Control the size of Windows Media Player
Published: November 9, 2005
With Microsoft Windows Media Player 10, you have a couple of options for experiencing music and video. You can use the mini Player when you want as much room as possible left on your computer screen for other programs you're using. When you use the mini Player, the Player minimizes to the Windows taskbar, but you can still access playback controls and view visualizations and information about the currently playing item. At the other end of the spectrum, you can use full-screen mode when you want the video to be as big as possible, for example when you're watching a movie on a portable computer.
To use the mini Player
1. | Right-click an open area of the Windows taskbar (such as below the clock), point to Toolbars, and then select Windows Media Player.  This step turns on the feature and only needs to be performed once. A check mark appears next to Windows Media Player to indicate that it is turned on. To switch to mini Player mode in the future, simply perform step 2. |
2. | In Windows Media Player, click the Minimize button. |
3. | The Player is minimized to the taskbar.  |
4. | To return to the default behavior of the Minimize button, right-click an open area of the Windows taskbar, point to Toolbars, and then clear Windows Media Player. |
To watch a video in full-screen mode
1. | In Windows Media Player, begin playing a video, visualization, or DVD. |
2. | Click Now Playing, and then click the Full Screen button.  |
3. | To restore the Player to the original size, press the ESC key. |
4. | When you switch to full screen, the Player controls may appear for a short period of time (depending on the capabilities of your video card and the functionality of the video, visualization, or DVD that you are watching). To restore the controls after they disappear, move the mouse or press any key. To prevent the full-screen controls from disappearing, click the Always show full-screen controls button.  |
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