Default multimedia player?

[tony draper]

How do I find out which version of Windows Media Player I have? and how do I alter the default media player on my machine,I think I have version 10 but I am not sure
When I click on a Vid clip it always plays it on a third party one I installed,I am downloading win media player 11 as we speak, and I would like to make that my default player.
Greatfull for any help
Tony

[The Flying Pram]

"Help>>About" will tell you which version. "Tools>>Options>>File Types" allows you to select which file types are the defaults.

Hope this helps.

[tony draper]

Thank you FP,apparently I have version ten,downloaded Windows Media 11, but when I opened it it said it wanted to download summat from MS to check my puter had a legit windows xp operating system,bollix to that,one shall stick with 10.
:uhoh:

[The Flying Pram]

That would be "Windows Genuine Advantage". I'm sure I saw something on another forum recently that MS were allowing folks with "Non Genuine" windows installations to get round this and update things like Media Player. I'll have a look around and see if I can find more info.

[Gonzo]

Do a search for 'Media Player Classic', a powerful open source media player which looks a lot like an old version of Windows MP.

Or do the same for 'Video Lan' player, another open source package.

I prefer both to MS's default player.

[The Flying Pram]

Mr D, I found the article I was looking for, unfortunately it was referring to IE7, so it won't help you. Sorry.
TFP.

[Keef]

That pesky Windows Genuine Advantage...

... screwed up my PC a right treat, that did. Last week, it went all hissy and told me my copy of XP was pirated. All of a sudden, like! The original MS hologram CD is on the desk beside me, the C of A is stuck to the back of the PC. I paid real money for the genuine article when I built this PC. MS software doth verily tell fibs!

It turned out that the problem was that I'd not given WGA permission to access the Internet via my firewall, and this was its way of protesting.
Apparently, it goes like that.

I understand the Linux drivers for my graphics card will be released in the next few weeks, so maybe the time has come to switch the main PC over and consign Windows to the attic.

The backup machine has been running on Linux for a couple of years. It's a lot more stable, and a heck of a lot faster than Windows.

[Tarq57]

WGA has two incarnations that I know of. The first is the basic proof to M$ that you do indeed have a valid windows. It periodically updates components of itself, and a recent update, maybe a month or two ago was considered outside the rules, because of the way it updated with no notification, in the background.
The other beastie is WGAnotify, a tool M$ have so generously made available to let the users know when they might be running a pirated windows. And there are lots of stories about this one getting it wrong. Keef, I suspect it is this one that has caused you problems.
There has been widespread condemnation about this WGA Notify. To the extent that there has even been a third party tool released to remove it. (Worked, too. I don't want spyware on my computer, no matter who the author is, and especially if it's faulty. The spyware, that is.) More info here. (http://www.mydigitallife.info/2006/04/26/disable-and-remove-windows-genuine-advantage-notifications-nag-screen/) (Use at your own risk.)
(Maybe this is to do with the reg entry you recently changed on the laptop, in your other recent post?)
[Edit] PS, just to make it clear, I have no problem paying for a genuine Windows, and have done. I won't use pirated software. I do have a problem when M$ starts to treat its genuine customers as thieves.