WMP8 Woes

[Hathor]

My Windows Media Player 8 which is bundled with XP and is not available separately, has gone on the blink. It says it does not recognise my MIDIs or MP3s format. I do get system sounds and I can play ordinary music CDs, but I can't hear music on websites, my own mail or incoming mail. (I can send apparently)

So I had a snoop around the help/troubleshooting section and got this message:
Error ID = 0x80040265, Remedy ID = 0x00000000
Then I started looking at the driver details and it all swears it is working well and nothing is wrong.

Then on advice I d/loaded WMP9. The MP3s came back, but not the MIDIs This time error message is Error ID = 0xC00D1199, Condition ID = 0x00000000

I started checking on WMP8 on the net, and it is quite unpopular as it is bundled, and secondly to my horror, contains Microsoft spyware which MSN acknowledge.

Now, there are 2 possible culprits (I think) for causing the problem - apart from me - One is Spyblaster which I already had a few weeks . The other is SpyCleaner6.1 that has a very good chuck out and delete of everything. That is when I lost the sound. I didn't realise I was supposed to backup the logfile . What has happened? BTW I uninstalled and removed Spycleaner.

I wonder if the removal of spyware from WMP8 caused the sound failure. I have posted in MSN forums and elsewhere but there has been no reply.
I have updated absolutely everything in windows I could think of ..... but no the sound did not return. I am very nervous about reinstalling XP as the PC is shared. Do you have any ideas please? Thanks in advance.

Hathor with a {{HUG}}

[Detox]

I'm not going to be able to help you myself as I've stayed away from WMP since version 5 or so, but I would like to welcome you to Wilder's and let you know I've moved your post to a forum where it oughta get the proper attention. There is no doubt that you will be getting some help on the subject quite soon

[snapdragin]

quoting: Hathor link=board=21;threadid=16341;start=0#msg101334 date=1068827825]
I am very nervous about reinstalling XP as the PC is shared....

Hi Hathor, and welcome!

You said that you are nervous about reinstalling XP...what operating system are you using right now? If it is WinME, you may be able to use the System Restore feature and roll your computer back to a time when the sound worked. Has this been tried or suggested?

Also, if you are using XP, and you have the original CD, you may be able to reinstall WMP8. It may have only been a file association problem that was changed when you used the spyware removal tool you mentioned (i am not familiar with that tool or how it deletes/disables spyware, so i cannot help in that respect). But i also have WMP8 and anything that might "call home" has been disabled without any adverse affects with it's playing ability.

Just some thoughts that might help you get started on fixing your WMP.

regards,

snap

[Detox]

Looking at a thread forwarded to me from Snap, I figure a repair install of XP (should that be your operating system) would possibly work. Tony Klien earlier used this

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_repair_install.htm

to show someone how it's done.

Snap also passed along this link

http://www.spywareinfoforum.com/index.php?showtopic=1330&hl=wmp8

which I'm not getting much out of as far as how to help you, but maybe you or someone else will
to show someone how it's done.

[Hathor]

Thank you for your suggestions and for moving my query to an appropriate place.

I shall follow up on those links, but please do not overestimate my techno knowledge

Interesting that a reply mentioned associations: I think that is a problem as often it says (on search) it can't find things, except I know what the path is and can find some stuff. (Search rarely finds anything )

This may be a separate, or perhaps the same problem as posted. I think I went wrong from the start when I decided to cancel separate users and just move to one. This causes confusion as to where things disappear to, I guess.

Yes I do have the disk(s) and I have an awful feeling a reinstall will be inevitable and that means lots of backing up :'(

I'll keep tuning in. Thanks

Hathor

[Hathor]

I am getting there .. but why don't disks work upside down? Is this beyond modern science? Don't answer, I am just stressed out.
Loves Hathor X

[Detox]

quoting: Hathor link=board=21;threadid=16341;start=0#msg101481 date=1068882804]
Yes I do have the disk(s) and I have an awful feeling a reinstall will be inevitable and that means lots of backing up :'(
Hathor

What we are talking about is a "repair" reinstall... You can use your OS disk to reinstall only selected parts of Windows; such as WMP.

[Hathor]

Thanks for the input.

Whats a Repair Install?? (I did warn you that I was dumb!)

And apart from hold down SHIFT .... what next? OK, I guess up comes all the contents of the disk ...and then? Is WMP8 featured? And meanwhile do I remove WMP9 since things don't like to move backwards? It is sitting in my D/load folder anyway, or I can go fetch it again.

The reason I ask is that if I run into strange dialogue boxes, I tend to back off.

Oh! Phil who lives in the same village, who knows I prefer to panic in instalments ... he thinks you guys give wonderful advice!!
So I take it you are not coming to help then, Phil?

Meanwhile .....

Luvs Hathor with a {{HUG}}

[Hathor]

Sorry, you already told me in the link and I saved it.

Sorry.
I was just distracted

Luvs
Hathor with a Headache

[Hathor]

OMG! I have just looked into the error logfile and I have had to lie down in a dark room.

There are reams of them. They breed in the dark.

This is all severely out of my league and I have no one I know to network with. None I know locally have XP.

I shall have to make another plan, meanwhile, can I speak privately to a moderator please. My addy is in my profile.

Thanks.

Hathor in Profound shock! :'(

"If I succeed at failing ...which have I done?"

SOB!

[Detox]

I'm sure we'll get you taken care of yet ;-)

[Hathor]

I'll try and get back tomorrow and explain a bit more, and perhaps you will understand why I am so confused.

Had an "upset" yesterday and OE just shut down having reset it's settings. I am getting used to this. Usually when in an agitated frame of mind, the monitor just switches off. So please bear with me. I am not mad. The PC is.

LUVS and thanks for your patience,

Hathor with a headache *S*

[Jooske]

Isn't clear if you did, but might suppose you did look in the preferences or options and file associates inthere which can be played with the WMP? Check them all and give it another try if that wasn't done yet.

[Pilli]

Hathor, The easiest way to get back is to use: Start - Help & support - System restore & hopefully there will be a a system restore point from before you installed the spycop programme. You will not lose any of your recent documents or emails etc.

HTH Pilli

[Hathor]

I have tried the restore point, but perhaps I didn't go back far enough.
I'll have another go ...

Luvs

Hathor *S*

[Hathor]

To explain further ...and I had not mentioned this to avoid complicating the situation and confusing myself further, my HD has been partitioned into W98,WME and XP. Now XP is partitioned further into many parts, one of which is the "original" XP. It is this one I am still using, the reason being,I don't know how to move between the "new" XP and the partitons yet . Eventually the original will be discarded so I can have more GBs on the new XP
Now the WMP8 prob exists only on the original. For some unknown reason everything is OK on the New, but I have to move masses of files over into the different partitons but don't know how. (The one who did the partitioning has been away but due back soon).

The reason I have avoided using the Repair Installation immediately is that I don't know how it knows what bit it has to repair, as there is an XP within an XP. The easiest and most convenient solution is just move the lot over and discontinue the inner original one.

So, I am just gonna have to wait for help from the installer either later this week or next. I think things are less complicated than I imagine them but I have to proceed with caution as I get blamed for everything :'(

Meanwhile I have learned masses ..... and I hope this explanation makes sense to someone out there.
My next project will be to get rid of the MSN mesg that is so resistant to removal

{{HUGS}} from Hathor