How to Install the Latest Driver for Windows Media Player
By Lucosi Fuller
When people open Windows Media Player to listen to music or watch a video, they expect sounds to come out of their speakers or headphones. When that doesn't happen, and they restart Windows Media Player and the same thing occurs, the first thing that comes to mind is to download another version of the program. The program may not necessarily be the problem, however--an outdated device driver could be the culprit.
Click on "Start."
In the "Start" menu, click on "Control Panel."
Click on "Performance and Maintenance" in the "Control Panel" folder.
On the "Performance and Maintenance" screen, click on "System."
On the "System" screen, click on the "Hardware" tab.
Click on "Device Manager."
Scroll down to "Sound, Video, and Game Controllers" and click on it. A list of device drivers and codecs will appear below.
Right-click the item that needs updating, and if you don't know which item needs updating, then click on each item on the list one by one, and then click on "Update Driver..."
When you click on "Update Driver..." an Update Wizard will guide you through the driver updating process. The wizard advises that you update the drivers automatically so that it's done correctly. Once the wizard has found and updated the drivers, Windows Media Player should work properly.