Windows Media Player goes stealth.

Soarer

I've got a Dell XPS1530 running Vista with Media Player 11.
Whenever I "double click" on an mp3, or a video file, it opens in Media Player but its hidden. It doesn't show up in the taskbar, and doesn't show up with the notification icons. It only shows up in the list of processes, which means I have to ctrl-alt-delete, into task manager, and end the wmplayer.exe process.

Is there a setting somewhere that I'm missing? Surely it can't be supposed to run like that?

newbie2

Are you using any custom desktop themes?

Soarer

No. Standard green background.
I even have the gadgets bar turned off.

newbie2

If you right click the WMP icon in the programme list and select properties. See if changing the 'Run:' field to something else helps the situation

Soarer

I went into properties, and found this.
Target = "C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe" /prefetch:1
Run="Normal Window"

I took out the "/prefetch:1", and tried play a track....same hidden result.

Then I changed "Run" to "maximise" and left out the "prefetch", tried play a track....same hidden result.

Put back in "prefetch", left "Run" on "Maximise", tried play a track....same hidden result.

Put everything back to the way it was, and came running back here!

newbie2

Re-install WMP. Or open your media files with another player

Overheal

WMP 11 is embedded in the OS: Theres no method of re-instalation without re-installing the operating system.

Try installing the K-Lite codec pack. bit of a long shot. http://www.free-codecs.com/download/K_lite_codec_pack.htm

calex71

common enough bug in vista experienced it on 3 machines which i why i say its common lol, i havent found a fix for it myself, normally i see it happen after i've been playing a large playlist, close media player and go to launch it later and get the same issue as the OP, seems the process doesnt terminate sometimes. I'd be unlucky if it happened me more than once a week, more an annoyance for me I guess.

Do you have any removable storage plugged in OP? Sd cards mp3 player and the likes? I found it happened more to me when i plugged an sd card reader in and didnt remove it before i closed media player.

BKtje

This is a known issue and unfortunately there is no solution for yet.

It also happens with videos (sound keeps playing after you close video) and only way to prevent it is to hit stop on the video.

No idea why after 2 years the bug is still there.