Has Windows Media Player the go-to music player stopped working on your Windows 10? Or no longer does it play MP4 files?
Whatever the case be, here’s some good news. In this article, we will learn how to fix the corrupted Windows Media Player.
Causes of Windows Media Player Crashing Error
- Corrupt digital rights management (DRM) cache
- Improper setup of the player
- Problem with the network settings that interfere with audio/video streaming
- Corrupt player’s library
These are some of the reasons for Windows Media Player crashing.
Note: To get more detailed information about the crash, you can always view the Application log.
Best Ways to Fix Windows Media Player Crash – Windows 10
If you think instead of following the fixes given below reinstalling Media Player will help fix the issue, you are wrong.
Here we explain the 5 best ways to fix Windows Media Player that has stopped working, error.
But before that here’s a quick suggestion. To avoid such errors and other common Windows problems, keeping the PC optimized and clean is recommended. For this, we suggest using Advanced PC Cleanup, a one-click PC tuneup tool that helps clean junk files, temporary files, invalid registry, malware, and other unwanted data causing Media Player to stop working and other errors.
To use this professional cleanup tool, follow the steps below:
1. Download and install Advanced PC Cleanup
2. Run the intelligent PC optimizer
3. Click the Start Scan Now button to perform a scan for errors in crucial areas.
4. Once done click Clean Now.
Restart the Windows machine and see if the problem is fixed or not.
Ways to Fix Windows Media Player Crashes In Windows 10
Method 1 – Use Windows In-Built Troubleshooter
1. In the Windows search bar, type Control Panel > select the first search result > double-click to open Control Panel.
2. In the Control Panel window, change View by > Large icons > click Troubleshooting > select View all from the left pane.
3. Enter Windows Media Player in the search window present on the right side.
4. Select Windows Media Player Library
5. This will open a new window here click Next > wait for Windows Troubleshooter to look for problems.
6. If any problem is detected, the Windows troubleshooter will show it and will give two options to fix – Apply this fix and Skip this fix.
7. Click Apply this fix > wait for the process to finish.
Restart the PC and then try to use Windows Media Player this should solve the problem.
Method 2 – Disable Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service
1. Press Windows + R
2. Type services.msc > Ok
3. Next look for Windows Media Player Network Sharing Services, under the Services window
4. Double click it > General tab > Startup type > Disabled > Apply > OK.
5. Right-click Stop.
This will resolve the issue with the Windows Media Player that you are facing. This means you can now play more music and videos.
Method 3 – Modifying Windows Features
1. Press Windows + X > Apps and Features
2. Click Programs and Features under Related settings.
3. Click Turn Windows features on or off from the left pane.
4. Scroll down click the + icon next to Media Features > uncheck Windows Media Player > confirm by clicking Yes.
5. Now try to run Windows Media Player, you should not face any problem.
Method 4 – Using Codec Pack
1. Open your web browser and type Google.com in the address bar
2. Next, type media player codec pack in Google search bar
3. Hit the first search results.
4. This will open the Media Player Codec Pack web page > hit download and wait for it to finish.
5. Double-click the setup file and install the media player codec pack
6. Follow on-screen instructions to install the pack. Reboot Windows. Now try to run Windows Media Player, it should run fine.
Method 5 – Run SFC command
Even after following the above steps if the problem is not resolved and Windows Media Player keeps crashing, it seems there’s some problem with system files. Hence, to ensure the files are not corrupt we will need to run the SFC scan. This will help fix problems if any with the system files. To run it, follow the steps below:
1. In the Windows search bar, type Command Prompt
2. Select it and hit Run as administrator from the right pane.
3. Thereafter, in the command prompt window type the SFC/scannow command and hit Enter key
4. Wait for the process to finish.
5. Now try to run Windows Media Player, you should no longer encounter Media Player has stopped working error.
Using the steps provided above you can easily fix Windows Media Player not responding, or Windows Media Player crashing, or Windows Media Player freezer, and other similar issues.
We hope you face no problem in following the steps as we tried explaining them in a simple way and step-by-step wise.
Do let us know which method worked for your to fix the issue with Windows Media Player in the comments section. In case you use some other method that worked, do share that. We’d love to hear from you.
Frequently Asked Question
Q1. Why does my Windows 10 Media Player keep crashing?
If the DRM cache is corrupt or there’s some issue with the setup of the player, or the player’s library is corrupt you might encounter Windows Media Player crashing issue.
Q2. What has happened to Windows Media Player?
The update known as FeatureOnDemandMediaPlayer removes Windows Media Player from the OS. However, if the user wants it can be installed from Add feature settings. Open Settings > Apps > Apps & Features > Manage optional features and enable Windows Media Player.
Q3. Why is Windows Media Player not working?
There are several reasons for Windows Media Player has stopped working. To fix this, we suggest running a built-in troubleshooter, SFC scannow command, and perform other operations. Most importantly if you keep your PC optimized you can face encountering these problems. For this try using Advanced PC Cleanup.
Q4. How do I fix Windows Media Player not responding?
To fix Windows Media Player is not responding, follow the steps below:
- Head to Windows Control Panel > Programs and Feature > Turn Windowsfeatures on or off > open Media Features > uncheck Windows Media Player > Yes > OK.
- Restart the PC and then try to run Media Player, you should not face any problem.
Q5. Why is Windows Media Player not working on Windows 10?
There are different reasons due to which Widows Media Player stops working on Windows 10. To fix them, you can try running Windows troubleshooter and follow the steps explained above.
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