Question regarding Windows Media Player

[plg]

I wasn't sure as to where I should post this (so if it should be placed someplace else, please let me know), but I'm having trouble with my Windows Media Player. Simply: it won't open. I'm not even sure where to begin troubleshooting or what to mess around with, so I figured I would ask those who know best.

Thanks!

[bigc73542]

You might try right clicking on media player then clicking on properties then on short cut and make sure it points to where media player is located. If not type in the correct path or browse to the folder and set it that way. I would try that before I did anything more complicated. Like a reinstall of media player.

bigc

[snapdragin]

Hi plg,

Some spyware/malware files do tamper with Windows Media Player, so if you do suspect that your media player has been infected, you could follow ALL the steps and instructions over here: http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=15913

Then post your hijackthis log over in our adware, spyware & hijack cleaning forum where someone will be glad to review it: http://www.wilderssecurity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=26

Regards,

snap

[plg]

Thanks so far bigc and snapdragin.

So far I ran Ad-aware like I normally would. Before I go on to post a HijackThis log in the thread you provided for me, I checked the target like bigc suggested, and this is what it read: "C:\ProgramFiles\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe"/prefetch:1

If you think I should continue on with HijackThis, lemme know and I will do so.

[snapdragin]

Hi plg,

That is the correct path, but it probably wouldn't hurt to post a hijackthis log just as a precaution, and to have it checked. If there is nothing wrong showing in your log, then you could take the steps to try an uninstall and reinstall of Windows Media Player.

Regards,

snap

[snapdragin]

Hi plg,

I see Pieter gave your hijackthis log a clean bill of health, so we've ruled out malware being the cause of the player not opening, which is good news. But since there can be many reasons for it not to work, it may take some reading before you find the solution. If you had an error code, then that would help to narrow it down some, but without that then it can be anything from a bad plugin to a video or sound driver not working correctly.

I searched through the Microsoft Media Newsgroups and in one of the threads there this link was suggested by one of the MVP's, and it looks to have quite a listing for troublshooting problems with Windows Media Player series:
http://www.nwlink.com/~zachd/pss/pss.html#wmp9

If you do decide that a reinstall of Windows Media Player might be the answer, then from what I have read that is recommended is reinstall the player overtop of itself, rather than an uninstall/reinstall. You may have the installer already on your computer too, depending on how it was initially installed. Look for the file name "mpsetupxp.exe" located in C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\Installer. If the "Installer folder" is not there (and it may not be, I don't have that folder), then run the "setup_wm.exe" located in C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\setup_wm.exe, which will re-download the installer and install it.

Before you try the reinstall, first go through the list of questions/answers at the link I posted above to see if anything there looks familiar to your problem that may offer you an alternative solution.

Let us know if you get it working correctly.

Regards,

snap