Anyway to reinstall WMP on Vista? When it's not completely gone .

Windows Media wasn't loading (after I uninstalled Winamp, another media
player). I tried to repair Win Media, that didn't work, so I figured,
uninstall and reinstall would be best thing. Wrong. I CANNOT FIND A DOWNLOAD
FOR WIN MEDIA FOR VISTA, Only for XP. Apparently, in their infinite wisdom,
Microsoft believes that if a program comes installed on the PC or as part of
the OS, we never need to reinstall it. I did find one page on Microsoft site
full of info about Win Media 11 for Vista and Win 7 BUT NO DOWNLOAD!!!

I tried using the XP version because someone on one of these forums
recommended that. But the XP version wouldn't install because it said a later
version of the program was already installed on my PC. That was when I
discovered that WMP is STILL on my PC. It's just not visible at the "Program
& Features" part of control panel so I can't re-try to uninstall or to
repair.

When I try running WMP now, it SEEMS to come up normally but it says "There
are no items in this library" and I'm not able to tell the Library where to
look for music. It just doesn't do anything.
Does anyone know how to solve this?

So I try to delete or rename wmplayer.exe but the system won't allow me to
do it, even though I have admin privileges. Any suggestions? Or better yet,
is there a similar media player I can use that will work with my SanDisk MP3
player and read all my WMP playlists, but doesn't have this RIDICULOUS
UNWORKABLE tie to OS?

Thanks in advance.


Where is the download for the full Win Media for Vista 64-bit? Or even 32-bit?

In meantime, I'll use iTunes and RealPlayer.

I tell WMP where the music files are that I want to add to library (using
Browse), it acts like it's starting to import, then it stops. No error msg.
Nothing.

Fortunately, I'm now using WinAmp. the bad part about WinAmp is that it's a
new UI and more importantly, while it has a way to import iTunes playlists,
it does not have that capability for WMP playlists. So unless I find an app
that does, ALL MY WMP PLAYLISTS FOR LAST 3 YEARS MUST BE RECREATED.

I've learned my lesson: don't use these Windows OS add-ons when alternatives
are available. I stopped using IE years ago. Now I'll make sure I do the same
with media players, etc.

Anyone know of a program like WinAmp or iTunes or Media Monkey that IMPORTS
WMP PLAYLISTS? Seems like there might be a good marke for people like me.

"Tim De Baets" wrote:

> angela g wrote:
> > When I try running WMP now, it SEEMS to come up normally but it says "There
> > are no items in this library" and I'm not able to tell the Library where to
> > look for music. It just doesn't do anything.
> > Does anyone know how to solve this?
>
> Why can't you tell WMP where to look for music? In WMP's Options, go to
> Library and click Monitor Folders. You should be able to add your music
> folder to the list there. If that doesn't work, please explain exactly
> why it doesn't. Do you get any error messages?
>
> > So I try to delete or rename wmplayer.exe but the system won't allow me to
> > do it, even though I have admin privileges. Any suggestions?
>
> Deleting or renaming wmplayer.exe isn't going to solve anything.
>
> > Where is the download for the full Win Media for Vista 64-bit? Or even 32-bit?
>
> WMP is an OS component of Vista, and a separate download simply doesn't
> exist. You can only reinstall WMP by reinstalling Vista itself.
>
> Regards
>
> --
> Tim De Baets
> http://www.bm-productions.tk
> .
>

side ways wrote:
> I tell WMP where the music files are that I want to add to library (using
> Browse), it acts like it's starting to import, then it stops. No error msg.
> Nothing.

Please define "stop". Does WMP hang, forcing you to use Task Manager to
close it, or does WMP exit immediately out of itself?
This could be caused by a corrupted library. If you follow the
instructions specific to your WMP and Windows version at
http://zachd.com/pss/pss.html#medialibrary , does that help?

