After changing from Windows 8 to 8.1 videos won't play

sitesafe

I'm hoping someone has experienced this and has a simple quick fix for it. I've searched Google and it appears to be a common problem but it also seems that there is no answer...


I used to open the folder and click on a video and it would open up full screen no problem under Windows Media Player


Since I 'upgraded' to Windows 8.1 when I open the folder by right clicking and choosing the program to open it with it just crashes (closing the program and a window appears saying Windows Media Player has stopped working, the same with Movie Maker, Photos and Video bring me to their icon screens but don't play anything. ITunes allows me to play the video but it's not a full screen like Windows Media Player was). I couple of videos play for a while under QuickTime Movie but the video is slow and then freezes but the sound carries on. I never wanted this stupid 8.1 and kept denying the request to upgrade to it but one day I wasn't given the option to opt out and had to accept it. Anyone else experienced this and is there a way around it please?


I also noticed that if I have a folder that contains both photos and a video in it, if I go to select photos and include the video in the selection then the folder crashes - it won't let me select the video. I had to just select the photos around it, paste them to a new folder and then delete the folder that contained the video (as it wouldn't let me select the video itself to delete it)...


So frustrating! Any advice (layman's terms only) greatly appreciated..Thank you

[Deleted User]

Do you have the latest versions?

Also, try VLC Media Player.

I use it for all my videos, Youtube, DVDs, you name it.

Ken68

Same problem here ,OP. Finished up using in house Toshiba.
Also have Nero on here, which is a paid for service.


http://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.en_GB.html

[Deleted User]

My laptop still works OK (just tried watching a video with Media Player), since upgrading to 8.1.

Can't comment on my PC, as it came with 8.1.

sitesafe

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

Do you have the latest versions?

Also, try VLC Media Player.

I use it for all my videos, Youtube, DVDs, you name it.

I guess I do, the laptop is only a year old and came with Windows 8 and then recently updated to Windows 8.1....


Thanks for that...Trouble is when you go into Microsoft.com support site there is hardly any info on 8.1, most of the guides on there are for Windows 7 etc.

sitesafe

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

My laptop still works OK (just tried watching a video with Media Player), since upgrading to 8.1.

Can't comment on my PC, as it came with 8.1.

Have just tried to download media player from the windows site and got this :



Windows Media Player


Windows Media Player is not compatible with your system.

You are running Windows 8.1 64-bit. Although Windows Media Player will not run on your system, you can download Windows Media Player for other operating systems.

sitesafe

It seems I have my answer!

Windows Media Player


Windows Media Player is not compatible with your system.

You are running Windows 8.1 64-bit. Although Windows Media Player will not run on your system, you can download Windows Media Player for other operating systems.







So why didn't Microsoft warn us of this before the forced upgrade to 8.1? I wonder what other sneaky things they haven't told us about 8.1.

sitesafe

Ken68 wrote: »

Same problem here ,OP. Finished up using in house Toshiba.
Also have Nero on here, which is a paid for service.


http://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.en_GB.html

Thanks, very frustrating and annoying - I bought a product which included a facility and was then forced to upgrade and have since lost a facility...

[Deleted User]

sitesafe wrote: »

I guess I do, the laptop is only a year old and came with Windows 8 and then recently updated to Windows 8.1....

I didn't mean the latest version of Windows.

I meant the latest version of Media Player, video and sound drivers, etc.

Run Windows update (including optional updates), to make sure everything is right up to date.

[Deleted User]

sitesafe wrote: »

Windows Media Player


Windows Media Player is not compatible with your system.

You are running Windows 8.1 64-bit.

That's odd, because I'm running Win 8.1 - 64 bit, and Media Player is working OK :huh:

RumRat

Check the version of WMP that you have........Version 12.0.9600.17031 Works perfectly in Windows 8.1.
Make sure all your Windows updates are installed.