Windows Media Player 11 & Vista?

Hi everyone! Haven't posted in awhile, so it's nice to be back at geeks! I've recently installed Windows Vista (64 bit) onto my desktop pc. The graphics are awesome, but I'm having some compatibility issues. Wow, what a challenge:confused Windows Media Player 11 is my biggest issue right now. I cannot find any needed updates for it, but it is running crappy! I thought it might be my audio device, drivers, etc...but no updates for drivers were needed according to Device Manager. Maybe I need to install a new sound card? I'm using the one that came with my motherboard. Could it be the problem? Does anyone have any suggestions? Please help...getting frustrated here:cry! Thanks so much in advance. Geeks Rule!:major

Shannon Rene in Knoxville, Tennessee

 

What do you mean by running crappy?
How much ram do you have on your machine. Vista is a ram hog when I bought my last laptop the builders suggested that I have at least 2 gig of ram so vista will run flawlessly, if not they told me (true or not i don't know) it will begin to effect other systems by slowing them down.

 

Thanks Buggabear & Halo! I have 1 GB of RAM...is that enough? Sorry I wasn't more specific in my thread. By "running crappy", I mean that WinMedPlayer 11 has poor sound quality when playing music. It sounds scratchy and drags, like an old record album. Not always, just in parts of each audio file...the sound on a CD is fine when played in the car, so it has to be something with my pc or with Media Player. I believe my Vista is all up to date with Microsoft Updates, as since installing the new OS, I've been checking daily and also have "automatic updates" enabled. So, I'm downloading the Vista Codec Package, per Halo's suggestion, as we speak. Should I post another reply in this thread to let you guys know if this helps? Thanks so very much! Shanrene

 

yes keep us up to date that way everyone will know if it worked and someone else may be having the same problem and your solution could help someone else.

 

Technically, yes, but Vista will be a much easier and smoother experience of you add another GB. It's not like it's expensive right now anyway

 

Definitely, upgrade to atleast 2GB, preferably 4 GB of RAM. Vista loves RAM.

The deterioration in sound quality could be due to poor drivers. Check on the manufacturer's website if it is a known issue. IIRC, vista has a hiss, crackle and pop problem with some sound cards (Creative comes to mind). If there is no updated driver at the manufacturer's site, then try uninstalling and reinstalling the audio drivers.

Another possibility is that too many programs are taking up CPU resources, leaving little for WMP to work with. This may cause poor audio playback.

BTW, do check the connections/cables between the speakers and the sound card. Also ensure that the Line-In or Mic signals are muted. A few months ago, my XP rig used to produce poor sound from an Audigy sound card..turned out the speaker cable was not plugged in properly into the soundcard.rolleyes