WMP11 does not start...

[aayesha]

hi,
i got vista home premium, and recently i installed kapersky anti-virus 7, then uninstalled it the next day after a full system scan. i knew that it would clash with the applications on the computer but i found that out the day after. i tried to use Windows Media Player 11, but it just didn't start. i am unable to uninstall it because vista didn't provide that function. i tried system restore to go back before i installed kapersky, but i didn't know that i had to do it in safe mode. so i screwed that one up.
i tried uninstalling and reinstalling the latest update that is provided for wmp11 but that didn't work either.

please, could someone come up with a solution. i've searched the web, and no-one seems to have the answer.

i have the latest version of wmp11 which is 11.0.6000.6344 .

Could you tell me if the recovery disc that i made has wmp11 on it?

Thanks

[Blencogo]

Hi aayesha,

This seems to be (yet another) User Account Control problem.

Your user profile has probably become corrupted. Try creating a new User with Administrative privilidges - is that new User able to open WMP11?

The only other answer may be to turn off UAC - try it and see if it works for your own user profile: -

Press Windows key on the left of your keyboard and press R

Type in the command
MSCONFIG
and press OK -> Continue.

Open the Tab “Tools” and scroll down to ‘Disable UAC’ and click Launch. At the black screen, click OK and restart your Vaio.

You can turn it on again by reversing this process.

[aayesha]

Thanks for your post,

i tried your methods, but it was unsuccessful.

i found out that kapersky anti-virus 7 might have deleted the registry keys and/or .dll files of WMP11. by doing this, it has stopped me from using Wmp11 completely and the browser plug-in now does not work.

do you know if there is any way to recover those files?

or if there is any way to use a substitute WMP, that will play the windows media files and also be compatible with the internet browser plug-in?

[Blencogo]

Unfortunately you cannot reinstall WMP11 without a complete reinstallation of Vista (Thank you Microsoft!).

I am surprised that Kaspersky 7 has had this effect - it must be running on thousands of Vista machines.

Is a full recovery or repair out of the question?

[aayesha]

I've checked many forums with people who have the same problem as me, some of them used Kapersky and had their WMP11 lose its registry keys. if i knew about that before, then i wouldn't have installed Kapersky.

My version of vista is preinstalled, so i made recovery discs with the Vaio Recovery Utility two weeks after i had bought the laptop (since sony does not provide no recovery discs or a vista reinstall disc ).

i am willing to do a full recovery as i am able to easily back up my data.
But does the Vaio recovery discs contain WMP11.

if not then, could you recommend me a WMP substitute for vista that play WMP files and also substitute the WMP plug-in on the web browser. i dont mind if its an open source file, because i use Firefox for most of my web surfing anyway.

and just one more thing, do you know when Microsoft might release WMP12?

Thanks again for your help.

[Blencogo]

WMP11 is a part of Vista - that is why it can't be reinstalled by itself as you could in XP.

You don't say what Vaio you have - but if it had Vista installed when you bought it, then a Full Drive C:\ Recovery will reinstall Vista and WMP11 with it. Your Vaio will be returned to how it was when you bought it.

You can do this from your Recovery Discs but it is probably going to be better to use the Recovery Partition on your hard disc and the Vaio Recovery Utility (in All Programs).

Do you just have one drive C:\ or do you have drives C:\ and D:\?

[aayesha]

Sorry,
i have VAIO FE41E (aka the budget sony laptop).

it only provided me with one drive (C:\). but when i open VAIO recovery tool, it checks the "recovery partition".

im not much of a computer whizz, but if i do use the recovery utility, will i be able to carry on with my subscription with Norton internet security with the same product key or will i have to buy it again?