Tag: Windows Media Player

How to install Windows Media Player 11 with Media Sharing on Windows Server 2003 / R2

C:Amie/ / Microsoft, Multimedia, Software

System Requirements:

  • Windows Server 2003 SP2
  • Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2

The Problem:

Windows Server 2003 ships with Windows Media Player version 10.0, and this version is maintained and services through Service Packs for Windows Server 2003.

The version of Media Player that ships with 2003 does not include Media Sharing support for distributing central Media Library databases to network clients. Unfortunately, with Microsoft’s decision to not to release Windows Media Player 11 for Server 2003 and not to include media library sharing in their 2008 platform, a minority of users (myself included) who use Server 2003 as a home server platform are forced to find other ways of centrally distributing media or to use an XP license, hardware (VM) and additional electricity to service WMP11 clients.

Prerequisites:

This article specifically discusses and assumes the following:

  • Windows Server 2003 / 2003 R2 SP2
  • Windows Media Player 11 – 11.0.5721.5145 (wmp11-windowsxp-x86-enu.exe published 1/15/2007)

Please Note: If the Windows Media Player 11 build is updated in the Microsoft Download Centre then the Service Pack 2 component of this article may no longer apply.

More Information:

Microsoft have made a conscious decision not to include Windows Media Player 11 in 2003, presumably as an added incentive to upgrade to Server 2008. However even Server 2008 fails to integrate the Media Library sharing components of WMP11 as Microsoft view the feature as not being of intrinsic use in corporate situations.

While Microsoft aren’t wrong here, and they (now) offer the Windows Home Server platform with this support, it isn’t something that I personally wish to look towards using having built a Server solution at home rom NT 4.0 onwards. As I have a domain environment at home and having a server infrastructure I have no desire to add a Windows XP system “server” into the mix just to support media sharing or to purchase Home Server.

As usual I have to wonder what goes through the heads of Microsoft development from time to time. For the sake of the 792 KB of entirely optional DLL files that are required to implement this – DLL’s that are being serviced anyway in the XP/XP64 (which is 2003 Server) and in Vista. You would have thought that adding it as an optional module wouldn’t be an unreasonable thought, however I digress.

The XP/Server 2003 code base is identical and as such the binary versions of WMP11 for Windows XP will run on Server 2003, unofficially.

This article outlines how to install Windows Media Player 11 and the system services necessary for Media Sharing using my nearly fully automated installation process.

Installing Windows Media Player 11 with SSDP & UPnP

This guide outlines how to install WMP11 on Server 2003. The process of getting Windows Media Player 11 onto Server 2003 is fairly simple, and I did start to investigate how to get the services working myself. While searching on Google for a fix for an error message I stumbled upon someone else’s fix for the services. So, not wanting to reinvent the wheel I abandoned my research and have used their process in my automation tool for installing the services for media sharing.

Credit for the process discovery for the system services goes to steven2004 of neowin.net.

If you need the User Mode Driver Framework for mobile device connectivity (e.g. Android), download version 1.0.2 (with thanks to kevin551 from Neowin for the variable tip) if you do not, use version 1.0.1. If you want to replace the default version of UMDF with the newer 1.9 release, see this page.

Please Note:

  1. This is not supported by Microsoft Corporation, Microsoft will not (and should not) be expected to support this
  2. After installing this on a server, Windows/Microsoft Update will no longer track updates for Windows Media Components, you will be responsible for doing this yourself
  3. Do not roll this out in a production environment, it’s one thing to do it on a box at home, quite another to do it in an enterprise environment; so for the sake of arguments, just don’t.

Download: Automatic Installer 1.0.1 (354 KB)
Download: Automatic Installer 1.0.2 (354 KB)

 

  1. Download my automatic installer
  2. Extract the installer files into a directory on your computer
  3. Download wmp11-windowsxp-x86-enu.exe into the SAME directory that you extracted my automated installer
  4. Run INSTALL.cmd
  5. The installer will stop with the following message on the screen:
  6. Open c:\wmp11\1\update\
  7. Right click update.exe
  8. Click properties
  9. Open the Compatibility Tab
  10. Check the box next to “Run this program in compatibility mode for:” and select Windows XP from the drop menu
  11. Click OK
  12. Repeat from step 7 for the version of update.exe found in C:\wmp11\2\update\
  13. Return to the INSTALL.cmd window and press any key to continue with the installation process
  14. Select the UPnP service when prompted by the wizard and click next. If prompted for a file path select c:\wmp11
  15. Finish the Wizard
  16. Restart your Server
  17. You will now be able to start and configure the SSDP and UPnP Services

Note: This process does not patch the WMP11 installation. You will no longer received Windows Media Player updates from Windows/Microsoft Update and will need to apply these patches manually.

