Aug 31, 2006 Windows Media Player 10 is the all-in-one media player that provides the best experience for discovering, playing and taking your digital entertainment. Greg Shultz explains how to download and install the free Windows 8 Media. It does not work with Windows Media Player. TechRepublic Academy; Tech Pro.

As you may recall, when Microsoft was preparing, the company announced that it had decided not to include in the operating system anymore and instead would make it available as a separate download for a nominal fee once Windows 8 was released. While this raised the ire of quite a few long time Windows Media Center users, Microsoft made a fairly reasonable case for removing the application from the operating system in this on the Building Windows 8 web site. After reading this post, many folks that I spoke with at the time shifted their point of contention from the removal to the cost of the add-on pack, which Microsoft vaguely described as in line with marginal costs. Fortunately, Microsoft did remain true to their word.

If you go to the Add features to Windows 8 tool in Windows 8 Pro, you'll see that the Windows 8 Media Center Pack will cost $9.99, as shown in Figure A. Figure A Under normal circumstances, the Windows 8 Media Center Pack will cost $9.99. However, between now and January 31, 2013, if you are running Windows 8 Pro, you can download and install the Windows 8 Media Center Pack for FREE. While you won't have to spend a penny to get the Windows 8 Media Center Pack during this period, you will have to spend some time waiting.

In this post, I will show you the steps involved in downloading and installing the Windows 8 Media Center Pack in Windows 8 Pro. As I do, I'll explain why you must be prepared to wait. Subscribe Windows 8 Just in case you are wondering, if you have the, you can get Windows Media Center by getting the Windows 8 Pro Pack, which will upgrade your operating system to Windows 8 Pro and add Windows Media Center. You can get the Windows 8 Pro Pack for the discounted price of $69.99. (It normally would sell for $99.99) This is also a limited time offer that expires on January 31, 2013. Get your product key Getting your free copy of the Windows 8 Media Center Pack is pretty straightforward procedure.

On your Windows 8 system, launch Internet Explorer and point it to the page on the Microsoft Windows 8 site. When you arrive at the page, read the introductory information and then scroll down to the Windows 8 Pro section as shown in Figure B. Then, enter your email address, type the characters, and click the Send my product key button. Figure B Just provide your email address and type in the BotDetect CAPTCHA characters. Once you click the button, you'll see the message shown in Figure C appear on the screen.

(I've magnified the message so you could read it.) When I first read the message, I was confused. Thinking that it must be a just in case disclaimer type of message, I went directly to my email and clicked Send/Receive a couple of times, sure that the email would appear. But it didn't. In fact, I didn't receive the email containing the product key for close to 48 hours. Figure C The message informs you that you will have to wait 24 hours to receive the product key. I found this extremely annoying! I've never had to wait 48 hours just to get a verification email message - they always appear within the few minutes.

For instance, when I filled out the request for the, I received the email containing the Promo Code almost immediately. So, my advice to you is to plan ahead. If you want to install the free Windows 8 Media Center Pack on a Saturday when you have time to play around with it, make sure that you order the pack on a Wednesday to allow plenty of time for the email to arrive. All griping aside, I must admit that being able to get Windows 8 Media Center Pack for free is a very nice little perk.

Using the Add features wizard When you do receive the email, you'll find your Windows 8 Media Center Pack product key, as shown in Figure D. Figure D The email message will contain your product key. You'll use the Add features to Windows 8 tool in the Control Panel to download and install it. To do so, just press the [Windows] key, type Add features, select Settings, and click Add features to Windows 8, as shown in Figure E.

Figure E Accessing Add features to Windows 8 from the Start screen is easy when you use the [Windows] key. When you do, you'll encounter a UAC, as shown in Figure F. To continue, just click the Yes button. Figure F Just click Yes to work through the UAC. You'll then see the first screen in the Add features to Windows 8 wizard, as shown in Figure G, which asks you whether you need to purchase a product key or you already have one.

Just click the 'I already have a product key button' to continue. Figure G You can just click I already have a product key. You'll then enter the product key on the next screen, as shown in Figure H.

Then, click Next. Figure H Enter the free Windows 8 Media Center Pack product key and click Next. On the next screen, you have to accept the license terms, as shown in Figure I, and then click Add features button. Figure I You have to accept the license terms to continue. The installation In a moment, you'll see a progress bar in the Add features to Windows 8 wizard screen, as shown in Figure J. Figure J You can sit back for a few minutes while the installation occurs. As the installation progresses, Windows 8 will shut down the user interface and display a screen like the one shown in Figure K, before it restarts.

You can sit back for a few minutes while the download, installation and several of these restarts occur. Figure K Windows 8 will restart several times as the installation progresses.

After the last restart, you'll logon normally and will see that Windows Media Center appears as a tile on the Start screen, as shown in Figure L. Figure L Windows Media Center appears on the Windows 8 Start screen. Once you return to the Desktop, you'll see the last screen in the Windows Media Center installation wizard is waiting for you to click Close, as shown in Figure M. Figure M Click Close to complete the Windows Media Center installation wizard.

When you launch Windows Media Center in Windows 8, as shown in Figure N, you'll find that it works exactly as you would expect and you can begin recording TV programs or watching DVD movies. Figure N Windows Media Center works just like you would expect.

