[Fixed] Windows Media Player Won't Open/Start/Respond

Windows Media Player is Windows built-in app that plays a wide range of media formats. However, for many users, the Windows Media Player won't open due to unknown reasons. The player doesn't show anything and there's no error code or anything. In some cases, even reinstalling Windows Media Player will not fix the error. We list a few troubleshooting tips to help you resolve the Windows Media Player not opening/starting/responding issue on Windows 10/8/7.

Table of Content

• Way 1. Remove the Window Media Player library
• Way 2. Use Windows Media Player Troubleshooter
• Way 3. Re-register DLL(Dynamic Link Library) Files
• Way 4. Reinstall Windows Media Player

Way 1. Remove the Window Media Player library

There are lots of files on the Windows Media Player library, which can cause Windows Media Player not working problems. Try removing the Windows Media Player library to fix the WMP not opening error.

• In Windows Media Player, find the items you wish to delete or hit "CTRL" + "A" to select all items.
• Press Delete.
• Or go to "Tools" > "Options" > "Library" and uncheck the "Delete files from computer when deleted from library" option.

Way 2. Use Windows Media Player Troubleshooter

Windows built-in troubleshooter can help fix the issue that Windows Media Player won't respond/open on Windows 7/8/10/11 easily. Here's how to use Troubleshooter to fix Windows Media Player not launching error.

1. Go to Start > search box > Control Panel, hit Enter.
2. Control Panel > View by Large icons > Troubleshooting.
3. Click on View all on the left side of the Troubleshooting window.
4. Head to Next > scroll down > Windows Media Player Library > Next.
5. Now it starts to detect issues with Windows Media Player.
6. If there's any problem, apply this fix, troubleshoot the error, display the error found. Now, you should get rid of the problem that Windows Media Player won't open.

Way 3. Re-register DLL(Dynamic Link Library) Files

DLL files are used to perform some operations on Windows. If there's an issue with DLL files, Windows Media Player won't start or launch properly. Try re-registering the DLL files for Windows Media Player with the steps below.

1. Open the command window. Click the Start Menu and search for cmd. Right-click it and choose RUN as administrator. On the command prompt window, type in the following commands and hit Enter.

• regsvr32 vbscript.dll
• regsvr32 wmp.dll
• regsvr32 jscript.dll

2. After it's all done, try Windows Media Player again to check if the Windows Media Player won't open issue is resolved.

Way 4. Reinstall Windows Media Player

Try uninstalling and reinstalling Windows Media Player on your Windows computer to fix the issue that Windows Media Player won't open. Windows Media Player is Windows built-in app. You can uninstall the player via the Control Panel. Here's how to do it.

1. Go to Start > Control Panel >Program > Programs and Features, click on the Turn Windows features on or off option. Now, you should see the Windows Features window.
2. Expand Media Features from the feature list. Untick Windows Media Player feature to uninstall Windows Media Player. Restart your Windows computer.
3. Install Windows Media Player again using the same steps. Restart your computer and check if Windows Media Player can open properly.