Windows Vista Forums

Windows Media Player won't start
  1. #1


    henrikwl Guest

    Windows Media Player won't start

    Greetings!

    I have a problem with my Media Player 11 on Vista Ultimate. Whenever it is
    started, it simply exits - no window ever popping up, no event logged,
    nothing. This happes regardless of whether I run it as Admin, as a user,
    whether I start it via shortcut or double-click a .wm* file.

    I tried the fix in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925704 but it didn't
    help. Has anybody got any idea what's wrong?



      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  2. #2


    peter c.a.hawkins Guest

    RE: Windows Media Player won't start

    I had this same thing,i found it was to do with plug-ins in wmp11.
    i disabled the windows live plug in and the msn media bar plug in and now
    all works ok.

    "henrikwl" wrote:

    > Greetings!
    >
    > I have a problem with my Media Player 11 on Vista Ultimate. Whenever it is
    > started, it simply exits - no window ever popping up, no event logged,
    > nothing. This happes regardless of whether I run it as Admin, as a user,
    > whether I start it via shortcut or double-click a .wm* file.
    >
    > I tried the fix in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925704 but it didn't
    > help. Has anybody got any idea what's wrong?


      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  3. #3


    henrikwl Guest

    RE: Windows Media Player won't start

    Good idea. I checked, but the Live Messenger plugin wasn't active, and I
    don't have neither the Live toolbar nor the MSN media bar.

    I even tried uninstalling all codec packs, to no avail.

    Isn't there a "repair installation" function for the Media Player? Short of
    reinstalling Windows - which I don't fancy doing - I don't see any other
    options.

    "peter c.a.hawkins" wrote:

    > I had this same thing,i found it was to do with plug-ins in wmp11.
    > i disabled the windows live plug in and the msn media bar plug in and now
    > all works ok.
    >
    > "henrikwl" wrote:
    >
    > > Greetings!
    > >
    > > I have a problem with my Media Player 11 on Vista Ultimate. Whenever it is
    > > started, it simply exits - no window ever popping up, no event logged,
    > > nothing. This happes regardless of whether I run it as Admin, as a user,
    > > whether I start it via shortcut or double-click a .wm* file.
    > >
    > > I tried the fix in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925704 but it didn't
    > > help. Has anybody got any idea what's wrong?


      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  4. #4


    peter c.a.hawkins Guest

    RE: Windows Media Player won't start


    does your media centre play music ok?
    mine would freeze when trying to play music before i fixed it with the plug
    ins trouble.
    you may want to try removing all recent windows updates,then try your wmp11,
    adding each update back 1 by 1.
    "henrikwl" wrote:

    > Good idea. I checked, but the Live Messenger plugin wasn't active, and I
    > don't have neither the Live toolbar nor the MSN media bar.
    >
    > I even tried uninstalling all codec packs, to no avail.
    >
    > Isn't there a "repair installation" function for the Media Player? Short of
    > reinstalling Windows - which I don't fancy doing - I don't see any other
    > options.
    >
    > "peter c.a.hawkins" wrote:
    >
    > > I had this same thing,i found it was to do with plug-ins in wmp11.
    > > i disabled the windows live plug in and the msn media bar plug in and now
    > > all works ok.
    > >
    > > "henrikwl" wrote:
    > >
    > > > Greetings!
    > > >
    > > > I have a problem with my Media Player 11 on Vista Ultimate. Whenever it is
    > > > started, it simply exits - no window ever popping up, no event logged,
    > > > nothing. This happes regardless of whether I run it as Admin, as a user,
    > > > whether I start it via shortcut or double-click a .wm* file.
    > > >
    > > > I tried the fix in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925704 but it didn't
    > > > help. Has anybody got any idea what's wrong?


      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  5. #5


    henrikwl Guest

    RE: Windows Media Player won't start

    Actually, my Media Centre crashes fairly consistently after about 20 seconds.
    I found out just now.

    Somethings definitely off with my Windows installation. :-S I'll try rolling
    back a few updates, see if that helps. Maybe even do a System Restore.

    "peter c.a.hawkins" wrote:

    >
    > does your media centre play music ok?
    > mine would freeze when trying to play music before i fixed it with the plug
    > ins trouble.
    > you may want to try removing all recent windows updates,then try your wmp11,
    > adding each update back 1 by 1.
    > "henrikwl" wrote:
    >
    > > Good idea. I checked, but the Live Messenger plugin wasn't active, and I
    > > don't have neither the Live toolbar nor the MSN media bar.
    > >
    > > I even tried uninstalling all codec packs, to no avail.
    > >
    > > Isn't there a "repair installation" function for the Media Player? Short of
    > > reinstalling Windows - which I don't fancy doing - I don't see any other
    > > options.
    > >
    > > "peter c.a.hawkins" wrote:
    > >
    > > > I had this same thing,i found it was to do with plug-ins in wmp11.
    > > > i disabled the windows live plug in and the msn media bar plug in and now
    > > > all works ok.
    > > >
    > > > "henrikwl" wrote:
    > > >
    > > > > Greetings!
    > > > >
    > > > > I have a problem with my Media Player 11 on Vista Ultimate. Whenever it is
    > > > > started, it simply exits - no window ever popping up, no event logged,
    > > > > nothing. This happes regardless of whether I run it as Admin, as a user,
    > > > > whether I start it via shortcut or double-click a .wm* file.
    > > > >
    > > > > I tried the fix in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925704 but it didn't
    > > > > help. Has anybody got any idea what's wrong?