If you do not have Windows Media Player 11 on your start menu at this point then you either:

  1. Failed to copy the wmp11-windowsxp-x86-enu.exe to the correct location
  2. You failed to set the update.exe files to Windows XP compatibility mode

Note: It has been suggested in some areas that you can edit the update.inf to change the require Operating System version information. If you do this, the CheckSum verification will fail at the beginning of the installation and WMP11 will not be installed. All Windows XP QFE files are digitally signed and therefore will fail to install if the hash check fails.

Updates

11/02/2013 – Added information on installing UMDF and version 1.0.2 of the install script.

Creating a Windows XP Service Pack 3 Integrated CD with Windows Media Player 11

C:Amie/ / Microsoft, Multimedia

System Requirements:

  • Windows XP Home Edition
  • Windows XP Professional Edition

The Problem:

This article discusses how to create a slipstreamed Windows XP SP3 CD with Windows Media Player 11 integrated into the install without the need for any third-party programs.

This article was written in response to my observing that there is a problem with the installation media generated from the creation of a Windows XP SP3 plus Windows Media Player 11 CD in some cases.

During the installation from XP SP3 slipstreamed media you may receive the following error message:

unregmp2.exe – Unable To Locate Component
This application has failed to start because WMDRMSDK.DLL was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problem.

unreg2mp.exe Error

This error message will appear at least 5 times during the setup. Once the system restarts to desktop Windows Media Player will not be included in the installed application list and will be missing from the start menu. The Windows Media Player executive will be missing from Program Files; effectively rendering your system Windows XP Home N / Windows XP Professional N.

It will also ruin any automation that you might like to have in your Windows XP installation!

Prerequisites:

This article specifically discusses and assumes the following:

  • Windows XP Home or Professional Edition
  • Windows XP SP3 RTM
  • Windows Media Player 11 – 11.0.5721.5145 (wmp11-windowsxp-x86-enu.exe published 1/15/2007)

Please Note: If the Windows Media Player 11 build is updated in the Microsoft Download Centre then the Service Pack 2 component of this article may no longer apply.

More Information:

The date on the Windows Media Player 11 installation is the problem. It was issued well before the release of SP3 in the beginning of May 2008. The installer binary is not SP3 aware and, when forced to integrate will fail to modify the required scripts for SP3 as technically speaking Windows sees it as a SP2 “patch”.

When the installer comes to setup Windows Media Player during install, it will find a broken module, error out (repeatedly) and ultimately fail to install the module; and yes, despite what Microsoft say, it is a module.

Windows Media Player, like an increasing number of things from Microsoft these days is distributed using the Microsoft QFE engine, as such the installer does contain the necessary information to perform a merged installation as it is essentially a patch.
While the deployment for Internet Explorer 7 is likewise in the QFE installer, sadly Microsoft made the conscious decision to disable the integration routine for IE7 – presumably as they originally wanted everyone to WGA Validate their systems before they could install IE7.

If you are interested in deploying Internet Explorer 7.0 from your integrated CD, please see my guide which can be found at the link below

View: Deploying Internet Explorer 7.0 from a Slipstreamed Windows XP CD

 

For the time being, the issue of the WMP11 installer only being aware of SP2 presents a problem to anyone looking to slipstream, but there is a pretty obvious workaround – step through SP2 first while you are slipstreaming!

You will need:

  • A Windows XP RTM, SP1, SP1a, SP2 CD
  • Windows XP SP2 : WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe : OR : Integrated XP SP2 CD to start from
  • Windows XP SP3 : WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU.exe : OR : xpsp3_5512.080413-2113_usa_x86fre_spcd.iso (Recommended)
  • Windows Media Player 11 : wmp11-windowsxp-x86-enu.exe

Obtain the necessary Windows Media Player 11 Patch Installers

The WMP redistributable itself is just a candy-wrapper for the installer, it in itself is simply a front end to the patch installers that run invisibly behind it when you perform an installation. You simply need to get at them yourself.

