# Solved: Windows Media Player has encountered a problem...



## DKTaber (Oct 26, 2001)

I just installed a LG GSA-H55N dual-layer writer in a Win XP-SP2 computer with 1.5GB RAM and Windows Media Player 11. Installation and audio CD's play perfectly, but I have some old (3-4 years) video DVD's of the story of Henry VIII that will not play. After the disk is loaded, I get "Windows Media Player has encountered a problem and needs to close." I have another DVD that has both video and audio on it (Rodrigo y Gabriela) -- interviews, live concert, etc. The first part of both the video and sound play and display, but it keeps repeating Title I. If I try to move Title II into the playlist, I get "Windows Media Player has encountered. . . etc." and have to close it. I get the same message with WMP 10 and RealPlayer. BUT. . . I just downloaded and installed a free competitor to WMP, VLC Media Player, and IT PLAYS EVERYTHING PERFECTLY!!!

What's wrong with WMP and RealPlayer?


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## kimsland (Oct 22, 2007)

Uninstall Windows Media Player from add/remove programs (show all files)
Restart
Reinstall WMP 11


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## DKTaber (Oct 26, 2001)

kimsland said:


> Uninstall Windows Media Player from add/remove programs (show all files)
> Restart
> Reinstall WMP 11


Well, I assume you know that you can't "uninstall" WMP; all you can do is roll it back to the previous version. I should have made it clear that when I first encountered the problem, it was with WMP 10. Thinking that maybe upgrading to 11 would solve the problem, I downloaded and installed it from MS's Web site. So in effect, I've essentially done what you suggest, but the problem persists.

The puzzling aspect of this is that it also happens if I use RealPlayer, which suggests that it's something outside of the player programs -- like maybe codecs(?). That it's missing or corrupted codecs seems to be suggested by the fact that VLC media player, which I just downloaded yesterday after seeing it mentioned in another thread, does not use codecs (how do that do that?) AND WORKS PERFECTLY.


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## DKTaber (Oct 26, 2001)

FYI, this morning, I downloaded All-in-One codecs from http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Codec_Pack_All_in_1.htm. Didn't solve the problem.


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## kimsland (Oct 22, 2007)

Yes I did know about rolling back WMP (so I won't use the word uninstall again)

OK 
WMP 10 faulted
WMP 11 faulted
RealPlayer faulted
VLC OK !!

"_I just installed a LG GSA-H55N dual-layer_"
Do you mean before that hardware install it was OK ?
If so try removing the m/b data cable to the LG and testing music on your harddrive

Other than that:
Sounding like Windows repair


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## DKTaber (Oct 26, 2001)

kimsland said:


> Yes I did know about rolling back WMP (so I won't use the word uninstall again)
> 
> OK
> WMP 10 faulted
> ...


No, even before the new LG DVD drive, it would not play some DVD's. However, the DVD drive was found to be broken by The Geek Squad, which is why I replaced it. . . and thought that would solve a myriad of issues, including that the PC would not reliably boot. It now boots all the time. I can run .wmv videos from my HD with WMP, no problem. It's only DVDs in the DVD drive that won't play with WMP or RealPlayer, but play perfectly with VLC Player. So it's not the drive. You may be right that it's Windows. I dread doing a repair, because I then have to download an install all ~80 updates since my 2004 Win XP-SP2 disk was made. But, I have cable broadband, so not a huge issue.


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## kimsland (Oct 22, 2007)

In WMP settings I wionder if there is a sound theme going on.

Before repair (yes I agree a lot of updates)
Could you please try _rollback_ (!) from add/remove show all programs
And then re-install WMP 11

Or Repair straight away, your choice !
(By the way we don't actually know if repair will fix it !!


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## DKTaber (Oct 26, 2001)

kimsland said:


> In WMP settings I wionder if there is a sound theme going on.
> 
> Before repair (yes I agree a lot of updates)
> Could you please try _rollback_ (!) from add/remove show all programs
> ...


I've already been down that road. If you check message #3 in this thread, you will see that I started with WMP 10 (which I had rolled back from 11 many months ago) and the problem was first evidenced with 10. I upgraded it (again) to 11 in the hope that it would solve the problem, but it didn't.


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## kimsland (Oct 22, 2007)

DKTaber said:


> I've already been down that road. If you check message #3 in this thread, you will see that I started with WMP 10 (which I had rolled back from 11 many months ago) and the problem was first evidenced with 10. I upgraded it (again) to 11 in the hope that it would solve the problem, but it didn't.


