Windows Media Player 12 - DRM issue

[DavidPK]

Hi Keith,

Media Player Classic will usually play most file types regardless.

Have you tried downloading the video again, just in case it's the file itself that's corrupt?

Regards,

DP-K

[strugglinauthor]

Hi David,

Good point.  I have downloaded a brand new file from BBC iplayer but with the same result.

Having read on the net about a number of other people having this problem, it does seem a little bizarre that Microsoft supplies software where one of the most widely used apps will not work, even on a virgin PC...

Rgds

Keith.

[DavidPK]

Hi Keith,

This is unlikely, but could you check the following.

Open Windows Media Player, click Organise and select Options.  Click the Privacy tab and under the sub-heading 'Enhanced Playback and Device Experience' make sure that the last Three boxes are all ticked - if you need to enter a tick, click Apply to save this change.

Regards,

DP-K

[strugglinauthor]

Hi David,

Those three boxes were already checked.

The missus also runs Media Player 12 and Windows 7 on a netbook and has no problems playing files from BBC iplayer - in fact she's just downloaded & played one.  The main difference is she has a 32 bit machine and I have a 64 bit with AMD graphics card.  Not sure if such things make a difference?

Out of interest I downloaded another player from the net called VLC player.  This plays the Microsoft test file (I referred to at the beginning of this thread) just fine.  However when I tried to play the BBC file on it the screen did exactly what the Media Player Classic did - lots of multi-coloured, flashy blocks that makes you feel a bit giddy if you look at it for too long.  Also I managed to replicate this effect on Media Player 12 by running it as administrator.  I have just done a further test by playing a film the wife downloaded onto her machine (copied onto a memory stick) on Media Player 12.  This was an AVI file and played back fine. 

There is something very strange going on. 

Rgds

Keith.

[DavidPK]

Hi Keith,

This certainly is strange

First of all, download and reinstall the AMD graphics driver on the link below.

http://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp55001-55500/sp55081.exe

After this installation, restart the notebook.

Next install the 64bit codec pack from the site on the link below.

http://www.digital-digest.com/software/download.php?sid=1089&ssid=2&did=13

Again, when the installation has completed, restart the notebook.

Let me know.

Regards,

DP-K

[strugglinauthor]

Hi David,

Still no joy I'm afraid.  Should I be taking the notebook back to the shop yet?  It's only a week or so old.

Rgds

Keith.

[DavidPK]

Hi Keith,

Can you try this slightly different approach.

First of all download Take Ownership.  This will add 'Take Ownership' to the right click context menu.  The download is on the following link.

Take Ownership

This is a zipped file so right click the folder, select 7-Zip and select Extract Files.  When done, open the newly extracted folder and you will find the utility to add 'Take Ownership' to the right click menu.  Just double click it to install and then close the Window.

Next, from the Start Menu, open the Control Panel and open Folder Options.  Click the View tab, fill in the radio button titled 'Show hidden files folders and Drives' and take the tick out of the box next to 'Hide extensions of known file types'.  Click apply to make these changes.

Now browse C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows, right click on the DRM folder and select 'Take Ownership'.

Restart the notebook.

When windows has reloaded, again browse to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows, double click on the DRM folder to open it, highlight all the entries and then right click and select Delete. 

Close all open windows.

Go back to Folder Options, click the View tab, re-hide both Hidden files folders and Drives and extensions of known file types and click Apply to save the change.

Run through the procedure shown below again - I expect you could do this blindfolded by now

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Open windows Control Panel, open Programs and Features, Click 'Turn Windows features on or off', open up Media Features and untick Windows Media Player.  Click Yes then OK and then restart the notebook.

When Windows has restarted, click the Start Menu and select Control Panel.  Open Programs and Features, Click 'Turn Windows features on or off', open up Media Features and tick Windows Media Player.  Click Yes then OK and when WMP has finished installing, restart the notebook again.

When windows has fully reloaded, launch Media Player, run through the initial set-up.

When complete, close Windows Media Player.

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Next, launch Internet Explorer as an Administrator and upgrade the security component again from Here.

When done, restart the notebook.

Let windows fully reload and let the notebook idle for 5 minutes and then try playing the file.

Regards,

DP-K

[strugglinauthor]

Hi David,

Hit the first hiccup.  Followed the instructions fine until this part:-

"Now browse C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows, right click on the DRM folder and select 'Take Ownership'"

I do not have a DRM directory in the Windows sub-folder - empty or otherwise.  Presumably it should be there?

Rgds

Keith

[DavidPK]

Hi,

That's odd, but sort of useful as well

Ignore the rest of my previous post and try the following.

First, open windows Control Panel, open Administrative Tools and open Services.  Near the bottom of the list should be 'Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service' - right click this and select Properties.  Next to Startup type, select Disabled in the dropdown box and click Apply.  Now click the Stop button to end the service.

Download the application on the link below and save it to your Downloads folder.

DRM Reset.

Open your Downloads folder, right click this application, select 7-Zip, select Extract Files and click Ok.  Open the newly extracted folder, right click cleanDRM and select 'Run as Administrator' to execute it - this should only take a couple of seconds and you will just see a flash of the Command Shell, there will be no confirmation.

Now click the Start Menu, open All Programs, right click Internet Explorer and select 'Run as Administrator' - click on the link below.

http://go.microsoft.com/FWLink?LinkID=34506

Click the Upgrade button and hopefully you should see a message about downloading a necessary component first before the upgrade takes place.

When done, close all browser windows.

Open windows Control Panel, open Administrative Tools and open Services.  Again, right click 'Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service' - and select Properties.  Next to Startup type, select Automatic (Delayed Start) in the dropdown box and click Apply.  Now click the Start button to launch the service.

Try playing the file again.

Regards,

DP-K

[strugglinauthor]

Hi David,

Before I do that - I've just noticed that this is the very same directory that we renamed to DRMold when using commander.  When I look at the directory using commander I can see both DRM and DRMold, greyed out.  Can you advise before I go in there and do any damage!

Thanks

Keith