  1. Copy the wmp11-windowsxp-x86-enu.exe to the root of C Drive (i.e. C:\)
  2. Open a command prompt and type:
    c:\wmp11-windowsxp-x86-enu.exe /t:c:\wmp11-files\ /c
  3. Go into c:\wmp11-files\ and copy/move out the following files into a new folder called c:\qfe-updates\
    • umdf.exe
    • WindowsXP-MSCompPackV1-x86.exe
    • wmfdist11.exe
    • wmp11.exe
  4. You can now delete c:\wmp11-files\
  5. Rename the files as follows:
    • 0wmp11.exe
    • 1wmfdist11.exe
    • 2umdf.exe
    • 3WindowsXP-MSCompPackV1-x86.exe

Note: The reason why I had you rename the files with 0, 1, 2, 3 prefixes is so that if you automate the process, then WMP11 will be slipstreamed before any updates are applied. More importantly, from testing several failed builds, it appears that if wmp11.exe is not slipstreamed before the other updates then you will receive the following error message when you attempt to load Windows Media Player on the target system.

Wrong Windows Media Player Version

Create the Slipstream

The sequence that follows will guide you through creating a successful SP3+WMP11 CD which you can use to burn your own disc.

The process for this is pretty much routine and is well documented on-line, so I am not going to go into any detail over how to burn the image back to a bootable CD. I am assuming that you have a fair level of technical competence.

Check the Base CD Version

You need to know what the base Service Pack level is for the CD you are using. If you really are not sure then a good rule of thumb is to look at the root of the file listing on the CD.

If you see:

  • win51ic.SP1 or win51ip.SP1 then you have an XP SP1 CD
  • win51ic.SP2 or win51ip.SP2 then you have an XP SP2 CD
  • win51ic.SP3 or win51ip.SP3 then you have an XP SP3 CD and why are you following this guide?

If you do not see any of them, then you have a RTM CD.

 

If your DO NOT have a SP2 CD (i.e. RTM or SP1/SP1a/SP1b)
  1. Make the directory: c:\integrated
  2. Copy the ENTIRE contents of the CD to c:\integrated including all files and folders
  3. Put WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe on c:\
  4. Open a command prompt and type:
    c:\WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe /integrate:c:\integrated /passive
  5. Follow the wizard

You now have a SP2 base

 

If you DO have a SP2 CD
  1. Copy the ENTIRE contents of the CD to c:\integrated including all files and folders

You now have a SP2 base

Slipstream Windows Media Player 11

Once you have your c:\integrated base (which is by the virtue of you following the above already SP2) you can proceed

There are multiple ways of doing the slipstream, I have an automated way. This guide simply outlines the idiot proof way to do it. If you have a faster way, then be my guest.

It is advisable that you check a SP3 + Windows Media Player 11 manual install for any required WMP 11 updates (in fact any SP3 update that is in a MSQFE format can be applied in this way: see my ultra patched Windows 2000 SP4 guide for examples of what you can do). Simply download and slipstream the QFE’s using the same syntax.

At the time of writing the only one that is required is:

  • KB941569 (WindowsXP-KB941569-x86-ENU.EXE) for Windows Media Player 11 Format Runtime

Open a command session and issue the following commands:

c:\qfe-updates\0wmp11.exe /integrate:c:\integrated /passive
c:\qfe-updates\1wmfdist11.exe /integrate:c:\integrated /passive
c:\qfe-updates\2umdf.exe /integrate:c:\integrated /passive
c:\qfe-updates\3WindowsXP-MSCompPackV1-x86.exe /integrate:c:\integrated /passive

If you are slipstreaming the WMP11 Format Runtime update then:

c:\qfe-updates\WindowsXP-KB941569-x86-ENU.EXE /integrate:c:\integrated /passive

Slipstream Windows XP SP3

Now that Windows Media Player 11 is integrated into a SP2 source, you can safely update the source to Windows Media Player 11.

  1. Copy the WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-X86-ENU.EXE file to c:\ (the root of C Drive)
  2. Open a command prompt and issue the command:
    c:\WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-X86-ENU.EXE /integrate:c:\integrated /passive

You now have an integrated SP3 CD with Windows Media Player 11 on it – that will actually install and work!