> Anyone know of a program like WinAmp or iTunes or Media Monkey that IMPORTS
> WMP PLAYLISTS? Seems like there might be a good marke for people like me.

I don't know of such a program, but you could just as well do this
manually. In WMP, right-click a playlist and select Edit in List Pane.
Then, click the playlist title (right above the playlist items), and
select Save Playlist As. Make sure you save the playlist as type "M3U
Playlist", with the .m3u extension, preferably in the same folder as the
songs that it contains.

In Winamp, click the Import-button and select Import playlist from file.
Point Winamp to the M3U playlist you just saved in WMP. Repeat the same
for each playlist you want to import (the whole process sounds more
complicated than it actually is).

Regards

--
Tim De Baets
http://www.bm-productions.tk

Sorry I wasn't precise in last msg., not to mention that I was logged in with
a different user's name.
No, it doesn't hang. WMP ACTS the way it does when it's working properly and
finishes importing new files into the library. But it doesn't. I tell it from
where to import the files using the browse button, it ACTS for a moment like
it's doing that (though with no progress bar and no message of # of files
imported -- I'm writing now from MEMORY of how WMP acted when it did still
work a few weeks ago) and then it acts like it's done and sits there. No
files have been imported. My 200 so playlists still can no longer find the
music in their playlists. WMP no longer talks to or recognizes my PCs file
system. Uninstall seems to have broken that connection, though the program is
still very much installed.

Thanks also for your advice on importing playlists. Given my number of
playlists, I'd rather do an automatic process than something by hand but if I
can't find an automatic way, I'll do it by hand.

I miss my music. And aside from any judicial, legal, monopolistic issues,
having an app like WMP tied to the OS, especially the way it is now where it
sorta uninstalls to become unworkable but really doesn't unistall, well, it's
been a while since I've used a Mac. I can't help but wonder if Apple sets up
its programs and OS in such a short-sighted way.

Thanks.

"Tim De Baets" wrote:

> side ways wrote:
> > I tell WMP where the music files are that I want to add to library (using
> > Browse), it acts like it's starting to import, then it stops. No error msg.
> > Nothing.
>
> Please define "stop". Does WMP hang, forcing you to use Task Manager to
> close it, or does WMP exit immediately out of itself?
> This could be caused by a corrupted library. If you follow the
> instructions specific to your WMP and Windows version at
> http://zachd.com/pss/pss.html#medialibrary , does that help?
>
> > Anyone know of a program like WinAmp or iTunes or Media Monkey that IMPORTS
> > WMP PLAYLISTS? Seems like there might be a good marke for people like me.
>
> I don't know of such a program, but you could just as well do this
> manually. In WMP, right-click a playlist and select Edit in List Pane.
> Then, click the playlist title (right above the playlist items), and
> select Save Playlist As. Make sure you save the playlist as type "M3U
> Playlist", with the .m3u extension, preferably in the same folder as the
> songs that it contains.
>
> In Winamp, click the Import-button and select Import playlist from file.
> Point Winamp to the M3U playlist you just saved in WMP. Repeat the same
> for each playlist you want to import (the whole process sounds more
> complicated than it actually is).
>
> Regards
>
> --
> Tim De Baets
> http://www.bm-productions.tk
> .
>

Oh, I went to the link you suggested for fixing libraries (though I don't
think that's the problem -- it's WMP that's broken, not the libraries) and
attempted to install the 64-bit Vista update. I got a msg "The update does
not apply to your system.)

