Windows offers a built-in troubleshooter that can fix issues around Windows Media Player. One can easily access this using the Get Help App, which offers an interactive troubleshooting solution that offers more clarity to the user. In this post, we will share how you can use the new Windows Media Player Troubleshooter in the Get Help app of Windows 11.
How to use Windows Media Player Troubleshooter in Get Help app of Windows 11
To open the new Windows Media Player Troubleshooter, launch the GetHelp app, type Windows Media Player Troubleshooter in the text box; or you can also launch it directly by clicking here or typing ms-contact-support://smc-to-emerald/WMPTroubleshooter in the Run prompt.
The troubleshooter can run diagnostics on your PC and run automated steps to resolve it. Here is the complete message offered in the start:
We can help diagnose your problem by running the Windows Media Player troubleshooter. During this process we will run some diagnostics on your PC to detect the problem you’re experiencing and then run some automated steps to try to resolve it. Would you like us to run this troubleshooter on your device?
Here is all that happens after you click on Yes. It checks for the following details:
- Checking Windows Media Player configuration errors
- Checking Windows Media Player media library errors
- Checking audio decoder for DVD playback
- Checking DVD device
- Checking Windows Media Player network cache
- Checking video decoder for DVD playback
- Checking Windows Media Player
Once done, it will offer the following reports based on the checks:
Status of diagnostic action: Windowsmediaplayerdiaganostics
- Checking Windows Media Player configuration errors … Completed.
- Issue found: Configuration settings might be set incorrectly.
Reset default Windows Media Player settings
- Issue resolved: Configuration settings might be set incorrectly.
- Checking Windows Media Player media library errors … Completed.
- Issue found: Media library is corrupted.
Recreate media library
- Issue resolved: Media library is corrupted
- Checking audio decoder for DVD playback … Completed.
Apart from these, the troubleshooter also checks and executes fixes for DVD Playback, decoder, and if there is a DVD playback device on the PC.
If you have a DVD player, you will get additional details; otherwise, it will clearly remark that the hardware is unavailable.
And that’s where the troubleshooter ends. If your problem doesn’t resolve, and you click on No, i.e., then the app will respond as:
I’m sorry these steps couldn’t fix the problem. Would you like to report this problem to Microsoft via the Feedback Hub?
You can choose to respond or skip.
Windows Media Player Troubleshooter is straightforward. There are no ifs and buts, but it offers a fixed set of troubleshooting scripts that run and fixes the most common problem. If this doesn’t fix the problem, you can choose another media player or connect with support to get a fix.
If you are running Windows 11 version 22H2 and older, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, etc., your device will remain unaffected by this update. Users with earlier Windows operating systems can continue using Microsoft legacy inbox troubleshooters.
Once all the legacy inbox troubleshooters are retired, the Troubleshoot links in the Windows Settings app will automatically get redirected to open the new troubleshooters.
Why am I not able to find the Windows Media Player Troubleshooter?
Some versions of Windows don’t have Windows Media Player installed. In that case, you will be able to find it; however, since the troubleshooter can also fix DVD device issues, you may want to contact the support or IT admin to fix the issue.
What can Windows Media Player Troubleshooter fix?
The troubleshooter has been designed to identify and fix missing codecs, corrupt headers, and incorrect settings and offer additional resources and instructions if the troubleshooter cannot fix the issue. That said, it can fix the configuration, media library, and DVD-related errors.
