Windows Media Player stopped running

Hi folks,

I have been using WMP since Windows 7 and although it has some faults I am used to it and it does what I need it to do. A week (maybe more?) ago it just stopped working ... completely

When I open the program I get the Welcome to Windows Media Player dialogue box with tick boxes to choose custom or recommended settings. Whichever I click on it just comes back to the same screen again.

I've tried Groove Music but it's pants - doesn't find all my music, adds loads of stuff to the bottom of lists, etc. - and anyway I want the programe I want <stamps feet> :)

I have tried to disable WMP in Programs & Features and then re-enabled it (shutting down fully in between) but that didn't do anything and now I'm stumped. I have two PCs and both are the same!

Ideas, anyone?

This is for previous versions of Windows so I don't know whether it will work.
Type 'msdt.exe -idWindowsMediaPlayerConfigurationDiagnostic' without the quotes in Cortana Search and hit Enter to openthe troubleshooting wizard which will help you reset WMP to default settings.

Hi Doctor9fan,

Thanks for the idea ... didn't work

This is beginning to pee me off!

Try typing the command in the start>run box. Perhaps that'll work.

I'm ahead of you there ... already tried that

Time for bed - early start in the morning :)

I'm stumped then.
Hopefully you'll find a solution soon. :)

To test I ran the command myself & it opened the troubleshooter to begin repair for wmp.
As it didn't open for you there could be more going on than wmp not working.

I appreciate this is a bit of an old thread now but wanted to report that since the Anniversary update WMP has been working properly again.

Happy bunny time