# Windows Media Player Weirdness **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 14, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-weirdness/506354 "2009-08-14T00:06:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-weirdness/506354/1 "2009-08-14T00:06:27Z")
If I start wmp from, say, the Start Menu, it opens, but never responds. It just locks up. If I start it by clicking on an mpg file, it comes up fine, but if I try to pause it, the screen goes black and it stops responding and when I try to kill it, it takes forever to die. I haven’t added any new software, or drivers, or anything else to make this happen. I know this isn’t much to go on, but does anyone have any ideas what may be the cause? Is it possible to uninstall and then reinstall? Wait a minute, I just got an error I’ve never seen before: Windows Media Player cannot play the video because there is a problem with your video card. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-weirdness/506354/2 "2009-08-14T01:24:47Z")
Have you checked your video card manufacturer’s Web site for new drivers, OR the Windows Update site? You may have gotten a Windows Update that forked your video driver, and Windows may also have a newer, more compatible driver available (which probably does not download automatically). ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-weirdness/506354/3 "2009-08-14T02:44:21Z")
Well, you didn’t state which version of Windows and which version of WMP … Have considered ditching WMP and using the superior and free app, [VLC media player](http://www.videolan.org/vlc/)? ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-weirdness/506354/4 "2009-08-14T14:48:09Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > Well, you didn’t state which version of Windows and which version of WMP … > > Have considered ditching WMP and using the superior and free app, [VLC media player](http://www.videolan.org/vlc/)? Indeed I have, and have already downloaded it! Thanks for the tip, though. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-weirdness/506354/5 "2009-08-14T15:37:41Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > Well, you didn’t state which version of Windows and which version of WMP … > > Have considered ditching WMP and using the superior and free app, [VLC media player](http://www.videolan.org/vlc/)? I’m not arguing, just curious (and interested) - in what way(s) is the VLC media player superior? ---
**Author:** ![Erasmus\_Darwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@Erasmus\_Darwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erasmus_Darwin)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-media-player-weirdness/506354/6 "2009-08-14T16:43:33Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > in what way(s) is the VLC media player superior? VLC uses its own internal implementation for various codecs which makes it a great second choice when your player of choice can’t play something. Unfortunately, VLC has a really crappy user interface which is it’s better to save it as a backup. Personally, I’m partial to Media Player Classic and the K-Lite Codec pack. The former has a fairly nice UI (based off of when Windows Media Player’s UI back before it got all weird) and a bunch of features, and the codec pack allows it to play virtually any video format.