Rounding off the CD before burning

If you remember at the beginning of this adventure, I suggested that you get hold of the xpsp3_5512.080413-2113_usa_x86fre_spcd.iso version of SP3 – well here is the reason.

This contains all the necessary updates for the

  • .net Framework CD installer
  • Home Networking Wizard
  • Files & Settings Transfer Wizard
  • Deployment Tools
  • ValueAdd folder & its contents

If the CD you started this process from was not Service Pack 1 or higher then once you slipstream the option to instaler forl the .net Framework from the CD’s autorun program will no longer work. If your CD was not produced after .net Framework 1.1 SP1 was released, then the framework version will not be SP1 and thus out of date.

The files on this CD can be used to update the ‘extras’ beneath Support and ValueAdd as well.

  1. ISO Mount or burn the xpsp3_5512.080413-2113_usa_x86fre_spcd.iso
  2. Open c:\integrated
  3. Delete the folder DOTNETFX
  4. From the xpsp3_5512.080413-2113_usa_x86fre_spcd.iso copy the following into c:\integrated:
    1. DOTNETFX
    2. SUPPORT
    3. VALUEADD
  5. Open c:\integrated\SUPPORT
  6. Delete the folder called SYMBOLS and all of its contents

Your CD is now production ready. Simply burn it with the requisite boot sector image using a compatible Disc burning package and you will be able to install integrated SP3 installations directly from the CD.

Tip: If you monitor Windows Update, then keep the deployment folders and every Patch Tuesday you can simply integrate the latest patches into the c:\integrated folder and if you burn that back to CD/CDRW you will have a CD that will install XP in a state that requires no significant patching what so ever!

Known issues

The following list outlines known issues that have been observed or reported as a result of following this process.

  1. This procedure is susceptible to failure caused by configuration anomalies, and is very reliant on the order of the process above taking place. I have tested the above method successfully using both XP Home Edition and XP Professional Edition, but I do strongly recommend that you burn to CD-RW and / or test using Microsoft Virtual PC / VMWare before you begin committing disc’s to single write media.
    Load it, and launch Windows Media Player, it is that simple a test.
  2. The Windows Media Player installation method used in the slipstream continues to expose the uninstaller for Windows Media Player 11 via the Add or Remove Programs applet in the Control Panel. If you run the uninstaller all the way through, nothing happens.If you want to get rid of the uninstaller from Add or Remove Programs, you must delete the following registry key:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\wmp11

    For the Windows Media Format Redist Uninstaller:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\WMFDist11

Installing Windows Media Player 9.0 Under Windows 98 First Edition

C:Amie/ / Microsoft, Multimedia

I have been using this one for forever and a day, yet I have never seen or heard od anyone else using it. I only thought of doucmenting it while I was completing the Windows Media Player 7.1 on Windows NT 4.0 article. This exemplifies the point of Microsoft introducing seemingly artificial limitations into its software.

Attempt to install Windows Media Player 9 under Windows 98 First Edition, and you will receive the following error message:

Windows Media 9 on 98 FE Error

The installer is actually looking for a SubVersion registry key (and a little more) under:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

You could substitute this string with ” A ” if you wanted to, however there is an even easier way to bypass it, simply skip the installer inflators OS check.

Pull up the location of MPSetup.exe into a command window:

  1. Click Start, chose Run
  2. Type CMD and click OK
  3. CD into the location where WMP can be found:
    e.g. cd Desktop
  4. Type:
    mpsetup.exe /t:c:\wmp9\
  5. Inflate the files wherever you would like them (desktop isn’t a great idea because there are a lot of them)
  6. manually run:
    setup_wm.exe
  7. Enjoy

WMP9 Setup

WMP9 a la Winows 98 FE

Simple as that!

Installing Windows Media Player 7.1 Under Windows NT 4.0 SP6a

C:Amie/ / Microsoft, Multimedia

It’s hypocrisy gone mad! Yes, I know. As the self professed leader of the Say No To 7 campaign, here I am about to show you how to install it onto something it was never meant for!
Well, one does like to fiddle.

 

Windows Media Player 7.1

The interesting thing about Microsoft, is their uncanny self-imposed need to artificially limiting their software products to conform to whatever marketing initiative they’re currently undertaking. This isn’t necessarily always a bad thing – it does force some level of forward progress. However, I do wonder how much end user adoption they have inhibited, and how large a slice of the security exploits pie such a policy has helped to create.

