How do I uninstall WMP9 and reinstall WMP8...

#1 dcxman

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Posted 07 May 2003 - 04:00 PM

Morning all.

I just recently upgraded to WMP9 and loathe it. Does anyone know how I can get WMP8 back short of reinstalling my OS(WinXP Pro).

Thanks in advance either way.

#2 Admiral LSD

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Posted 07 May 2003 - 04:08 PM

If you created a System Restore point just before installing WMP9 you can simply restore WMP8 that way but if you didn't, you're SOL as MS don't include an uninstall routine for WMP9 (which they warn you about when you install it so for once, it isn't their fault).

#3 dcxman

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Posted 07 May 2003 - 05:34 PM

Thanks Admiral LSD.

I had a feeling I was SOL.

No I did not make a restore point.

Thanks again.

#4 Hood

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Posted 07 May 2003 - 05:39 PM

Hi,

i haven't tried this but you could always give it a go.

Fire up 'Add or Remove Programs' from the Control Panel and click on Add/Remove Windows Components.

Windows Media Player is on the list of programs which can be removed.

You could give a go and see what happens.

#5 Jerry Atrik

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Posted 07 May 2003 - 07:53 PM

thats not a bad idea
then u would have to rip out the reg entries and folders

then re-ad the thingy it should ask for the original cd

#6 adamvjackson

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Posted 07 May 2003 - 10:16 PM

Quote:

It's only in Add/Remove Programs in Windows 98/ME/2000. Not in XP... And this is not a bug, but rather by design.

So the solution? Simple! Run Windows 2000!

#7 Jerry Atrik

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Posted 07 May 2003 - 11:46 PM

it's in my Add/Remove in xp pro

#8 Hood

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Posted 08 May 2003 - 12:16 AM

The feature is part of Windows XP SP1, as Microsoft was required to do so as part of the anti-trust thing-a-midgets.

#9 Avalanche

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Posted 08 May 2003 - 12:29 AM

Yeah it's there in the windows components in my add/remove too, but it simply doesn't work. You run the uninstall and it asks you to restart. When you reboot wmp9 is still there, fully intact.

Not a big deal as I see it. The executable for wmp6.4 is still there if I want to use it, and wmp9 is head and shoulders above the quality of wmp7/8.

#10 Hood

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Posted 08 May 2003 - 05:17 AM

Yeah you're right just had a look at it, all it does is remove the Desktop Icon, Start Menu Icon and any other shortcut to WMP.

Looks like dcxman is back square1

#11 dcxman

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Posted 08 May 2003 - 05:55 AM

Thanks for all the responses guys. I was able to reinstall WMP8 by taking Hood's suggestion and unchecking it in the Windows Components section. Then followed up with Jerry Atrik and removed what remnants I could find of it in the registry. After rebooting I rechecked it in the the Windows Components list and voila. All is good.

Avalanche, WMP9 does have better streaming than WMP7/8 but my main reason was for Divx playback where audio was lagging with every encoder I intstalled with WMP9. It just doesn't like any of the present Divx decoders.

#12 Avalanche

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Posted 08 May 2003 - 06:36 AM

Yeah I noticed that wmp9 doesn't do so well with mpeg-4 video, but I just fire up wmp6.4 to play divx and the like.

I must say I think it was a good move on Microsoft's part to allow users to continue using wmp6.4 even if they have the later variants installed.