How to troubleshoot Windows Media Player in Windows 10

The Windows Media Player has always been a great app for playing music and videos on a Windows PC. This app supports various file formats and is easy to use.

Windows Media Player was once a built-in Windows app, but it doesn’t ship out of the box anymore. Because of this, the app is now prone to a lot of errors. A common issue you may encounter with this app is the “Windows Media Payer has stopped working” error.

If you’re encountering this error, let’s show you how to resolve it.

Windows has several built-in troubleshooting tools that can help you fix various system issues. One of these tools helps specifically with fixing issues with the Windows Media Player. Let’s explore how you can use this tool:

1. In the Start menu search bar, type Control Panel, and select the Best match.
2. Press the View by drop-down menu and select Large icons. From here, select Troubleshooting in the main window.
3. In the next window, press the View all option on the left-hand side pane.
4. Scroll down and select Windows Media Player Library. Press Next in the pop-up window.
5. Press the Apply fix button. From there, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

2. Use the Audio and Video Troubleshooters

In some cases, this error could be caused by system-specific issues. This might end up limiting the Windows Media Player’s functionality. To resolve the problem, you could use the Windows video and audio troubleshooting tools.

Here's how you can get started with using these tools:

1. Type Troubleshoot in the Start menu search bar and select the Best match.
2. Scroll down on the right-hand side pane, press Playing Audio, and then press Run the troubleshooter.

When the process is complete, scroll down and press Video Playback. Finally, press Run the troubleshooter.

Restart your PC to apply these changes.

If this is a system-specific issue, running the DISM and SFC tools could help. An SFC scan will repair corrupt or missing system files. To ensure that the SFC tool works properly, you’ll need to run the DISM tool first.

Here’s how you can run the DISM tool:

1. Press the Windows key + R and type CMD.
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open an elevated Command Prompt.
3. Type the following command and press Enter:

 DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth 

When this scan is complete, type the command below and press Enter:

 DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth 

Restart your PC when this scan is complete.

Next, open the Command Prompt as per the previous steps. Finally, run an SFC scan by typing the following command and pressing Enter:

 sfc /scannow 

When this scan is complete, close the Command Prompt and restart your PC.

Windows Media Player doesn't ship with Windows 10, but it’s included as an additional feature. Reinstalling this app could resolve the issue at hand and any other bugs it might have. You can easily reinstall this app via the system settings.

To get started, here’s what you need to do:

1. Press Windows Key + X and select Apps and Features in the pop-up window.
2. Select Manage optional features.
3. Scroll down and press the Windows Media Player option.
4. Press Uninstall. Wait for the process to complete and then press Install.

The Windows Media Player is a great app, but it also has its own flaws. The “Windows Media Player Has Stopped Working” error is one prominent issue you might encounter with this app.

Fortunately, you can resolve this error using the tips we’ve provided. Also, you could consider trying other third-party media players if you’re tired of the Windows Media Player.