Windows Media Player Help!

[KazooTom]

I have a new dv7-1000cto machine running Vista Home Premium 32 bit, about a month old. Everything was working fine. Tonight I used Windows Media Player to rip a cd to mp3 successfully. I then copied the files to an SD card to use in another device, worked perfectly. I was using Media Player to play the musice that I had ripped (the mp3 files that were now on the hard drive). While the music was playing I got to exploring the sub-menus across the top. I found "WOW Effects" and brought that up. I then saw "SRS" and clicked on it and it took me to a web page that wanted to sell me things so I simply Xed out of it. Suddenly I lost the sound!!! I can't figure out a way to get the sound back. I played the music through "Windows Media Center" and it works fine. So I have eliminated a hardware problem. I can still play audio CD's and DVD's through Media Center, but not through Media Player.

Can anyone tell me how to reset Windows Media Player? I have recovery disks that I purchased with the computer, but do not want to run a full system recovery if there is another way to fix this.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[KazooTom]

I'm surprised with so many views that no one has a suggestion. I tried to run a system restore back to a restore point prior to the failure, but the system restore failed. It appears that the only shot I have is to do a complete restore from the restore disks I purchased with the machine.

Of course, sometimes starting over is the best thing anyway. At least I'll keep busy for a few days backing up files and reloading all the software.

[JayJay]

- reinstall the sound drivers from recovery partition.

[KazooTom]

I considered that Jay, but it is not a hardware issue. ALL other programs including Windows Media Center produce sound with no problems at all. If I use the restore disks, is there an option for just reinstalling the Windows Media player?

[Rixander]

download the lastest media player and uninstall and reinstalled with the new download version

good luck

[KazooTom]

I had thought of trying that, but I can't find where to uninstall the existing Media Player. I've checked through control panel and it doesn't show up. I downloaded the latest version (or I thought it was) from Microsoft site, version 11. When I try to install it fails telling me that I have a newer version already installed on my computer. I am beginning to think I have only two choices; either I live without media player and use other programs, OR I bite the bullet and put in the restore disks and start from scratch again.

I have sent an email request to HP support. Their suggestion was to try an earlier restore point. I had already tried that and the restore failed, in fact all of the restore points I thought I had created failed to restore. I let them know it didn't work, so maybe I will get lucky and the problem will be looked at by an actual tech.

Message Edited by KazooTom on 01-14-2009 05:55 AM

[Rixander]

i am not fond of MsRestore point and i have not much success and i dont know why

go to the control panel and look for the

window media player should be in the add and remove in the XP

        and programs and & Features in Vista

+

[KazooTom]

Rick, thank you very much for your suggestions. I looked all over and could not find Windows Media Player to uninstall in my Vista version. I'm sure it was there somewhere. I decided that the best way was to simply use the Recovery Disks that came with my machine and start over fresh. I have since done that and will call that the solution to my situation this time. Now I need to remember to leave the other menu choices alone. I don't really need those enhancements anyway. My machine is back up and running properly, including the Windows Media Player! As soon as I set my email again I will create a restore point. My next step will be to "decrapify" and then begin installing the software again.

It's extremely cold here in Michigan today, and snowing, I know now I will be spending my afternoon (and most of the evening) inside where it is warm and dry. It also gives me a chance to make things a bit leaner than before.

[JayJay]

with windows vista i believe the windows media player is already update to version 11. you might turn the windows feature on and off. Or you might look in the recovery manager under advanced options and software program reinstallation- see if possible if its in there to just reinstall it...if not ...then I hope you have your data backed up. Or have you check to see what kind of updates you have gotten?

[KazooTom · Accepted solution]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I went ahead and did a complete system restore and am in the process of reinstalling all the programs. This time I knew what I wanted to get rid of (crapware) so have a slightly leaner system. So far everything is going smoothly and working well. I am creating a new restore point after each install. My data was already backed up on another network drive AND on CD so no problem there. Just a couple of more primary programs to install and should be done in a couple of hours and up and running full speed.

I still can't find where to uninstall Windows Media Player, but not needed now. It took the better part of 2 hours to do the complete restore which included getting on line and downloading all the updates from both Microsoft and HP, but it is done now.

So I guess my solution in this case was to redo the whole thing, complete restore (glad I purchased the disks).