      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  6. #6


    peter c.a.hawkins Guest

    RE: Windows Media Player won't start

    you have the exact same symptons as i had.
    keep me updated as to how you are getting on.

    "henrikwl" wrote:

    > Actually, my Media Centre crashes fairly consistently after about 20 seconds.
    > I found out just now.
    >
    > Somethings definitely off with my Windows installation. :-S I'll try rolling
    > back a few updates, see if that helps. Maybe even do a System Restore.
    >
    > "peter c.a.hawkins" wrote:
    >
    > >
    > > does your media centre play music ok?
    > > mine would freeze when trying to play music before i fixed it with the plug
    > > ins trouble.
    > > you may want to try removing all recent windows updates,then try your wmp11,
    > > adding each update back 1 by 1.
    > > "henrikwl" wrote:
    > >
    > > > Good idea. I checked, but the Live Messenger plugin wasn't active, and I
    > > > don't have neither the Live toolbar nor the MSN media bar.
    > > >
    > > > I even tried uninstalling all codec packs, to no avail.
    > > >
    > > > Isn't there a "repair installation" function for the Media Player? Short of
    > > > reinstalling Windows - which I don't fancy doing - I don't see any other
    > > > options.
    > > >
    > > > "peter c.a.hawkins" wrote:
    > > >
    > > > > I had this same thing,i found it was to do with plug-ins in wmp11.
    > > > > i disabled the windows live plug in and the msn media bar plug in and now
    > > > > all works ok.
    > > > >
    > > > > "henrikwl" wrote:
    > > > >
    > > > > > Greetings!
    > > > > >
    > > > > > I have a problem with my Media Player 11 on Vista Ultimate. Whenever it is
    > > > > > started, it simply exits - no window ever popping up, no event logged,
    > > > > > nothing. This happes regardless of whether I run it as Admin, as a user,
    > > > > > whether I start it via shortcut or double-click a .wm* file.
    > > > > >
    > > > > > I tried the fix in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925704 but it didn't
    > > > > > help. Has anybody got any idea what's wrong?


      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  7. #7


    henrikwl Guest

    RE: Windows Media Player won't start

    Ok... The good news is it works now. The weird(?) news is I have no idea how.
    :-S

    I decided to try a System Restore. The system rebooted and went into the
    "Please wait - restoring system" screen and stayed there for about 3 hours,
    at which point I considered the cause lost - hard rebooting and preparing to
    do some serious damage control. But verily did the system boot up
    beautifully, and Windows Media Player works too.

    A quick review of the system would seem to indicate that the System Restore
    never took place - the only thing to indicate that it did in fact take place
    is the "Undo system restore" option available in the System Restore tool.

    Obviously I did something right - I just haven't the slighest clue what.

    "peter c.a.hawkins" wrote:

    > you have the exact same symptons as i had.
    > keep me updated as to how you are getting on.
    >
    > "henrikwl" wrote:
    >
    > > Actually, my Media Centre crashes fairly consistently after about 20 seconds.
    > > I found out just now.
    > >
    > > Somethings definitely off with my Windows installation. :-S I'll try rolling
    > > back a few updates, see if that helps. Maybe even do a System Restore.
    > >
    > > "peter c.a.hawkins" wrote:
    > >
    > > >
    > > > does your media centre play music ok?
    > > > mine would freeze when trying to play music before i fixed it with the plug
    > > > ins trouble.
    > > > you may want to try removing all recent windows updates,then try your wmp11,
    > > > adding each update back 1 by 1.
    > > > "henrikwl" wrote:
    > > >
    > > > > Good idea. I checked, but the Live Messenger plugin wasn't active, and I
    > > > > don't have neither the Live toolbar nor the MSN media bar.
    > > > >
    > > > > I even tried uninstalling all codec packs, to no avail.
    > > > >
    > > > > Isn't there a "repair installation" function for the Media Player? Short of
    > > > > reinstalling Windows - which I don't fancy doing - I don't see any other
    > > > > options.
    > > > >
    > > > > "peter c.a.hawkins" wrote:
    > > > >
    > > > > > I had this same thing,i found it was to do with plug-ins in wmp11.
    > > > > > i disabled the windows live plug in and the msn media bar plug in and now
    > > > > > all works ok.
    > > > > >
    > > > > > "henrikwl" wrote:
    > > > > >
    > > > > > > Greetings!
    > > > > > >
    > > > > > > I have a problem with my Media Player 11 on Vista Ultimate. Whenever it is
    > > > > > > started, it simply exits - no window ever popping up, no event logged,
    > > > > > > nothing. This happes regardless of whether I run it as Admin, as a user,
    > > > > > > whether I start it via shortcut or double-click a .wm* file.
    > > > > > >
    > > > > > > I tried the fix in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925704 but it didn't
    > > > > > > help. Has anybody got any idea what's wrong?


      My System SpecsSystem Spec

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