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Windows Media Player is Microsoft software for playing digital audio and video and organizing a media library. In current Windows guidance, the name Windows Media Player Legacy refers to the older application; it is distinct from the newer Media Player app.
What Windows Media Player does
Windows Media Player Legacy handles local media and related library tasks. Microsoft lists playing media files and audio CDs, organizing a library, creating playlists, displaying information such as album art, burning audio CDs, transferring music to portable players, and playing streaming content from websites among its functions. Microsoft’s Windows media feature documentation describes these capabilities.
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It is an application, not a file format, device, or subscription streaming service. Its support for a particular audio or video file depends on the format and the codecs available on the computer.
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Windows 10 and Windows 11 distinguish the older Windows Media Player Legacy from the newer Media Player app. Microsoft says Legacy is available as an optional feature in both Windows versions and recommends the newer Media Player app for modern video features such as 4K. The two names therefore do not refer to the same application. See Microsoft’s Windows Media Player troubleshooting guidance.
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Legacy does not include DVD playback, according to Microsoft. Do not assume that installing or enabling it will provide DVD playback.
Which file types it can play
Microsoft’s support list for Windows Media Player 12 includes Windows Media formats such as ASF, WMA, and WMV; AVI; several MPEG-related formats; MIDI; AIFF; AU/SND; WAV; CD audio tracks; selected QuickTime and MP4-family types; AAC; M2TS; and FLAC. The list is not a guarantee that every file with one of those extensions will play on every Windows version. A container can hold media encoded with different codecs, and the needed codec may not be installed. Consult Microsoft’s file-type support list for its qualifications and details.
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What to check if a file will not play
A missing or unsupported codec is one possible reason playback fails. Microsoft lists built-in format support as well as Microsoft Store extensions for some formats, including MPEG-2, HEVC, VP9, AV1, and Web Media formats. The appropriate option depends on the exact file and Windows setup; a codec extension is not a universal fix. Check Microsoft’s troubleshooting guidance against the file type and error you encounter.
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