The the official system requirements for Windows Media Player 7.1 are as follows (Source):

Minimum

  • Microsoft Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows 2000, or Windows Millennium Edition
  • Pentium 166 megahertz (MHz) processor
  • 32 MB RAM
  • 28.8-kilobits per second (Kbps) modem
  • 16-bit sound card
  • 256-color video card

Recommended

  • Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows 2000, or Windows Millennium Edition
  • Pentium or AMD Athlon K6 266 MHz processor or faster
  • 64 MB RAM
  • 56-Kbps modem
  • 24-bit true colour video card

If you’re someone who takes such information as sacrosanct, then this might surprise you:

Windows Media Player 7.1 under Windows NT 4.0 SP6a

I would like to stress that the image is not a fake, it is a genuine Windows NT 4.0 Workstation screenshot. Neither is the process some sort of hack which would be seen as a breach of EULA terms by rewriting, hex-editing, decompiling or resource editing even a single binary digit of Microsoft code.

Though it was exceptionally time consuming to initially setup, the program runs on the Windows NT 4.0 kernel with no modifications, no special DLL’s ripped from any other version of Windows, and relies upon nothing more than the Windows Media Player 7.1 installer binary, and a fully patched Windows NT 4.0 installation.

You are probably wondering at this point why I’m fiddling with Windows Media Player 7.1, when there is a version 9 release out there just waiting to be converted down. Truth be told, I did try it. However, it loads with a Kernel related error and attempting to fix it goes too far plus, when all is said and done, I wasn’t going to spend that much time on this project.

 

NOTE: This has only been tested under Windows NT 4.0 Workstation SP6a on a Virtual PC Image, and has not been thoroughly tested in features or performance. It should however work with NT 4.0 Server and Advanced Server (it may not Terminal Server). Use at your own risk.

 

Installing

I have created a redistributable of the Windows Media Player 7.1, which will enable you to get it working in a few very short steps. If you are so inclined, you can inflate the installer yourself.

The binary download includes:

  • Windows Media Player 7.1
  • Adaptec CD Burning Plug-in (untested)
  • Windows Media Device Manager (untested)
  • All other installed components
  • Windows Media Player 7 Patches:
    1. Q308567 ASF Processor Contains Unchecked Buffer
    2. Q320920 Windows Media Player Rollup
    3. Q808226 Windows Media Player Script Commands Update
    4. Q817787 Flaw in Windows Media Player Skins Code Execution
    5. Q828026 Windows Media Player URL Script Command Update
  • Windows Media 7 ActiveX Control for Internet Explorer

 

Patch It Up

Step one in this plan is for you to fully patch NT 4.0. I recommend that you follow my guide, and get yourself the Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1 (with the shell update) from HPC:Factor or anyone else you care to source it from.

When I say patch it, I mean it. In full. If you don’t want to install Microsoft Internet Explorer, stop reading now and go and download WinAmp.

View: Windows NT 4.0 Installation, Patches & Updates Guide (HPC:Factor)

 

Download

The installation binary for Windows Media Player 7.1 for Windows NT is nothing fancy, just a zip file which you will need to drag into your own file system, and a bat file that you need to run yourself. There is no formal uninstaller, though it’s pretty easy to reverse engineer the bat file to clear out your system.

Download: (11.8 MB) wmp71-nt4.zip

 

Installation Procedure

Please be sure to read the following carefully!

  1. Inflate the zip file into a temporary folder
  2. Exit Windows Media Player, Internet Explorer and ideally all programs / tray applications
  3. Copy the Program Files over program files on your system drive. It’s safe to allow all overwrites*
  4. Copy the WinNT folder over your file system. READ all dialogue boxes. Do NOT overwrite new files with older ones
    e.g. If the file you already have is 23/03/2002 and the one you are copying is 02/04/1999 do not overwrite it
    If you say Yes to overwrite a system file and Windows tells you that it cannot perform the replacement action, ignore it
  5. If you wish to install ‘My Music’, copy the My Music folder into the My Documents (Personal) default profile, and then in turn into your user(s) profile(s)
  6. Run the Register.bat file
  7. Copy the Windows Media Player shortcut into your Start Menu, desktop, quick launch (as desired)
  8. Installation is now complete

 

* Back up your system registry before running this update