InFinRetirement,it's no longer a BETA version, I don't know if it was when you downloaded it
LAME. If it was then perhaps that could be the cause of your snags. I downloaded from here just a fortnight ago and it works fine - fingers crossed.
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
ps. Also on the update site, windows media player 7 is no longer a BETA version, and it's a really huge improvement over previous versions, especially for CD/MP3 management and recording.
Good luck,
Scally