Loading CDs with Windows 7

wadewade

I'm fairly sure that my Dell laptop came with a Windows program for listening to and saving CDs but I can't find it now and I can't see this program option when I put a CD in. I did however load Windows Live Movie Maker recently and I'm wondering if this has corrupted the CD reader. My laptop also came with Roxio but I think this is more for burning media,

I do have the Windows 7 disc but I am hesitating to click Install in case it reinstalls the whole of Windows. Is there likely to be a back up of the program on my laptop that I can select instead?

(Sorry, I'm not a computer expert!)

RussJK

The default Windows Media Player should do it. Press Start > Default Programs > Set your defaults ... <wait for it to load> > click on Windows Media Player, and return the defaults to it.

Secondly, make sure you have the autoplay feature enabled:
Start > Default Programs > Change autoplay options, then change the drop box for Audio CDs to 'play audio cd using _________'

wadewade

Thanks, Russ. I got the defaults list up but Windows Media Player doesn't appear on it. I set Autoplay to on but all the options I get are various versions of the Roxio suite which would seem ideal if I want to burn them to a CD but I can't see how I can just play them! Am I doing something wrong do you think?

karatepet

Do you have windows media player installed?

wadewade

I thought I did, I assumed it came with Windows. I'm fairly certain I could play CDs when I first had the computer but I can't find any trace of it now. What is the best way to (re-)install it?

karatepet

have you searched for it in the search box

wadewade

No trace of it in search or in Control Panel. So I presume I haven't got it! Does it not come automatically with Windows 7?

karatepet

this is off microsoft website Included in Windows 7 Starter, Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise edition

pompeyfaith

Here you go:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/downloads/windows-media-player

karatepet

When you load the cd can go to my computer and right click on d drive then you should get the option to open the files using a program