Windows Media Player Will Not Open

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.compaq (More info?)

In article <um9td.3310$0r.166@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net>, Von
Fourche <monaco6178@hotmail.com> writes
> I'm currently running Windows ME on a Compaq Presario (128 ram, 40gb hard
>drive, 21 gb used and 17 free.) Over the summer I downloaded theWindows
>Media player that comes with XP (the one that lets you rate the
>songs). It's been running perfectly and hasn't given me any problems up to
>now.

Do you mean 9 series or 10 series of Windows Media Player? If it is
series 10, I am surprised that it installed and I am not surprised that
you have problems, series 10 is XP only.

The choice of download for series 9 is dependant on operating system.
If you managed to get the wrong version to load on ME I would expect to
get problems.

You could check to see if Windows Media Player is listed in Add/Remove
programs (the correct version of series 9 is not) and remove it.
(Start-> Settings-> Control Panel-> Add/Remove Programs and look at the
list). Failing that you could try removing Media Player 1.0 from
Windows Setup (Start-> Settings-> Control Panel-> Add/Remove Programs
and look under the Windows Setup tab under multimedia) although I do not
hold much hope here.

>
> A few days ago I was trying to play an avi file but Windows Media Player
>jammed up and wouldn't open. I restarted my computer and the avi file still
>wouldn't open. Not only that, I couldn't get windows media player to open
>at all. I did play the avi clip with real media player without any
>problems.
>
> Whenever I click on the windows media player shortcut on my desktop I
>think it tries to open but gets jammed. When I hit alt-Ctrl-Delete I can
>see "Wmplayer" listed. Also, it slows my computer down. I have to hit "end
>task" to kill the program. I can not get the player to open at all.
>
> Also, I just remembered - before I downloaded that avi file I was on the
>XM Radio web site trying to listen to their audio stream free for three
>days. I've been listening to their audio stream for free for the last week
>without any trouble (I've been creating different e-mail address). But that
>night their audio stream would not play at all. Then later that night when
>I tried playing that avi clip Windows Media Player wouldn't open. I'm
>wondering if that XM Radio player might have screwed things up.
>
> I've tried using system restore about six times tonight but I keep
>getting the message - system restore will not/can not let you restore. I
>have plenty of space on my hard drive and partition for system restore to
>work.

You did perform all the Windows ME updates? There is a bug in the
System Restore shipped with ME, whereby snapshots taken after 8
September 2001 are incorrectly date stamped and will (according to
Microsoft 'may') work. There is a bug fix for this. However it wipes
out all previous snapshots.

To run Windows Update open Internet Explorer, Tools-> Windows Update and
follow the instructions.

>
> Ok, where do I go from here?

Probably Quick Restore Disks and then Windows Update, which will offer
you the opportunity to install series 9 of Windows Media Player, or
install Windows ME from an install disk. Either way you will loose any
data on your hard drive.

>
> Thanks!
>
>
>

--
Nicholas David Richards -

"Où sont les neiges d'antan?"