Click Here to Install Silverlight*
United StatesChange|All Microsoft Sites
Windows Media Player 9 Series
|Windows Media Worldwide

Set Windows Media Player 11 as Your Default Digital Media Player
For More Information
Windows Media Player How-to Center

Windows Media Player FAQ

November 2006

If your computer is running Windows XP and you have more than one digital media player installed, you can choose Windows Media Player 11 as your default digital media player for all the audio and video file types that it supports. This means that when you attempt to play a supported file type, such as Windows Media Audio (.wma) or Windows Media Video (.wmv), the Player opens automatically and plays the file.

For more information about the file types supported by Windows Media Player, see Windows Media Player multimedia file formats.

To set Windows Media Player 11 as your default digital media player
  1. Open Control Panel.
  2. Under Pick a category, click Add or Remove Programs.
  3. In the Add or Remove Programs window, click Add or Remove Programs.
    Picture of the Add or Remove Programs link in the Add or Remove Programs window
  4. In the Add or Remove Programs dialog box, click Set Program Access and Defaults.
    Picture of the Set Program Access and Defaults button in the Add or Remove Programs dialog box
  5. In the Choose a configuration box, double-click Custom.
    Picture of Custom selected in the Choose a configuration box
  6. In the Choose a default media player area, click Windows Media Player, and then click OK.
    Picture of Windows Media Player selected in the Choose a default media player area
You also have the option of setting Windows Media Player as the default digital media player for one or more specific file types rather than for all audio and video file types that the Player supports. For more information, see How do I make Windows Media Player the default player for a file type?

In some cases, you might set Windows Media Player as the default digital media player for a specific file type but a different player or program opens that file type instead. For more information, see Why is a different player or program opening my audio and video files when Windows Media Player was set as my default digital media player?

Back to the top of this pageBack to Top



© 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Contact Us |Terms of Use |Trademarks |Privacy Statement
Microsoft