Where is Media Player in Vista?

[Mike W]

I'm running Vista Home Premium and I can't find Windows Media Player.
Microsoft has a page with a banner for "Windows Media Player 11 for
Vista" but there is no download link. How can I get it on my system?

 

[Leroy]

Type: Windows Media Player in Vista's "Search programs and files" box
and the WMP icon will magically appear. Then right-click on the icon
and select "Pin to Start Menu".

 

[Mike W]

Type: Windows Media Player in Vista's "Search programs and files" box
and the WMP icon will magically appear.  Then right-click on the icon
and select "Pin to Start Menu".



MikeWwrote:

Nope. Not there. I wonder if I disabled it somehow. XP used to have
an "add windows components" thing where you could pull off programs
from the installation disc. Would something like that be possible?

 

[Mike W]

Type: Windows Media Player in Vista's "Search programs and files" box
and the WMP icon will magically appear.  Then right-click on the icon
and select "Pin to Start Menu".



MikeWwrote:

Check out this page:

http://social.technet.microsoft.com...s/thread/22ce1aa9-f997-4e99-9f47-19e1a1fe11a9

There is a HUGE number of people with this problem.

 

[Saint]

Just go on line and re-download the program and re-install the program back
onto your computer.
Steve

 

[Dave-UK]

Check out this page:

http://social.technet.microsoft.com...s/thread/22ce1aa9-f997-4e99-9f47-19e1a1fe11a9

There is a HUGE number of people with this problem.

That's a long thread about people having trouble running
Windows Media Player whereas you say you can't find Windows
Media Player - two different problems.

Are you running 32bit or 64bit Vista?

The 32bit version has it here:
C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player

(I don't know about the path in 64bit versions.)

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

That's a long thread about people having trouble running
Windows Media Player whereas you say you can't find Windows
Media Player - two different problems.

Are you running 32bit or 64bit Vista?

The 32bit version has it here:
C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player

(I don't know about the path in 64bit versions.)

"C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe" on my 64-bit Home
Premium.

But oddly enough, I also have
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe".

I got both strings by navigating to them, copying as path, and pasting
here.

The properties panels show the same version IDs, but slightly different
lengths.

 

[smlunatick]

"C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe" on my 64-bit Home
Premium.

But oddly enough, I also have
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe".

I got both strings by navigating to them, copying as path, and pasting
here.

The properties panels show the same version IDs, but slightly different
lengths.

It seems that any programs / applications that install themselves into
"C:\Program Files (x86)\" folder are the 32 bit versions. 32 bit
versions seem to be smaller than their 64 bit "equivalent."

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

It seems that any programs / applications that install themselves into
"C:\Program Files (x86)\" folder are the 32 bit versions. 32 bit
versions seem to be smaller than their 64 bit "equivalent."

I'm not sure why both versions are needed on an x64 system, however.

Maybe it's for 32-bit programs that need to spawn or call media player
functions.

My programming skills are very out of date, so that's just a guess.

 

[smlunatick]

I'm not sure why both versions are needed on an x64 system, however.

Maybe it's for 32-bit programs that need to spawn or call media player
functions.

My programming skills are very out of date, so that's just a guess.

I have checked the reason why the 32 bit version must also be on the
64 bit version of Vista. I was testing the IE 8 64bit and was told
that the Adobe Flash is only available in the 32 bit version.
Therefore, I "could" assume that the "plug ins" for the Windows Media
Player, and others, do not exist in 64 bit, so far. To use the
"available" plug-ins, you need to use the 32 bit version.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I have checked the reason why the 32 bit version must also be on the
64 bit version of Vista. I was testing the IE 8 64bit and was told
that the Adobe Flash is only available in the 32 bit version.
Therefore, I "could" assume that the "plug ins" for the Windows Media
Player, and others, do not exist in 64 bit, so far. To use the
"available" plug-ins, you need to use the 32 bit version.

Thanks, that makes sense.