Windows Media Player is the most familiar media player available out there. It’s easy to access by having a simple interface and have pre-built tracks to know whether our computer is producing sound or not. Moreover, there are limited people which prefer to use Windows Media Player than other media players because of the quick availability. But the majority of the public has turned their way to access the media using different media players because they provide great features. Mind you, Windows Media Player 12 is now outdated, Microsoft has ended its support with Windows Media Player way back in 2009, so Windows Media Player 12 is now more than a decade older but it’s still available to download.

If you have been using Windows operating system for decades then I’m sure you are missing the old Windows Media Player 12. But don’t you worry as we have got you all covered up, we have mentioned steps to download the Windows Media Player 12, so read on the article till the end.

What is Windows Media Player?

Windows Media Player is simply software that helps to access the majority of the media files with a simple user interface. The media player is developed by Microsoft, though it’s outdated it’s completely safe to have on your Windows 10 operating system. Windows Media Player has also been released on classic Mac OS, Mac OS X, Solaris including Windows-based devices.

A person can manage to listen to music from compact disks, and can also burn the records into audio CD format with MP3 playlists with the help of Windows Media Player. Windows Media Player was introduced in 1991, and the latest Windows Media Player 12 was launched in 2009 in Windows 7. Moreover, you can also apply the theme to the latest Windows Media Player 12.

Check Windows Media Player 12 availablity on Windows 10

Since Microsoft has ended its support with the Windows Media Player, you can not able to see it on the taskbar like in earlier days. You can check Windows Media Player 12 in the Start menu, just type Windows Media Player and you are good to go. But Microsoft has decided not to make this media player default so some new versions of Windows 10 don’t come with Windows Media Player.

Many of you guys don’t know that there are two types of Windows 10 operating systems available. That is Windows 10 N and Windows 10 NK. This is because European Commission forced Microsoft to remove built-in apps such as Video, Voice Recorder, and including Windows Media Player 12.

In case you don’t have Windows Media Player present on your system don’t worry as it’s still available to download for free.

Methods to Install Windows Media Player 12

Follow the method to install Windows Media Player 12 accordingly.

Enable Windows Media Player 12 on Windows 10 PC

The majority of the Windows users have Windows Media Player 12 available on their system but it’s disabled by Microsoft to use as a default media player. It means you don’t have really need to download the media player but have to enable it. Here’s how to do that:

Step 1: Press the Windows + R shortcut key to open Run Box.

Step 2: In the Run box type optionalfeatures and press OK.

Step 3: Windows Feature window will appear, in that just press on the +icon next to Media Feature in order to expand the list.

Step 4: Now just tick on the Windows Media Player.

Just close the window and restart your system. Your system will automatically install Windows Media Player without any effort. You can check the media player by searching it in the Start menu.

Install Windows Media Player on Windows 10 N and NK

Step 1: Download and Install Media Feature Pack from Microsoft’s official website. Select the language using the dropdown and click on download. Select the version accordingly.

Step 2: Press Windows + R and type dxdiag and click on ok, a DirectX Diagnostic Tool will appear. Here, check at the Operating system line whether you have a 32-bit or 64-bit operating system.

• On 32-bit operating system, the download file looks like this:

Microsoft-Windows-MediaFeaturePack-OOB-Package.msu

• On 64-bit operating system, click Next, your browser will propmt Open with Windows Update Standalone Installer (default) > Click on OK to start the installtion.

Follow on-screen instructions and it will update with the Windows Media Player. It will also install builtin-apps like Skype, Voice Recorder, and Groove Music.

Windows Media Player on Windows 10 Home and Pro

Windows Media Player needs to be enabled on the version of the Windows operating system.

Step 1: Visit the Start menu and open Settings.

Step 2: On the Settings window, visit Apps.

Step 3: Click on the Optional features > Add a feature.

Step 4: Scroll down and search for Windows Media Player, select it and click on Install.

Just restart your system to apply changes and you are all set to use Windows Media Player.

Alternative Media Player for Windows 10

There are plenty of Windows users who don’t prefer to use Windows Media Player as the first player because it lacks features like 4K and 3D video plating, streaming services connection, VR headset support, 360-degree video playbacks, and more. You can use Windows Media Player for basic use like playing a video or listening to audio and that’s it. People have already moved onto the media player which provides the best entertainment experience.

Following are the best Windows Media player alternative on Windows 10.

VLC Media Player: VLC is a free and open-source media player which supports all types of files and streaming protocols over the system network and transcodes multimedia files. You can also use VLC to organize music playlists and VLC with Chromecast to play media files on TV via remote.

KMPlayer: KMPlayer is one of the lightweight media players available out there. It supports all types of audio formats including AVI, AVS, MKV< FLV, ASF, and more. In terms of personalization, you can customize the media player accordingly.

Kodi: Kodi is also an open-source media player that allows you to play streaming media files such as videos, music, podcasts, etc from the web and file formats from local and network storage media. You can also customize the media player and it is available on the platform including Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and more.

GOM Media Player: One thing that makes GOM Media Player stands out from the list of media players is that it allows playing damaged files. Also supports 360-degree videos, YouTube VR videos. Supports formats like MKV, MOV, MP4, WMV, and more.

Is Windows Meida Player good option to play media files?

Yes, Windows Media Player is still a good option to play media files on Windows 10. I know you cannot have that fantastic feature on the media player but at least you can do some basic media file work like looking at gallery images, playing music, and watching offline downloaded movies.

According to my personal opinion. Microsoft should take responsibility to make Windows Media Player more relevant as it still has few users to access it.

That’s it for now, hope this helps! We are glad to know your thoughts in the comment section below. Till then, stay tuned for more info.