Question

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 24 Dec 2006 8:06 am

I know the dumbest question is the one never asked, but here is possibly the second dumbest. I have Windows Media Player 11 installed on my computer, but many sites, CNN for example, tell me to download and install it before I can view a video. Why is this?

Wiz Feinberg · Post by **Wiz Feinberg** » 24 Dec 2006 9:36 am

Barry;
Please post a link to a file that is causing this to happen and I will try to open it in MP 11. If I have the same problem I will research the issue on the Microsoft public forums.

------------------
Bob "Wiz" Feinberg
Moderator of the SGF Computers Forum
Visit my Wiztunes Steel Guitar website at: http://www.wiztunes.com/
or my computer troubleshooting website: Wizcrafts Computer Services,
or my Webmaster Services webpage. Get Firefox Here.
Learn about current computer virus and security threats here.
Read Wiz's Blog for security news and update notices. Learn about using a Limited User account to protect your PC. Read my FAQs.

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 25 Dec 2006 6:18 pm

Wiz, my OS is windows XP Media Center Edition about which I just learned the following: "Windows XP Media Centre Edition does not come with the Windows Media Player plug-ins. In addition, often it appears incapable of supporting them so just restoring the dll files may not work, and the installer for the plug-ins does not recognise XP Media Centre Edition. It has been reported that the update for Windows XP N (XP with no media playback ability, see Window XP Home N or Windows XP Professional N) that re-adds the missing media playback files will allow XP Media Centre Edition to support the WMP plug-ins.
Warning: this update cannot be uninstalled. The only way to undo it is to re-install Windows, so attempt at your own risk. The update is here.

Any other way around this without installing an uninstallible update? Why would Windows do this to its' customers, especially without telling them?

Wiz Feinberg · Post by **Wiz Feinberg** » 25 Dec 2006 8:04 pm

Why would Windows do this to its' customers, especially without telling them?

You are kidding, right?

Answer: To make more money by selling a "different" operating system for use by audiophiles.

I have been learning some very disturbing things about this Media edition of XP. It is a bastardized version that cannot be upgraded to XP Professional. It suffers from many incompatibilities and quirks, such as you are discovering.

If you are able to obtain a valid licensable copy of XP Pro and install it from scratch, you will be farther ahead. Save all of your media and personal data files by burning them to CDs, DVDs, or an external drive. Also, save your personal profile program settings and email, by running the "Files and Settings Transfer Wizard." You can save to a CD or DVD, depending on if you just save settings, or also save files. I would just export settings myself, as adding files could make your exported file too big to save to anything other than an external hard drive.

Then you or a technician can format the hard drive and install Windows XP afresh and activate the license. When it is activated and licensed you can Import the saved personal profile settings by running the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard again. Locate the saved settings file and import it. Afterward, restore the saved data and media files as you see fit. Then run Windows Updates to get all available patches and security rollups. You can also upgrade to Media Player 11 using the Custom option at Windows Updates.

------------------
Bob "Wiz" Feinberg
Moderator of the SGF Computers Forum
Visit my Wiztunes Steel Guitar website at: http://www.wiztunes.com/
or my computer troubleshooting website: Wizcrafts Computer Services,
or my Webmaster Services webpage. Get Firefox Here.
Learn about current computer virus and security threats here.
Read Wiz's Blog for security news and update notices. Learn about using a Limited User account to protect your PC. Read my FAQs.

[This message was edited by Wiz Feinberg on 25 December 2006 at 08:06 PM.]

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 26 Dec 2006 7:42 am

Thanks Wiz, but this little incident has tipped me over the edge. I see a Mac in my future ...

Dave Potter · Post by **Dave Potter** » 26 Dec 2006 9:55 am

I feel your pain. I'm recovering from the latest of my many XP Home crashes, probably because I push it to the edge a lot. I did have backups from which I have been able to restore most of my settings and files, but, the process of doing so is tedious, time-consuming, and it's unpleasant having to crawl back, hat in hand, to the Microsoft "activation" people repeatedly (who now seem to be all Brits, vs Indians or Pakistanis, whatever, now).

I toyed with the idea of switching to Mac, but, at my age, this old dog is getting reluctant to learn new tricks. So, with renewed determination to backup more freqently, and a brand new 1.5 terabyte external HD to use for that, I'm plodding onward through the fog.