated more than once. Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, and even Windows 11, which came out recently and has a version of the WM Player, are the most common OS that have the OS.
The OS’s built-in Windows Media Player can play MP3, WMV, WMA, CDA, WAV, and other audio formats, as well as AVI and MPEG-4 video formats. The media player has some cool features and gives users the most important things they need. So, users of the WM Player do not have to install any third-party software in order to play media files. Well, since the media player is so useful, if it stops working, users have to find another way to access media files or fix the problem with the application.
Fix Windows Media Player Not Working
Run Windows Media Player Troubleshooter
If Windows Media Player will not open, you can run Windows Media Player Troubleshooter to fix the problem. Follow these steps to open Windows Media Player Troubleshooter:
- By pressing the Win and R keys together, you can bring up the Run box.
- Type msdt.exe -id WindowsMediaPlayerConfigurationDiagnostic in the box and click OK to open the troubleshooting wizard. To run the Troubleshooter, click Next.
- Click this fix to return WMP to its original settings.
Now, the error that said Windows Media Player was not working should be fixed.
Re-register These DLL Files
You can also fix the “Windows Media Player is not working” error by re-registering some DLL files. Here’s how to do it:
- Type cmd into the Search bar, then right-click Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator.
- Type each of the following commands in the window and hit Enter after each one:
- regsvr32 vbscript.dll
- regsvr32 jscript.dll
- regsvr32 wmp.dll
- Leave Command Prompt and restart the computer. You can now see that the problem with “Windows Media Player not working” has been fixed.
Delete the Windows Media Player Library
If you delete the Windows Media Player Library, you can fix the “Windows Media Player is not working” error. Here is a quick guide:
- Open Services by opening the Run box, typing services.msc in it, and then clicking OK.
- Find Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service and right-click it to choose Stop.
- Pressing the Win and E keys together will open File Explorer. Then, go to C:UsersDefaultAppDataLocalMicrosoft by going to C:UsersDefaultAppDataLocalMicrosoft.
- Double-click Media Player to open it, and then delete all the Windows Media Library (.wmdb) files inside the folder.
- If you try to open WMP again, the problem with “Windows Media Player not working” should go away.
Reinstall Windows Media Player
If none of the above solutions work, you can try reinstalling Windows Media Player. To do that, follow the steps below:
- Type “control panel” into the Search bar, and then click the best result to open it.
- Set View by: Small icons, then click Programs and Features.
- On the left side of the screen, click Turn Windows features on or off. In the new window that has appeared, expand Media Features and uncheck the box next to Windows Media Player. Read the message, then click OK or Yes.
- Start your computer up again, and then go back and check the box next to “Windows Media Player.” Start up your computer once more. Then your system will automatically set up WMP.
If the problems still resides and you are not able to fix the problem by following the above steps the new one can go to their official support website and ask for more.
FAQ
What to do if Windows Media Player is not working?
If Windows Media Player stopped working right after the most recent update from Windows Update, you can use System Restore to make sure that the update is the problem. Click the Start button and type “system restore” to do this. Choose Create a restore point, and then click System Restore in the System Properties pane.
How do I update Windows Media Player drivers?
To do this, go to the Windows 10 taskbar and search for Device Manager. Then, click on the app. Then, look for the device on the list, right-click it, and select Update driver.
Can corrupted Windows be fixed?
Use the System File Checker tool to fix system files that are missing or broken. Use the System File Checker to scan Windows and fix your files if some of its features do not work or if it crashes.
Can I reinstall Windows without losing anything?
Click Change to decide what you want to keep: Choose one of the options below, then click Next: Keep personal files and apps. This will keep your personal files, apps, and settings. Keep only personal files. This will keep your personal information and settings, but it will get rid of all your apps.
Why wont my videos play on Windows?
Why can not I watch videos on my computer? If you can not open video files on your computer, you might need more software or new codecs. Streaming videos, like those on YouTube, that buffer and do not play as they should must be because of how your browser is set up or because you do not have a good Internet connection.
