Windows Media Player errors

You may get an error message while using Windows Media Player but without any specific info about the error. Here are a few common pitfalls:

• If the error involves a playback problem, you may not have the right codec on your PC to play that file. For more information about codecs, see Codecs: frequently asked questions.

• If you can't burn a CD or DVD, does the disc already have content on it? If so, make sure the disc is rewritable and that you erase the existing content before you try to burn new content onto it.

• If Windows Media Player stopped working correctly after the latest update from Windows Update, you can verify that the update is the problem by using System Restore. To do this:

  1. Click the Start  button and type system restore.

  2. Select Create a restore point, and then in the System Properties pane, select System Restore.

  3. Follow the prompts to select the restore point just before the round of updates that seemed to trigger the problem. Then run the system restore process. (This takes a while.)

  4. After your system is restored to the earlier configuration, check to see whether Windows Media Player runs correctly again.

For general help with Windows Media Player, see the Windows Media Player support page. You can also post questions about Windows Media Player errors in the Windows forum. Experts are on hand to help.