I immediately inserted one of my favorite DVD movies, as shown in Figure O, and sat back and enjoyed the show. Figure O The DVD codec allows you to immediately begin in watching movies. Things to keep in mind. When you download and install your free copy of the Windows 8 Media Center Pack, there are a few things that you will need to keep in mind. • Just like the offer expires on January 31, 2013, so too does the product key.

So, if you download it today, make sure that you install the Windows 8 Media Center Pack before the expiration date. • The Windows 8 Media Center Pack adds all Windows Media Center functionality back to Windows 8 Pro including broadcast TV recording and playback and DVD playback. This means that the Windows 8 Media Center pack comes with a codec for DVD, but not Blu-ray. If you want to play Blu-ray in Windows Media Center, you will need to get the appropriate codec from a third-party. • The DVD codec that comes with Windows 8 Media Center pack only works with Windows Media Center, it does not work with Windows Media Player. • This free promotion is limited to one product key per email address.

So if you have more than one Windows 8 Pro system on which you want to install Windows 8 Media Center Pack, you will need to fill in the form again with different email addresses. What's your take? Will you be downloading a free copy of the Windows 8 Media Center Pack? Have you done so already?

If so, what has been your experience? As always, if you have comments or information to share about this topic, please take a moment to drop by the and let us hear from you. Related Topics.

Once again we go through the upgrade farce. From Windows 7 Pro N x64 to the equivalent W10 via the free upgrade path. The install naturally removes Windows Media Player (which had to be separately downloaded and installed in W7Pro N) So I downloaded and installed Microsoft-Windows-MediaFea turePack-O OB-Package _x64.msu After a tussle (of course, what else?) it installed. Rebooted and looked for Windows Media Player (not there, of course). So please, anybody who has installed it on a Win 10 Pro N x64 platform, tell me what you did and where MS have hidden it. As a well retired person I haven't got too many years left, so would prefer not wasting what I do have. Thanks Christopher.

Rindi, I already use VLC but it won't play a wma stream running on a remote network over a vpn. (At least, it doesn't now, never tried it on the Win7 OS). WMP did, but then MS dumped it.

IMHO they don't give a toss about the end user. Paul, both the links take me to the same page, which does not give me the ability to download a version of WMP which will install on my Win 10 Pro N upgraded machine. Full of advice about the windows DVD player which it would seem I have to buy. Thanks Microsoft.

If anyone knows where I can actually download and install on my W10 Pro N a 64 bit version of WMP then I will be very happy. Right now I'm not. Sorry about the bad links:-( Here () it mentions that * Windows Media Player 12 is included in clean installs of Windows 10 as well as upgrades to Windows 10 from Windows 8.1 or Windows 7. DVD playback isn't included in Windows 10 or Windows 8.1. Go to the DVD playback for Windows page to find out how to add DVD playback.

What do you see when you put Windows Media Player in the Windows search window on the taskbar? With VLC, when I include the file to play in the network address, it usually works fine for me. Ok I have tried the links to no avail. Having installed both the 32 bit and 64 bit versions of the Media Feature Pack I am still without wmplayer. In program files (x86) I have a completely empty folder called Windows Media Player with a number of subfolders also empty. This is probably left over from the W7 structure. Otherwise, zilch.

I do have Media Player Classic Home Cinema which appears about as much use as a chocolate fireguard for what I want. It's clear that wmplayer.exe is not installed on my shiny new, do anything, end all operating system. It's equally clear that MS appear not to want Pro N users to have it, since I cannot find a working download link anywhere. Guess I'll leave this question open a bit longer in the vain hope that someone may have found an answer. Windows media player was included in my upgrade from windows 7 x64 prof to windows 10 x64 prof The fact you have Win 10 Pro N x64 platform you need to install the multimedia pack available for your windows 7 N as mentioned. Media Feature Pack for N and KN versions of Windows 10 In the search ( which I have customised by r/clicking it and change to icon) type>windows media player and it is listed at the top as windows media player desktop app.

Test yours please then right click it and pin to taskbar, alternatively make it default for your media files In search type default it appears at the top as default programs ( desktop app) Click on Music Player then select windows media player on the right choices. Merete, thank you for the diagrams but you are missing the point; I've been there, done that and still no wmp. Episcopal Book Of Occasional Services Pdf Writer on this page. I've been round in circles on MS website pages looking for an answer but haven't found anything. The Media Pack for Windows 10 N installed ok but WMP isn't there.

In a search of my pc for wmplayer.exe I turned up over 40 references to it - ALL of them are in the windows.old folders of the Win 7 installation. There is NO reference in any of the W10 folders.

It should be there but it isn't. Clicking on any of them the system tells me that WMP is not installed correctly (I knew that!) and sends me to a generic download page for the XP version of WMP. Come on MS get your act together. I was hoping someone here might have pertinent information as to why, but it appears not. Hi chrisatwork I cannot know what all the steps you have you tried so it may seem to you I am missing your points.

Please be patient as I gather your details. I didn't use the terms>wmplayer.exe just windows media player. Windows media player is not a.exe Try using the search terms>Windows 10 Media Feature Pack Look in your control panel.

You need to be using the updated version. This is the latest version just install over the top of what you have. March 2016 then Check its features are showing up in Control Panel Install Instructions 1. Click the Download button on this page to start the download, or select a different language from the Change language drop-down list and click Go. Do one of the following: •To start the installation immediately, click Run. • To save the download to your computer for installation at a later time, click Save.