# Windows Media Player 9 **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 24, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-9/170725 "2003-04-24T00:42:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MusicJunkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@MusicJunkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MusicJunkie)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-9/170725/1 "2003-04-24T00:42:05Z")
My computer recently notified me I should download an improvement to windows meda player to update it. I was very happy with the one I had but as the computer is in the habit of asking me to download patch this and patch YZW900 or something everyday I did it. This upgraded my player to version 9 apparently. The trouble is I hated version 9 and it makes my computer slower than a 486. So how can I undo the upgrade? ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Joe\_Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Random)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-9/170725/2 "2003-04-24T01:20:18Z")
If you’re running Windows 98 or 2000, you can uninstall it from the normal Add/Remove Programs function. If you’re running Windows ME or XP, you **cannot** uninstall WMP 9. The best you can do is use the system rollback feature to go back to a restore point before you installed WMP 9, which may screw up other stuff you have installed since then. The reason is that WinME/XP treats WMP 9 as an OS upgrade instead of a program install. \Thank you, Micro$oft\ ---
**Author:** ![MusicJunkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@MusicJunkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MusicJunkie)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-9/170725/3 "2003-04-24T01:36:46Z")
I use XP. Am I screwed? As I did this just a few days ago can I just go back to right before the upgrade? How? Thanks for answering the first one Joe Random. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-9/170725/4 "2003-04-24T03:26:14Z")
Just go to Start/All Programs/Accessories/System Tools/System Restore and select “Restore my computer to an earlier point” and click next, select the date before the upgrade… a restore point was probably automatically made before the upgrade… select it and click next. Your system will be set back to as it was before the upgrade. Note that any installations, configurations, etc. made between then and now will be lost. But since it’s been only a few days, that’s not much of an issue. ---
**Author:** ![MusicJunkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@MusicJunkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MusicJunkie)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-9/170725/5 "2003-04-24T04:06:50Z")
Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-9/170725/6 "2003-04-24T05:09:25Z")
Are you all telling me that my computer will run faster without MP9? Even when it is not running? ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-9/170725/7 "2003-04-24T06:01:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lobsang \* > \*\*Are you all telling me that my computer will run faster without MP9? Even when it is not running? \*\* Not necessarily (although that’s what the OP meant, i.e. even with MP 9 not active his system appears slower). I’ve upgraded to 9 on XP and I don’t see any perceivable degradation in system performance. The problem arises in that _if_ such a degradation is seen after the upgrade, as in **MusicJunkie** ’s case, or for any other reason you’d like to uninstall the upgrade, no simple uninstall method is available in XP. System Restore is your best option. Other OSes offer an uninstall option from the add/remove programs menu. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-9/170725/8 "2003-04-24T06:03:36Z")
A relevant point I forgot to mention: this is because the MP 9 upgrade is more like an OS upgrade rather than an application upgrade, due to the way it’s bound to the OS.