Windows Media
Player
Troubleshooting
Playback Problems
Find answers to
the questions people most frequently ask Microsoft Windows Support about
Windows Media Player 7.1 and Windows Media Player for Windows XP. Install the
latest version of Windows Media Player on your computer to
take advantage of this information. This page describes issues that might occur
when you try to play media. These questions are grouped into three topics:
For more
information, visit the
Support Center on the Windows Media Player Web site.
Installation and Configuration
Using the Player
Solving Playback Problems
-
Content won't play.
-
I can play content from some sites but not others.
-
Content plays, but there are a lot of pauses and the player says "buffering."
-
Content plays, but the quality is poor.
-
My video looks bad. It has random flashes of pink or green, or has spots.
-
Audio will play but video won't, or video will play but audio won't.
-
I cannot hear the audio on some clips, but on other clips I can.
-
I can hear audio, but it hisses, pops, sounds scratchy, or sometimes drops in
and out.
-
When I try to play back a file or
play from a link, the player generates an error
message. How do I troubleshoot a specific error message?
-
In an illustrated audio presentation (slide show), some of the images have
blocks where the graphics appear smeared or fuzzy.
-
I receive an "Access is denied" message when
I try to play media by using Windows Media Player for Windows XP
-
Additional Resources
Installation and Configuration
Question:
How do I determine if I have the latest version and where do I download it?
Answer:
Use the
following steps to determine if there is an available update for the version of
Windows Media Player that is currently installed:
1.
Start Windows Media Player.
2.
On the Help menu, click Check for Player Updates.
3.
Follow the prompts if there are newer components available.
NOTE:
If you are running Windows XP, you are using the latest version of Windows Media
Player. For Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me), and
Microsoft Windows 2000, the latest version is Windows Media Player 7.1. If you do not
have this version, visit the following Microsoft Web site to download the latest
version:
Windows Media Technologies Download Center
For more
information, see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base
article:
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Question:
How do I configure my Windows Media Player to use a
Web
proxy?
Answer:
Use the
following steps to configure your Windows Media Player to use a Web Proxy:
1.
Start
Windows Media Player.
2.
On
the Tools menu, click Options.
3.
In
the Options dialog box,
click the Network tab.
4.
In the Proxy Settings section, double-click the protocol that you
want to configure.
5.
The default proxy setting is Use proxy settings of the Web
Browser. Unless you have a specific reason to change it, make sure that this
option is selected. To change this setting, click the option that you want to use.
6.
Click OK to return to Windows Media Player.
-
The Autodetect proxy settings option tries to configure your
settings automatically.
-
The Use proxy settings of the Web Browser option uses the current
Microsoft Internet Explorer proxy configuration.
-
The Do not use Proxy Server option causes Windows Media Player
not to use the Internet Explorer settings for proxy.
-
The Use the following proxy option is for
typing the proxy server
and port that you want to use.
If you already know that your Web browser is
configured to use a Web proxy, click Use proxy settings of the Web
Browser.
NOTE:
If you switch to a dial-up connection, you must reconfigure these
settings for a dial-up connection.
For more information, see the following
Microsoft Knowledge Base article:
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Question:
How do I verify that I am using the correct and
most up-to-date drivers for my sound card or video adapter?
Answer:
Use the following steps.
(Follow steps 1 through 3 to confirm that you have a video adapter or sound
card.)
Windows 98 and Windows Me
1.
Click Start, point to Settings, click Control
Panel, and then double-click System.
2.
On the Device Manager tab, double-click the Sound, Video And
Game Controllers branch to expand it.
3.
Click the sound card or video adapter, and then click Properties.
4.
On the Driver tab, click Update Driver, and then click
Next.
5.
Click Display a list of all the drivers..., and then click
Next.
6.
Click Show All Hardware, click the appropriate
manufacturer and model in the Manufacturers and Models boxes, and then click
Next. If the appropriate device is not listed, click Have Disk, and
install the correct driver from the manufacturer's installation disk. If you
receive a message stating that the current driver may be a closer match for your
hardware than the driver that you have selected, click Yes.
7.
Click Next, click Finish, and then click Yes
to restart your computer.
Windows XP
1.
Click Start, click Control Panel, and then
double-click System.
2.
On the Hardware tab, click Device Manager.
3.
Expand the Sound, video and game controllers branch.
4.
Double-click the sound card.
5.
On the Driver tab, click Update Driver, and then click
Next.
6.
