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General discussion

How can I update my windows media player?

Mar 13, 2010 3:16PM PST

I have Windows Vista now for 2 years but I can't find the link to update the windows media. Certain programs will not work on the media player now. So I thought I could just update it. But I can't find it....Sorry if this post came out twice. (Had problems online)
Thanks for any help

Geo

Discussion is locked

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Tell us more.
Mar 13, 2010 8:45PM PST

Windows Media Player, (WMP), is just a media player, for playing files like video and audio. It doesn't use 'programs' and doesn't work with programs.

So can you tell us exactly what the problem is with your WMP?

Which version of WMP do you have currently? To find out, open WMP and in the menu bar find an empty space, right click, and in the new menu select Help > About Windows Media Player.

Have you tried any other media player, eg VLC Media Player?

Mark

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Mar 14, 2010 3:41PM PDT

Thanks for responding...

I went into my WMP and right clicked and then updates. But a window comes up saying, I have the latest version of WMP. The thing is that I can use my office computer which is XP and it can read any broadcast. But not with my Vista which as I say has the latest version.

I Use it for listening to a broadcast of the archives from the radio station for CKNW regarding market updates.

I will try the VLC as you mentioned. That might be my only option.
Thanks again

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How do you do that?
Mar 14, 2010 9:25PM PDT

Hi geo.

I went to the http://www.cknw.com/ web site, and found this link http://www.cknw.com/other/audiovault.html for audio archives. Is that the same link you are tying to use?

If so, this is what I find using my Vista and WMP version 11;
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1] In my IE8 (Internet Explorer Cool, browser:

Nothing happens! Well, in fact, I get a very brief flash of another window opening, then that window disappears, then nothing happens.

My IE > Tools > Manage Add-ons, (then under "Add-on Types" select "Toolbars and extensions", then in the "Show:" pull down selector, show all add-ons), shows I have Windows Media Player enabled, but that doesn't work. Even if I disable that WMP add-on, the same 'nothing' happens.

That seems to me to be a fault of the web site.

2] I get better results using my Firefox browser.

In Firefox I go to the same audiovault page, then one of two things happen;

a) If my WMP Add-on in Tools > Add-ons > Plugins is enabled, then click the "Listen" button and the browser page changes to Windows Media Player, and the archives audio works OK.

b) If I disable the WMP plugin, (or add-on, whichever it is called), in Firefox > Add-ons, then click the "Listen" button, and a file gets downloaded. I save all my downloaded files to my Desktop as a temporary storage area. Your system may save downloads to your Downloaded folder.

When I click or double click that downloaded file on my Desktop, WMP opens and after a short while starts to stream the audio file.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, there are different possibilities here. IE doesn't work for me, (I suspect a web page fault), but Firefox does.

My WMP is version 11 on this Vista system but I don't know what version you have.

Mark

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Mar 15, 2010 2:55PM PDT

That was exactly it!!!

I downloaded Firefox and it is working, from the CKNW audiovault
Thanks again, I would not have ever thought of using a different browser.
Very much appreciated

(Some things with Vista I will never fiqure out)

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Good. Glad you got it sorted.
Mar 15, 2010 9:22PM PDT

It may be that this problem with IE8 is a temporary problem, and will be fixed by that web site soon.

Mark