How to Open Windows Media Player on Windows 11
You can open Windows Media Player on Windows 11 by searching for it in the Start menu or using the Run command.
Windows Media Player is a built-in application for playing audio and video files on your PC. It’s the classic version, often referred to as Windows Media Player 12.
While Windows 11 features a new Media Player app, the older, familiar version is still accessible. This tutorial shows you exactly how to find and launch it.
Search for “Media Player” in the Start menu and select it from the results. Alternatively, click the Start button, select “All apps,” and then click “Media Player” in the app list.
How to Open Windows Media Player
You can open Windows Media Player on your Windows 11 computer using the Start menu. Just click the Start button, then choose ‘All apps,’ and find ‘Media Player’ in the list to start it up.
If you cannot find the app, it might not be installed. You can get it from the Microsoft Store using this link: Install Windows Media Player.
Once the app opens, you will see the home page. From here, you can add your music and video folders so the app can find your files.
Handy Keyboard Shortcuts
Windows Media Player offers several handy keyboard shortcuts to help you control playback and manage your media library faster. Using these shortcuts can save you time when you’re listening to music or watching videos.
Summary
Windows Media Player is a great app for playing videos and music on Windows 11. Opening it from the Start menu gives you access to a simple way to play most common media files, and you can use keyboard shortcuts to navigate faster.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard, a writer for Geek Rewind, is a tech enthusiast who loves breaking down complex IT topics into simple, easy-to-understand ideas. With years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, he’s developed a knack for offering practical tips and solutions. Richard aims to make technology more accessible and actionable. He's deeply committed to the Geek Rewind community, always ready to answer questions and engage in discussions.
[…] The Windows Media Player app is a built-in application that allows you to play various media files, such as videos, music, and images. It is a useful tool for managing and playing your media collection in Windows. It supports various file formats and offers basic playback controls such as play, pause, stop, rewind, and fast-forward. […]
[…] The Windows Media Player app is a built-in application that allows you to play various media files, such as videos, music, and images. It is a useful tool for managing and playing your media collection in Windows. It supports various file formats and offers basic playback controls such as play, pause, stop, rewind, and fast-forward. […]
[…] The Windows Media Player app is a built-in application that allows you to play various media files, such as videos, music, and images. It is a useful tool for managing and playing your media collection in Windows. It supports various file formats and offers basic playback controls such as play, pause, stop, rewind, and fast-forward. […]
[…] The Windows Media Player app is a built-in application that lets you play various media files, like videos, music, and images. It is a useful tool for managing and playing your media collection in Windows. It supports multiple file formats and offers basic playback controls, including play, pause, stop, rewind, and fast-forward. […]
This does not leave me any the wiser regarding how to play music using Media Player.
I have a significant number of albums transferred from an external HD into the Music folder and showing up as ‘present’ ie listed when I open Media Player and select Music.
However nothing happens when I select artist/album/track etc and activate the Play icon other than the red line under the display moving from left to right. No timer movement, no sound.
(Realistically, I do not expect Windows post XP to be user friendly …)