Follow the prompts to automatically install the driver. If you have
recently downloaded an updated driver, click Install from a list or specific
location (Advanced) to install it.
NOTE:
You can also check Windows Update to obtain the latest Windows driver for your
hardware if a driver is available. In Internet Explorer, click
Windows Update on the Tools menu.
For more information, see the following
Microsoft Knowledge Base article:
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Additional
Resources:
These Microsoft Knowledge Base articles address the most common
issues and questions about installation and configuration:
-
Q257535 Changing the Proxy and Buffer Settings in Windows Media Player
-
Q259914 How to Change Connection Speed Information in Media Player
-
Q265494 Err Msg: Media Player Is Not Configured for the Internet
-
Q272633 Windows Media Player 7 Installation Error Message
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Using the Player
Question:
Why can't I play RealAudio, RealVideo, or QuickTime content?
Answer:
Windows Media Player does not support playing back any RealNetworks or QuickTime
content. Windows Media Player supports Windows Media (WMA, ASF), MP3, WAV, MIDI, AVI,
and other formats. You must install a version of the RealNetworks or
QuickTime player to playback media that is created in those formats.
For more information, see the following
Microsoft Knowledge Base article:
Windows Media Player Multimedia File Formats
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Question:
Can I save a file for later viewing?
Answer:
Windows Media Player 7.1 and earlier does not support saving ASF files to a
local computer. However, Windows Media Player now supports using
favorites from the player so that you can save pointers to your most frequently accessed
content. To add a shortcut to your list of favorites, click Add Favorite
on the Favorites menu. When you want to view the content again, use
the Favorites menu from either Windows Media Player or Internet Explorer. If
you are using Windows Media Player for Windows XP, you can save the file by
clicking Save As on the File menu.
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Question:
How can I use my Windows Media Player with Netscape?
Answer:
You must have the Netscape Navigator plug-in that is automatically installed
with Windows Media Player. The plug-in (Npdsplay.dll) is copied to the
C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player folder during Setup. If this file is
present, the plug-in is installed for all detected Netscape
Navigator installations.
If you do not have
the plug-in, you can reinstall Windows Media Player from
http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/MediaPlayer/download/default.asp to install
the plug-in.
After the player is
installed, you may have to refresh your Web page (which should contain "navigator.plugins.refresh();")
to cause the plug-in table to be updated. Or, you can type navigator.plugins.refresh();
in the Address box, and then reload the current page.
NOTE: You may
experience some problems with streaming media content in Netscape Navigator 6. The plug-in architecture in Navigator 6 has been completely redesigned,
which causes compatibility problems with existing plug-ins. Microsoft is aware of the issue. No
workaround is available at this time. The Windows Media plug-in remains
compatible with earlier versions of Netscape Navigator and other browsers.
For more information, see the following
Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:
-
Q281356 Netscape Navigator May Not Play an Embedded
Stream
-
Q298076
Windows Media Player Does Not Detect Proxy Settings
-
Q303401
Netscape-Style Plug-ins Do Not Work with Internet Explorer
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Additional Resources:
These Microsoft Knowledge Base articles address the most common
issues and questions about using the player:
-
Q234904 Error C00D0029 Using Windows Media Player
-
Q268371 How to Configure Visualizations in Windows Media Player
-
Q271803 Description of Windows Media Player Play Commands
-
Q243621 How to Delete the Recent Play List from Windows Media Player
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Solving Playback Problems
Question:
Why won't content play?
Answer:
The server may be down, the file may not be in a supported format, the content
may have been moved, or the URL to the content may be wrong. If you are using Netscape
Navigator 6, you may be experiencing problems that are caused by a redesign of the plug-in
architecture in that browser. This redesign has resulted in some loss of backward
compatibility. In these situations, there is nothing that you can do. If the content is
embedded in a Web page, try clicking the player's video screen. In some
cases, network congestion may cause the player to time out; keep trying, or
try again later when the network is less congested.
For more
information about specific file formats, visit the Windows Media Player File
Format Test page:
Windows Media Player Multimedia File Formats
For more information, see the following
Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:
-
Q235901 Media
Player Cannot Establish a Connection to the Server
-
Q234292 "File Open" Error Message Using Windows Media Player
-
Q234019
Windows Media Player Invalid File Format Error Message
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Question:
Why can I
play content from some sites but not others?
Answer:
Your computer may be behind a firewall that has not had the appropriate ports
opened for use with Netshow Services. However, if a server has HTTP streaming
enabled, Windows Media Player can take advantage of its protocol rollover
capabilities and receive the file through HTTP instead of the typical (and optimal)
streaming protocols. This is why you can receive content from some sites but not
others. For the best quality and consistent results, encourage your administrator to
open the appropriate ports on the firewall to permit streaming.