You had the same error with 10 (as stated in message #3)
You upgraded to 11 (hopeing the error would be fixed) and same error occurred

I suggest you un-install 11 and go back to 10 (as a test)
Because that will re-install 10 with default values - which you didn't have before.

This may not work, but worth a quick go

Otherwise Repair windows


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## DKTaber (Oct 26, 2001)

kimsland said:


> You had the same error with 10 (as stated in message #3)
> You upgraded to 11 (hopeing the error would be fixed) and same error occurred
> 
> I suggest you un-install 11 and go back to 10 (as a test)
> ...


I have tried to repair Windows before, and it hasn't done anything. So this morning, before getting your message, I decided to do a FULL reformat (not a Quick Reformat) of the HD and start from scratch. I've done that, installed all 85 updates, reinstalled my MS Office 2000 and all service packs, reinstalled all my working files, which I had backed up, and am now trying to re-establish my e-mail accounts. I will get to WMP eventually, but it may be a few days. The Windows disk from which I reinstalled XP is from late 2004, so it installed WMP 9 (which I really liked, BTW). And I can tell you that Windows is behaving a WHOLE lot better now. Will e-mail you later.


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## DKTaber (Oct 26, 2001)

kimsland said:


> You had the same error with 10 (as stated in message #3)
> You upgraded to 11 (hopeing the error would be fixed) and same error occurred
> 
> I suggest you un-install 11 and go back to 10 (as a test)
> ...


Well, I'm essentially back in business after reformatting the HD. As I told you, my old Win XP CD installed WMP 9. I tried playing a DVD that came with a Rodrigo y Gabriela CD. It wouldn't play. So I upgraded to WMP 11. It would not play on that either, issuing an error message that it could not find the codec to run it, and provided no information on what codec it needed. So I went to http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Codec_Pack_All_in_1.htm and downloaded their All-in-1 codecs file and tried again. Still would not run. I then downloaded VLC media player, which had worked beautifully before I reformatted the drive. It worked flawlessly.

As I write this, I'm also listening to streaming classical music from www.beethoven.com, also using VLC, and it works perfectly with that, too. I think my days of using WMP are about to end. I have always had problems with it of one kind or other. I'm sure I'll find VLC isn't perfect, but it is so far, and I REALLY like the interface a lot better. WMP makes it nearly impossible to figure out how to save a radio station bookmark. VLC makes it easy. WMP makes it nearly impossible to find the tools to navigate to the titles and chapters in a DVD. VLC makes it very easy.

Thanks to you and others who responded to my question.


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## DKTaber (Oct 26, 2001)

After a couple of days of experimentation, I find that the functionality and ease of use of the VLC media player is so superior to Windows Media Player that I have switched all my audio and video functions to it. As of today, I am totally abandoning WMP to play anything on my computer.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this thread. I will mark it as 'solved' after posting this message.


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## MysticEyes (Mar 30, 2002)

You needed a DVD mpeg2 codec. Most folks get this by installing any of the various software players out there. Most drives come with some player software, yours didn't?

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/expert/bridgman02april15.mspx

You might also try this.

http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Dscaler_MPEG_Filters.htm


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## DKTaber (Oct 26, 2001)

MysticEyes said:


> You needed a DVD mpeg2 codec. Most folks get this by installing any of the various software players out there. Most drives come with some player software, yours didn't?
> 
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/expert/bridgman02april15.mspx
> 
> ...


MysticEyes: If you check message #4 in this thread, you will see that I downloaded the All-in-1 Codecs from the last site you recommend. Isn't the MPEG filters codec included in that?

If not, I haven't the foggiest what to download. If you click on the "Download DScaler MPEG Filters", it opens another page with the same download link. If I click on that, all I get is an HP ad. Nothing downloads. Has the sight been hacked?


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## MysticEyes (Mar 30, 2002)

> MysticEyes: If you check message #4 in this thread, you will see that I downloaded the All-in-1 Codecs from the last site you recommend. Isn't the MPEG filters codec included in that?


It's not quite as simple as that. You read the MS link info I presume.

Try this and post your results:

Start-> Run (type in) *dvdupgrd /detect* and see what it says or post a screenshot.


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## DKTaber (Oct 26, 2001)

MysticEyes said:


> It's not quite as simple as that. You read the MS link info I presume.
> 
> Try this and post your results:
> 
> Start-> Run (type in) *dvdupgrd /detect* and see what it says or post a screenshot.


OK. . . file attached.


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