Windows Media Player and IE

Factual Questions
1

This is really bugging me. I am using Windows XP, WMP 8, and IE6. I have all updates, I haven’t upgraded to WMP 9 yet.

My problem is playing MPGs from websites. I get a box that asks if I want to play the MPG within IE, I answer “no” and check the box that says “always remeber my preferences”. I would rather open an instance of WMP, the screen is bigger.

Sometimes it is OK, and WMP opens up when I click on the MPG. Sometimes, it forgets and opens the left hand side bar and plays the MPG within IE anyways. I hate this, as the MPG is very small. I want to veiw every MPG I click on in WMP itself, not an IE sidebar.

It happens randomly. I have tried to open the same MPG more than once, the first time it will play correctly in an separate WMP window, the next time I click on the same MPG the sidebar thing will open.

Anyone know why it keeps forgetting my preferences? It is very annoying.

2

I don’t know if this will help but…

Try going to START - SET PROGRAM ACCESS AND DEFAULTS and choose the radio button next to Custom. You’ll have to hit the down arrows on the right to see the settings. Under Media Player shoose WMP.

Of course your default is probably already WMP but maybe this will help it remember to start movies in WMP and not IE.

Also, in IE go to TOOLS - INTERNET OPTIONS - ADVANCED and scroll down to “Multimedia”. Make sure the box next to “Don’t display online media content in the media bar” is checked. I THINK the media bar is that sidebar but I could be mistaken.

I have that same problem on my other XP machne but for some reason I don’t have that problem on this one.

3

Thanks, I’ll try that. I had the second suggestion already checked, I forgot to include that info in my original post.

In program access, the “use my current media player” radio button was ticked, I changed it to use WMP.

Interesting you have the same problem, I don’t think my laptop (also running XP) does it either.

4

It didn’t work. The media bar is still playing MPGs randomly. Maybe I’ll just save all MPGs to my hard drive and play them that way.