Windows 10: Windows Media Player - User 64-bit version by default

My goal is to enable the use of 64-bit version of Windows Media Player (WMP) by default. Apparently, this process involves more than just changing the shortcuts in desktop, start menu and taskbar to reference mplayer2.exe in Programs Files directory, the location of 64-bit WMP, and not Program Files (x86), location of 32-bit WMP. I am comfortable with editing the registry and backup regularly. Windows 10 x64 Education v20H2.



After an internet search, I found two solutions to switch to the 64-bit Windows Media Player: (1) Install Local Subtitles for WMP (https://sourceforge.net/projects/wmpsub/) which has an option during installation to launch 64-bit WMP by default and (2) a more manual guide (https://www.mydigitallife.net/how-to-set-64-bit-windows-media-player-12-wmp12-as-default-player/) which involves a %WinDir%\system32\unregmp2.exe /SwapTo:64 command followed by some registry key modifications. These key modifications involve switching several WMP related key paths from Program Files (x86) to Program Files. The keys in question are:



HKLM\Software\CLASSES\CLSID\{cdc32574-7521-4124-90c3-8d5605a34933}\LocalServer32

HKLM\Software\CLASSES\CLSID\{45597c98-80f6-4549-84ff-752cf55e2d29}\LocalServer32

HKLM\Software\CLASSES\CLSID\{ed1d0fdf-4414-470a-a56d-cfb68623fc58}\LocalServer32



However, after a search for "mplayer2.exe" in the registry, not all keys related to WMP point to Program Files in the path, some still point to Program Files (x86).



Soooo, my three questions are, for these remaining keys (see below) with the path still pointing to Program Files (x86)....



(1) What do the keys do?

(2) Do the paths need to be changed from Program Files (x86) to Program Files?

(3) Do the keys that show up in the WOW6432Node in particular need the paths changed from Program Files (x86) to Program Files?



I am very sure these two keys need to be changed. I believe these keys involve launching WMP from the Run box using an alias (i.e., mplayer2), right?

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\mplayer2.exe

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\mplayer2.exe



I am fairly sure these keys need to be modified as well since they are file type/web protocol associations, right?

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DLNA-PLAYSINGLE\shell\open\command

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\MMS\shell\open\command

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WMP11.AssocProtocol.DLNA-PLAYSINGLE\shell\open\command

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WMP11.AssocProtocol.MMS\shell\open\command



I don't know what these keys do and wonder if they need to be changed too. What do they do and should they be modified?

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\MuiCache

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Setup\CreatedLinks

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Multimedia\DirectXMedia

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Multimedia\DirectXMedia

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Multimedia\WMPlayer

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Multimedia\WMPlayer



Thanks!

submitted by /u/bamajon1974
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:)

 

Windows Media Player 64-bit

To use the 64-bit Windows Media Player rather than the 32-bit WMP, I install the Local Subtitles for WMP (Local Subtitles for WMP download | SourceForge.net) and it has a feature for switching to the 64-bit version of WMP, which I keep installed but not often used. The Local Subtitles does launch WMP 64-bit, likely in a similar fashion to the method in this old website (How to Set 64-Bit Windows Media Player 12 (WMP12) As Default Player << My Digital Life). However, not all keys in the registry point to WMP 64-bit.

Question....what do the following keys do and do they need to be modified to point to WMP 64-bit? By modify, I mean change the Program Files (x86) to Program files to point to WMP 64-bit

I am very sure these two keys need to be changed:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\mplayer2.exe
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\mplayer2.exe

I am fairly sure these keys need to be modified
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DLNA-PLAYSINGLE\shell\open\command
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\MMS\shell\open\command
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WMP11.AssocProtocol.DLNA-PLAYSINGLE\shell\open\command
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WMP11.AssocProtocol.MMS\shell\open\command

I don't know what these keys do and wonder if they need to be changed too.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\MuiCache
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Setup\CreatedLinks
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Multimedia\DirectXMedia
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Multimedia\DirectXMedia
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Multimedia\WMPlayer
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Multimedia\WMPlayer

Thanks!

 

is there a windows 10 64-bit download of Media Player

Windows 10 already includes Windows Media Player 12 already:

How
to locate and open Windows Media Player in Windows 10

By default, Windows 10 will launch the 32 bit version of Windows Media Player 12.

See:





If you are running Windows 10 64 bit and go browse to C:\Program Files > Windows Media Player and launch wmplayer.exe this will start the 64 bit version. So there is no need to download Windows Media Player.

Notice its not denoted by (32 bit), this means it is the 64 bit version.

 

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)