"Tim De Baets" wrote:

> side ways wrote:
> > I tell WMP where the music files are that I want to add to library (using
> > Browse), it acts like it's starting to import, then it stops. No error msg.
> > Nothing.
>
> Please define "stop". Does WMP hang, forcing you to use Task Manager to
> close it, or does WMP exit immediately out of itself?
> This could be caused by a corrupted library. If you follow the
> instructions specific to your WMP and Windows version at
> http://zachd.com/pss/pss.html#medialibrary , does that help?
>
> > Anyone know of a program like WinAmp or iTunes or Media Monkey that IMPORTS
> > WMP PLAYLISTS? Seems like there might be a good marke for people like me.
>
> I don't know of such a program, but you could just as well do this
> manually. In WMP, right-click a playlist and select Edit in List Pane.
> Then, click the playlist title (right above the playlist items), and
> select Save Playlist As. Make sure you save the playlist as type "M3U
> Playlist", with the .m3u extension, preferably in the same folder as the
> songs that it contains.
>
> In Winamp, click the Import-button and select Import playlist from file.
> Point Winamp to the M3U playlist you just saved in WMP. Repeat the same
> for each playlist you want to import (the whole process sounds more
> complicated than it actually is).
>
> Regards
>
> --
> Tim De Baets
> http://www.bm-productions.tk
> .
>

angela g wrote:
> Oh, I went to the link you suggested for fixing libraries (though I don't
> think that's the problem -- it's WMP that's broken, not the libraries) and
> attempted to install the 64-bit Vista update. I got a msg "The update does
> not apply to your system.)

That update is only a small part of the proposed solution; instructions
on how to actually rebuild the library (renaming the Media
Player-folder) are right after the link to the update. Did you try that
as well?

> Thanks also for your advice on importing playlists. Given my number of
> playlists, I'd rather do an automatic process than something by hand but if I
> can't find an automatic way, I'll do it by hand.

It looks like Winamp can even import WMP playlists directly, without the
need to convert them to M3U first. In Winamp, click Playlists in the
tree on the left. Then use Windows Explorer to navigate to the folder
containing your playlists (right-click one of the playlists in WMP and
select Open Folder Location if you don't know the exact location).
Select all playlists and drag them to the right-hand panel of Winamp's
library.

Regards

--
Tim De Baets
http://www.bm-productions.tk

My site has a way to basically reinstall the player upon Vista, but the
Media Library instructions that Tim pointed you to should be what you want.

Note that from your problem description, reinstalling wouldn't do anything.

Windows 7 does add full "reinstall" functionality for the player. =\

--
Speaking for myself only.
See http://zachd.com/pss/pss.html for some helpful WMP info.
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
--
"angela g" <> wrote in message
news:47A48C78-B766-4DDA-9FFA-...
> Windows Media wasn't loading (after I uninstalled Winamp, another media
> player). I tried to repair Win Media, that didn't work, so I figured,
> uninstall and reinstall would be best thing. Wrong. I CANNOT FIND A
> DOWNLOAD
> FOR WIN MEDIA FOR VISTA, Only for XP. Apparently, in their infinite
> wisdom,
> Microsoft believes that if a program comes installed on the PC or as part
> of
> the OS, we never need to reinstall it. I did find one page on Microsoft
> site
> full of info about Win Media 11 for Vista and Win 7 BUT NO DOWNLOAD!!!
>
> I tried using the XP version because someone on one of these forums
> recommended that. But the XP version wouldn't install because it said a
> later
> version of the program was already installed on my PC. That was when I
> discovered that WMP is STILL on my PC. It's just not visible at the
> "Program
> & Features" part of control panel so I can't re-try to uninstall or to
> repair.
>
> When I try running WMP now, it SEEMS to come up normally but it says
> "There
> are no items in this library" and I'm not able to tell the Library where
> to
> look for music. It just doesn't do anything.
> Does anyone know how to solve this?
>
> So I try to delete or rename wmplayer.exe but the system won't allow me to
> do it, even though I have admin privileges. Any suggestions? Or better
> yet,
> is there a similar media player I can use that will work with my SanDisk
> MP3
> player and read all my WMP playlists, but doesn't have this RIDICULOUS
> UNWORKABLE tie to OS?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
>
> Where is the download for the full Win Media for Vista 64-bit? Or even
> 32-bit?
>
> In meantime, I'll use iTunes and RealPlayer.