Vista - 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?

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?

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?

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?

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?

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?

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?