Windows Media Player - Where is it?

Andy Burns wrote in news:fgft0cFgmfU1
@mid.individual.net:

Tim wrote:

what is supposed to be the official Microsoft replacement for Windows
Media Player?

VLC or Kodi ...


Neither of which is from Microsoft. I'm not a Microsoft fanboy, but if I'm
going to be beat up about staying with WMP, then I want to know what is the
official Microsoft replacement.

Wolf K wrote in
:

On 2018-03-09 12:48, Tim wrote:
Andy Burns wrote in news:fgft0cFgmfU1
@mid.individual.net:

Tim wrote:

what is supposed to be the official Microsoft replacement for
Windows Media Player?

VLC or Kodi ...


Neither of which is from Microsoft. I'm not a Microsoft fanboy, but
if I'm going to be beat up about staying with WMP, then I want to
know what is the official Microsoft replacement.



https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...edia-player-12

You're welcome. No payment expected. But if you feel sufficiently
grateful, give a little extra to your fave charity.

So all the other dear lovable people who out of the goodness of their
hearts called me all kinds of names and heaped derision upon my head for
staying with THE CURRENTLY SUPPORT MEDIA PLAY FROM MICROSOFT are mearly
misguided.

PS: I regularly contribute to PBS, my alumni university, and Feeding
America, and donate to other worthy causes as the spirit moves me.

A M wrote in :

On Thu, 8 Mar 2018 21:55:37 -0000 (UTC), Boris
wrote:

A M wrote in
m:

On Wed, 07 Mar 2018 18:22:31 -0700, KenW kenw@
noplace.com wrote:

On Thu, 8 Mar 2018 00:40:48 -0000 (UTC), Boris
wrote:

I have four Win10 Home machines. All came with Win10 Home, factory
(HP and Dell)installed, some with the 1607 version, but they are
all now up to version 1709, one at build 16299.192, the others at
build 16299.248

On three of my Win10 Home machines, which include builds 16299.199
and 248, Windows Media Player was included in the start list, and
when clicked on, wanted to be installed. When installed, the Help
menu showed Windows Media Player versions 12.0.16299.192 and
version 12.0.16299.248, depending on what Win10 Home build was on
the machine. Not a problem.

Here's what I don't understand. One the fourth machine, Windows
Media Player is not in the start list, and, when I type Windows
Media Player in the Cortana orb, I'm only given web locations to
look at. When I go to the web location, including a Microsoft site,
I'm told Windows Media Player is included with machines that came
with Windows 10 installed.

Also, if I go to SettingsAppsDefaultAppsMusicPlayer, the choices
that appear a

Groove Music
Power Media Player by Dell
VLC Media Player
Windows Media Player
Look for an app in the Store

I have set Windows Media Player as the default. VLC was the
previous default.

Notice that Windows Media Player appears, even though I can't find
it in the Start list, and the Cortana orb sends me to the web.
It's as if it's not on this machine, but it is.

I have a single mp3 on this desktop. If I double-click on it,
Windows Media Player says Hi, Welcome, and wants to be installed.
I haven't done that yet. If I do an 'open with' click, I'm give
three choices: Power Media Player by Dell, VLC Media Player, and
Windows Media Player. Power Media Player by Dell and VLC Media
Player will both play the mp3, and Windows Media Player wants to be
installed.

Any ideas as to why on this particular machine, Windows Media
Player is hidden so well? My initial thought was that Dell has
hidden it, and wants to sell an upgrade to Power Media Player by
Dell (it will play music and display pics and dvds, and I suspect
it has limited functionality unless upgraded for a fee). On the
other hand, the other Dell machine that didn't hide Windows Media
Player, is about 18 months older, and came with Cyberlink Power
Player, which doesn't rip or burn, etc, so it's not competing with
Windows Media Player.

In summary, my thought is that if the OEM includes a competitive
product to Windows Media Player, the OEM 'hides' Windows Media
Player from the purchaser. Yes? No? Is there another reason for
hiding Windows Media Player, other than Microsoft wants us to use
other Store apps?


Gee, I type wmp and it comes up, no problem.


Thanks for the reply.

Your Windows installation might not be using the latest updates.

I believe you are right about KenW's install. My machine which
exibits this behavior is the machine with the most recent build, that
'hides' WMP. I no longer think it has anything to do with the OEM
install of Windows10 Home. (See response to Paul.)

Microsoft seems to have removed it from the operating system even if
it is installed in the accessories part of the Apps control panel.

Hmmm...not sure it's been removed from the OS, because it is
selectable in DefaultApps, and it does show up in Manage optional
feaatures. But, I haven't installed it, which would be the acid test
as to it's inclusion in the OS.

On mine, writing WMP will indeed come up when you write it in, but
it will be a link to a web page about the software.

Exactly the same here.

BTW, what is "accessories part of the Apps control panel" ? I have
the Control Panel pinned to my Taskbar, and regardless of the View I
use (Category or Icon), I don't see anything related to 'accessories'.

I didn't explain myself well since I didn't use the appropriate
terminology. On the other hand, Microsoft seems to change it from one
version to another. Here's a link to what I'm referring to. Notice the
optional features at the top https://kek.gg/i/4vqSJP.jpg

In my case, Windows Media Player is actually installed but won't run.
Microsoft seems to really not want us to use it.


Odd. I just installed Windows Media Player on this machine, Win10 Home
version 1709 build 16299.251, and it is working fine, as it is on two
other Win10 Home machines.

It appears in the Default appsMusic player window, as does VLC, Groove
Music, and Dell Power Media Player (Cyberlink). I've just started to
populate the WMP library, and the music also shows up in both Groove
Music and Dell Power Media Player.

Still one thing, though, it still doesn't appear in the Start menu, and
the only way I could get it to launch was to click on a .mp3 file. Once
launched, and appearing in the taskbar, I pinned it to the taskbar.

I haven't found a way to pin to the Start menu. I navigated to
winplayer.exe, and a right click allowed me to select Pin to Start, but
it still didn't show up in the Start menu. Funny, it also let me Unpin
from Start, even though the pin didn't work. It also doesn't show up in
Control PanelPrograms.

Maybe only a regedit will get it to appear in the Start menu. But I
don't care, I launch from the taskbar.