# Missing Visualisations in Windows Media Player



## Gemini43 (Jul 14, 2007)

I have noticed that some of the visualisations that originally came with Windows Media Player have gradually got 'Lost' as the Player has become upgraded (now Version 11) 

Ambience, Particle, Plenoptic and Spikes are all showing in MP but do not work. 

I have done a search on Google for these and can't find them at all. My searches threw up several forums and I found that these missing visuals with the later versions of MP is common. I followed some instructions given on one of these forums and managed to restore 'Musical Colors' - a very popular one, which I had completely forgotten about, as this wasn't showing at all in Version 11. 

I was wondering if anyone has any ideas as to how these other missing visualisations can be restored? 
Thanks.


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## Five (Feb 1, 2005)

I am still running Media player 9.
I tried 10, hated it and removed it.
What advantage are these later versions?
I had trouble with the missing visuals too.
Don't know what I did, but some of them came back.


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## Gemini43 (Jul 14, 2007)

Well, like you Five, I was happy with previous versions of MP too. I'd just be familiar with all the options when the darned thing would change and I'd have to start all over again! However, I began to notice that I couldn't play certain types of media in it unless I upgraded to the later versions. 
It's the same with IE. I 'Hide' these updates in Windows Update for as long as possible, until for some reason or another I _have _to upgrade. I've just about got the hang of IE7 and now it's changing to IE8! I'm 'Hiding' that one as well at the moment, or I'll have to put up with that nagging little yellow shield in my system tray! No doubt I'll have to upgrade in the end, but not for a while I hope!

There must be a way of getting all the visuals in MP back though, if there is for getting _one _back, surely?


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## stantley (May 22, 2005)

You can WMP visualizations here:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/visualizations.aspx

http://www.wmplugins.com/ItemList.aspx?GroupID=3

http://zachd.com/pss/pss.html#vizzes

If you like visualizations you should get Winamp, it has a lot more than WMP and better ones too.


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## Gemini43 (Jul 14, 2007)

Thanks Stantley. I've downloaded one of the really good ones, but what I really want is to get the ones that are supposed to be already there, as they show in WMP but don't work! Namely:
Ambience, Particle, Plenoptic & Spikes. Presumably they're already installed, or they wouldn't show up in WMP, so I thought re-installing them would do the trick! See what I mean? I don't really want to fill up my hard drive with too many visualisations as I don't have unlimited space. Alternatively, if it's not possible to reinstall these, then how to get rid of them completely?


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## stantley (May 22, 2005)

I have WMP 11 and here's a screen shot of what I have. Ambience, Particle, Plenoptic & Spikes are all missing, so it looks like they're not included with WMP 11. If you want them, roll back to WMP 10.


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## Gemini43 (Jul 14, 2007)

Yup. That's how mine looks too. Trouble is with version 10, it doesn't play some media and there is a limit to the number of different players you can have on your PC isn't there? Wouldn't you think though, that if these visuals are not included in version 11, they'd not be listed? Also, that if you wanted them back, you would be able to download them from Microsoft? At least I got the colours one back and that was one of the best.
Anyway, thanks to all of you for your suggestions and help. :up:


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## stantley (May 22, 2005)

Gemini43 said:


> Trouble is with version 10, it doesn't play some media


What media couldn't you play with WMP 10? Both 10 and 11 play the same media types. If I were you I'd go back to WMP 10, it's a better player.



Gemini43 said:


> there is a limit to the number of different players you can have on your PC isn't there?


Well you can only have one version of WMP, but you can have several other players. That's why I suggested you try Winamp.


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## Gemini43 (Jul 14, 2007)

Well Stantley, I got sent a few things that seemed to be some sort of 'Streaming' media from the Internet. WMP 10 wouldn't play any of of them. Yet when I updated to V. 11, it did! Like you, I liked WMP 10, but I'm sure I read somewhere that Version 10 still didn't show the visualisations that were in V. 9. 
Incidentally, do you know why these are still showing in the player, when they're obviously no longer there? Having said that though, if I was to roll back to a previous player, wouldn't those visuals come back? So...they must still be installed! It's a puzzle and no mstake!


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## stantley (May 22, 2005)

Gemini43 said:


> do you know why these are still showing in the player, when they're obviously no longer there?


I'm not sure, it might have been some kind of glitch during the install. Try Winamp.


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## Gemini43 (Jul 14, 2007)

Will do. I've downloaded it but have yet to install it. Many thanks for your help and suggestions.


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