Summary
This update provides support of media features in Windows 10 N. These include media-related technologies (Windows Media Player) and certain preinstalled media applications, such as Music, Video, Voice Recorder, and Skype. You have to install additional software from Microsoft to have this communication functionality and to play or to create audio CDs, media files, and video DVDs; to stream music; or to take and store pictures.
Notes
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New features such as Windows Mixed Reality, Cortana, Windows Hello, and PDF viewing in the new Edge browser that rely on Windows Media files are not included in Windows 10 N.
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Some websites and software, such as Windows Store applications and Microsoft Office, use Windows Media-related files that are not included in Windows 10 N edition. Except for Windows Mixed Reality, users can make these websites and software work correctly by installing the Media Feature Pack for N versions of Windows 10.
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The Media Feature Pack for N versions of Windows 10 is incompatible with Windows Mixed Reality. Users who want to use Windows Mixed Reality must install a non-N version of Windows 10.
How to get this update
Microsoft Software Download Service
Media Feature Pack for N versions of Windows 10 is available for download from the Microsoft Software Download Service.
Update Information
Prerequisites
To install this update, you must have Windows 10 N installed.
Registry information
To apply this update, you don't have to make any changes to the registry.
Restart requirement
You must restart the computer after you apply this update.
Update replacement information
This update does not replace a previously released update.
More Information
Excluded features
Windows 10 N includes the same functionality as other Windows 10 editions, except for Windows Media Player and related technologies. The excluded technologies include, but aren't limited to, the following features.
Windows Media Player user experience : Enables Windows Media Player features, such as the ability to play media files and audio CDs, manage media in a library, create a playlist, provide metadata (including album art) for media, create an audio CD, transfer music to a portable music player, and play streaming content from a website.
Windows Media Player ActiveX control : Exposes methods and properties to manipulate multimedia playback from a webpage or an application.
Windows Media Format : Provides support for the Advanced Systems Format (ASF) file container, the Windows Media audio and video codecs, basic network streaming capability, and digital rights management (DRM).
Windows Media DRM : Enables the secure delivery of protected content for playback on a computer, portable device, or network device.
Media sharing and Play To : Enables music, pictures, and videos on a networked computer to be shared with other computers and devices on the same network. Also enables computers to find those kinds of files on the network.
Media Foundation : Provides support for content protection, audio and video quality, and interoperability for DRM.
Windows 8.1 Portable Devices (WPD) infrastructure : Communicates with attached media and storage devices that include devices that support the Media Transfer Protocol.
MPEG, WMA, AAC, FLAC, ALAC, AMR, and Dolby Digital audio codecs : Enable the playback of digital audio content, such as MP3, WMA, MPEG-2 audio, AAC audio, FLAC and ALAC audio, and AC-3 audio.
VC-1, MPEG-4, and H.264, H.265, and H.263 codecs: Collectively known as "Standards-based codec components." Enable Windows 10 program such as Windows Media Player to support activities that include the playback and recording of multimedia files that are encoded with standards-based codecs.
Groove Music : A preinstalled application that's used to play digital music.
Video : A preinstalled application that's used to play digital video.
Voice Recorder : A preinstalled application that's used to record sounds.
Skype : A preinstalled application that's used for messaging and communications.
Effects on other features
Some features aren't excluded directly from Windows 10 N edition, but they are affected by the media technology exclusions. These features include the following.
Application Sync : This feature doesn't work.
OneDrive and Photos : These applications cannot play videos.
Xbox : Some functionality that's associated with this application, such as Game DVR, doesn't work.
Home Group : Integrated media sharing through streaming features doesn't work.
Webcam : This feature doesn't work.
Windows Portable Devices : There is no support for media synchronization, image acquisition, or file browsing.
Windows 10 camera devices : Cameras that use the picture transfer protocol (PTP) don't work.
Sound Recorder : Recordings are limited to WAV format.
Alarms and clock: Alarm and timer sounds don't play.
Group Policy for removable disks : This feature is not available in the N edition of Windows 10 Pro.
Cortana Personal Assistant : Speech interaction with Cortana doesn't work.
Windows Store Media Content : Audio and video content that was obtained through the Store cannot be played. Also, the preview of audio or video content in the Store doesn't work.
Wireless Display : This feature doesn't work.
PDF Viewing in Edge : This feature doesn't work.
Windows Hello: This feature doesn't work.
References
Learn about the terminology that Microsoft uses to describe software updates.