Other issues
that might prevent you from being able to play the content include: The media may
not be created in a supported format, Or you may not have access to the appropriate
codec that is required to playback the file.
For additional
information about specific file formats, visit the Windows Media Player File
Format Test page:
Windows Media Player Multimedia File Formats
For more information, see the following
Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:
-
Q234019 Windows Media Player Invalid File Format Error
Message
-
Q283673 HOW TO: Enable or Disable Internet Connection Firewall in
XP
-
Q230687 Error Message: Unable to Download an Appropriate Decompressor
-
Q291948
Windows Media Player for Windows XP Supported Codecs
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Question:
Content plays, but there are a lot of pauses and the
player says "buffering."
Answer:
The player is most likely experiencing network congestion. This means that there is not
enough available bandwidth to stream the selected file. When you are using a TCP
connection, the data in the player's buffer is used to supplement the
stream until the buffer is used up. Once the buffered data is gone, the player
pauses, replenishes the buffer, and then resumes playing, using the new buffer to
supplement the playback stream bandwidth. This cycle continues until network
conditions improve. Try again when the network is less congested, or select
content that is authored for lower bandwidths.
Another option is
to use UDP as your protocol by making sure that it is the only protocol option
in use. To set this option, click Options on the Tools menu. This reduces buffering, but
has the adverse effect of dropping data if there is high congestion or insufficient bandwidth. If you are located behind a
firewall, you may not be able to use UDP as your protocol.
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Question:
You can play media content in Media Player, but
the quality is poor.
Answer:
Content that is served by Windows Media Technologies is created for specific bandwidth
ranges. If the content is created for a 100-Kbps or 300-Kbps connection, but
Internet traffic is heavy, the NetShow Services server starts to drop the
frame rate (frames per second) to compensate for increased network congestion.
This may cause the video to be jerky and uneven.
Try again when the connection is better, or
make sure to select content that is targeted for the bandwidth that you have available.
Even if your connection can handle higher bandwidth, playback may work better if
you select a lower bandwidth
during periods of heavy network traffic. You might want to try increasing the buffer for playing back streaming media.
The audio or video quality may also be poor because of the content creator's compression
choices. To compress content for play over constrained-bandwidth
networks such as the Internet, mathematical algorithms that are named "codecs" are applied
to the content. The content creator's codec selection greatly influences the
quality that you see or hear. For example, if the content creator prioritized
audio quality over video quality or frame rate, you may enjoy the audio but be
frustrated by the video.
You can test the media content by using the Mplayer2.exe program. To start
Mplayer2, click Start, click Run, type mplayer2, and click
OK. If MPlayer2 can correctly play the media, check for network and
performance configuration issues in Windows Media Player.
To change the
buffer setting, try these steps:
1.
Start Windows Media Player.
2.
On the Tools menu, click Options.
3.
In the Options dialog box, click the
Performance tab.
4.
In the Network Buffering section, click Buffer and
then add 30 seconds
(60 seconds is the maximum). This may improve playback, but increasing the
buffer causes the system to wait longer before starting to play
streaming media while the player fills the buffer.
For more information, see the following
Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:
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Question:
My video looks bad. It has random flashes of pink or green,
or has spots.
Answer:
This problem is typically associated with some video adapter drivers that have
difficulty with some DirectDraw features that Windows Media Player
uses. In many cases,
updating the drivers for
your video adapter corrects the issue. If this issue is not corrected by
upgrading the video adapter driver, run
the DirectX Diagnostic tool to test DirectDraw functionality.
For more information, see the following
Microsoft Knowledge Base article:
If this does not correct the problem, try
changing the video options for Windows Media Player:
1.
Start Windows Media Player.
2.
On the Tools menu, Options.
3.
Click the Performance
tab.
4.
In the Video Performance section,
select a lower Hardware
Acceleration setting.
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Question:
Audio will play but video won't, or video will play but
audio won't.
Answer:
Make sure that your computer has a sound card to play the audio. If
you do have a sound card, the content that is being played probably uses a compression
codec that is not installed on your computer. To make sure that you have all of
the codecs
that are currently supported, reinstall Windows Media Player. To do so, visit
the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/mediaplayer/download/default.asp.
This issue may
also occur if there is not enough bandwidth to play both audio and video. You
may receive sound even though the video is not present because audio requires
less available bandwidth.
