Windows 10: Windows Media Player is not installed properly - A Possible Fix

Error Message: "Windows Media Player is not installed properly and must be reinstalled"


Questions (and answers) about this error message are posted all over the web -- it seems to be a very common problem with Windows Media Player -- and many have posted fixes involving uninstalling and reinstalling WMP, as well as unregistering and reregistering it. None of these fixes seem to have worked for several people receiving this error message when trying to start Windows Media Player on their computers. The problem seems to affect only the 32-bit version of WMP, as many have found out by manually starting the 64-bit version in the "Program Files" folder (it is the 32-bit version, in "Program Files (x86)", that is still used for the default shortcut in Windows' Start Menu).


None of the posted fixes I found worked for me. I stumbled upon the fix that did work for me, almost by accident. I happened to notice, in my "Program Files (x86" folder, underneath the subfolder for "Windows Media Player" was another one for "Windows Media Player Plus!". I'd forgotten that I had installed Windows Media Player Plus! years ago, when it was sold as an add-on for Windows Media Player that could be purchased directly from Microsoft (on CD). It had been copied over onto every upgrade I'd made to Windows since, probably, Windows XP -- and it occurred to me that it was, now, terribly old. I uninstalled Windows Media Player Plus! and the 32-bit version of Windows Media Player immediately opened again without any problem.


So, if anyone else happens to have Windows Media Player Plus! installed on your version of Windows, uninstall it! It might fix your problem.


By the way, Microsoft no longer sells it but its original developer (BF-Productions, apparently in the Netherlands) still offers it as a free, downloadable add-on to Windows Media Player on their web site (it is also available from all the popular software download sites, like Softpedia and Major Geeks). I installed the current version, v2.10, on my Windows 10 Pro machine and it works, without problem, exactly like it used to. The problem was that I still had an old version of WMP Plus! (2.08) installed that is no longer compatible with current installations of Windows Media Player.


Note: It appears that Windows Media Player Plus! installs as an add-on only for the 32-bit version of Windows Media Player. On my machine, it is not operational in, or accessible from, the 64-bit version of Windows Media Player at all.

:)

 

New Windows Media Player Plugin for Firefox

Anyone who uses Windows Vista and Mozilla Firefox may be pleased to hear that the Windows Media Player team has now released a plugin for Firefox that should allow the browser to play WMP content on websites. Here are the steps to get it working:

• Installation of the Windows Media Player Firefox Plugin may require administrative access to your PC. It is recommended that you close all other open browser windows before continuing with the installation.
• Click the Install button to automatically download and install the Windows Media Player Firefox Plugin.
• Depending on your security settings, you may see a Security Warning dialog box. Click Install to install the plugin.

There is a known issue if you are using Firefox version 2.0.0.3 on Windows Vista with the installer failing with error code -203. To work around this simply restart Firefox (you will get a notification that Windows Vista will be changing the Firefox compatibility settings) and then install again - the second time should succeed.

The download is available here, and the new plugin works on all versions of Windows XP and Windows Vista (although it is mostly intended for Vista, as that currently has no WMP support in Firefox).

Source: Windows Vista Blog

 

Faulty Windows Media Player

Windows Mesdis Player developed a fault (Played jerky an missed bits) so I down loaded Media Player 10.

It's no better. Any suggestions (I run Windows 98)

 

windows media player

Hi,

Thank you for posting on Microsoft Communities.

What is the exact error message you get when you to try play files on Windows Media Player?

I suggest you to run both Windows Media Player Library and Settings troubleshooter and check.

Step 1: If your computer is having problems playing video or audio files in Windows Media Player, try using the Windows Media Player Settings troubleshooter to fix the problem. The troubleshooter checks the configuration and network settings
for Windows Media Player to make sure that you can play content you've downloaded and saved to your computer, or content streaming over a network or the Internet.

Steps to run Windows Media Player Settings troubleshooter are as follows:

• Press Windows key + X and select Control Panel.
• In the search box, type troubleshooter, and then click
  Troubleshooting.
• Click View all, and then click Windows Media Player Settings
  and follow the instructions.

Step 2: If your computer is having problems accessing your collection of digital media files in the Windows Media Player Library, try using the Windows Media Player Library troubleshooter to fix the problem. The troubleshooter makes sure
Windows Media Player is correctly installed on your computer, and checks to see whether your Player Library is corrupted.

Steps to run Windows Media Player Settings troubleshooter are as follows:

• Press Windows key + X and select Control Panel.
  
• In the search box, type troubleshooter, and then click
  Troubleshooting.
• Click View all, and then click Windows Media Player Library
  and follow the instructions.

• • 
    

Please reply us on the status of the issue to assist you further.