Description and availability of Windows Media Player 11

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INTRODUCTION

This article describes how to obtain Windows Media Player 11. This article also contains information about the new features in Windows Media Player 11 and about the minimum system requirements to install this program.

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MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft has released Windows Media Player 11. To download Windows Media Player 11, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download)

Windows Media Player 11 is designed to work with all versions of Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2). This includes Windows XP Home Edition N and Windows XP Professional N.

The following are some of the new features and capabilities that are included in Windows Media Player 11:

New options for ripping your music: Windows Media Audio Pro and WAV (Lossless) formats
URGE, from MTV Networks, as the featured digital music service
Album art views for easier referencing when you browse through Artist, Album, and Song views
The stacking of albums that share the same characteristics (for example, artist, genre, and year of release)
Advanced audio fingerprinting to make sure that all your tracks are tagged appropriately
Functionality that lets you create custom CDs
A Media Sharing feature that lets you stream the contents of your library to networked devices
New sync features

For more information about the new features and capabilities that are included in Windows Media Player 11, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/11/default.aspx (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/11/default.aspx)

For more information about how to use Windows Media Player 11, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/11/using.mspx ( http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/11/using.mspx)

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Minimum system requirements for Windows Media Player 11

The following hardware and software are required to use Windows Media Player 11.

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Component	Required	Recommended
Operating system	Windows XP Home Edition SP2, Windows XP Professional SP2, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition SP2, or Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Update Rollup 2.	Same as required configuration. Additionally, visit the Windows Update site, and then install any high-priority updates that are available for the computer.
Processor	A 233-megahertz (MHz) processor, such as an Intel Pentium II or Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) processor.	A 1.5-gigahertz (GHz) processor or faster, especially if you intend to synchronize video files to a portable device.
RAM	64 megabytes (MB).	512 MB or more.
Free hard disk space	200 MB.	60 gigabytes (GB).
Optical drive	CD or DVD drive.	CD drive for playing audio CDs. CD-RW drive for burning CDs. DVD drive for playing DVDs.
Modem	28.8 kilobits per second (Kbps).	Active broadband connection.
Sound card	16-bit sound card.	24-bit sound card. Compatible 5.1 multichannel audio sound card (for example, Creative Sound Blaster Live! or M-Audio Revolution 5.1) for playing multichannel audio content.
Monitor	Super VGA resolution (800 by 600 pixels).	Same as required configuration, or a higher resolution.
Video card	Video card with 64 MB of RAM (VRAM) and DirectX 9.0b.	Video card with 256 MB or more of RAM, and DirectX 9.0b or a later version. For more information about DirectX, visit the following Microsoft Web site: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/default.mspx (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/default.mspx)
Sound output device	Speakers or headphones.	5.1 multichannel speakers. For more information about device compatibility, see the documentation for the computer's sound card.
Software	Microsoft ActiveSync is required if you are using a Windows Mobile-powered Pocket PC or Smartphone. For more information about the version of ActiveSync required for a device, see the portable device documentation.	Same as required configuration.
Internet browser	Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 or Netscape 7.1.	Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 2 or Netscape 7.1.

For more information about the hardware and software that are required to use certain features in Windows Media Player 11, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/11/readme.aspx#Minimumsystemrequirements (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/11/readme.aspx#Minimumsystemrequirements)

For information about how to install Windows Media Player 11 and to find answers to frequently asked questions, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/faq/default.mspx (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/faq/default.mspx)

To access the Windows Media Player 11 How-to Center, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/knowledgecenter/howto/mp11/default.mspx ( http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/knowledgecenter/howto/mp11/default.mspx)

To view the release notes for Windows Media Player 11, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/11/readme.aspx ( http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/11/readme.aspx)

For information about how to troubleshoot various Windows Media Player 11 issues, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/11/troubleshooting.aspx ( http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/11/troubleshooting.aspx)

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MORE INFORMATION

The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.

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