For more information, see the following
Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:
-
Q306317 Troubleshooting Playback in Windows Media Player for Windows XP
-
Q306685 Audio Becomes Distorted If You Repeat Playback
-
Q307918 HOW
TO: Resources for Troubleshooting Sound Problems in Windows
-
Q306699 Video May Not Be Displayed Properly with NeoMagic
or ATI Card
-
Q236396 Windows Media Player Cannot Play Back the Audio Stream
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Question:
I cannot hear the audio on some clips, but on other
clips I can.
Answer:
This may involve many issues, very few of which can be
corrected in the player. To verify that the problem is
not a player problem, follow these steps:
1.
Verify that you have the correct and up-to-date drivers for your
sound card. Using incorrect drivers or out-of-date drivers can cause unexpected behavior.
2.
Some video adapters cannot play audio content that
was created
by using an 8 kilohertz (8-kHz) or 16-kHz sampling rate. To determine if this is the problem,
determine the
sampling rate that is used in the ASF file:
a.
In Windows Media Player, open the streaming media file
with which
you are having difficulty.
b.
On the File menu, click Properties.
c.
Click the Advanced tab.
d.
Look at the list of codecs in use to see if you can determine the
sampling rate for the audio. If it is 8-kHz or 16-kHz, this may be the
problem.
For more
information about specific file formats, visit the Windows Media Player File
Format Test page:
Windows Media Player Multimedia File Formats
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Question:
I can hear audio, but it hisses, pops, sounds scratchy, or
sometimes drops in and out.
Answer:
Verify that you are using the proper and most up-to-date drivers for your sound
card. NetShow Services uses standard Windows compression codecs to compress and
decompress the audio. Poorly implemented or incorrect sound card drivers may
cause problems with compressed audio.
You may not
know that you are using bad or mismatched drivers because all of the system sounds
that are included with Windows are uncompressed audio files. You can typically play
these files
correctly even with bad or mismatched drivers. This problem is not unique to
NetShow Services; virtually any multimedia program that uses Windows sound
codecs and compressed audio files is likely to exhibit similar behavior.
Some sound cards cannot play audio content that was created
with either an 8-kHz or 16-kHz sampling rate. To determine if the
sampling rate is the issue, check the sampling rate that is used in the .asf
file. In Windows Media Player, open the "problem" streaming media file. On the
File menu, click Properties. The sampling rate is listed next to "Audio Codec"
(for example, 44-kHz). If the sampling rate is 8-kHz
or 16-kHz, this rate may be the cause of the problem.
For additional information about specific file formats, refer to the
Windows Media Player File Format Test Page:
Windows Media Player Multimedia File Formats
For more information, see the following
Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:
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Question:
When I try to play a file or
from a link, the player generates an error message. How do I troubleshoot a
specific error message?
Answer:
Windows Media Player may
generate many
different error
messages when you attempt to playback media.
Visit the
following Microsoft Web site for a list of the most
common error messages and steps to resolve them:
Windows Media Player Error Code Page
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Question:
In an illustrated audio presentation (slide
show), some of the images have blocks where the graphics appear smeared
or fuzzy.
Answer:
This is most likely caused by network congestion. Illustrated audio
presentations are created from still images. If too much of a JPG image's data
is lost because of a bad or congested network connection, the image is skipped.
It will
appear that an image is missing from the presentation. This is
why NetShow Services Tag Author incorporates a still-image codec that is named Loss
Tolerant JPEG. This codec sends JPG images to the player in 16 pieces instead of one
big piece. If some of the data is lost because of a poor network connection, only
parts of the image are poor instead of the whole image being dropped. Try
again when the connection is better, or make sure to select content that is
targeted for the bandwidth that you have available.
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Question:
I receive an "Access is denied" message when I try to play streaming media
by using Windows Media Player for Windows XP
Answer:
If you are a limited user on Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, you cannot receive
streamed media through Windows Media Player. You receive an "Access is denied"
error message.
For more information, see the following
Microsoft Knowledge Base article:
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Additional Resources:
The following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles address the most common
playback problems:
-
Q303275 Cannot Stream Media in Windows Media Player for Windows XP
-
Q306317 Troubleshooting Playback in Windows Media Player for Windows XP
-
Q236396 Windows Media Player Cannot Play Back the Audio Stream
-
Q156286 Error Message: Cannot Play Back the Video Stream...
-
Q275530 Windows Media Player Does Not Buffer 100-KB Streams
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