Patch in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update Removes Windows Media Player

monkeymagick

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Betanews reports that testers installing update KB4046355 removes Windows Media Player on WIndows 10 Fall Creators Update. This could possibly be one of the many features that the company plans to "remove" and "deprecate." Although the company has yet to respond officially, Microsoft still plans to release Windows 10 Fall Creators Update on October 17.

Users can still reinstall the program through Apps>Apps & Features in the settings menu.

While it could be argued that Windows Media Player is no longer an essential addition to Windows -- there are plenty of quality third-party alternatives, such as VLC Media Player, not to mention the Films & TV app in Windows 10 itself -- many users still rely on it.
 
Windows lifecycle factsheet:

** Applies to Windows 10 Home, Pro, Education and Enterprise editions. Windows 10 Mobile and Mobile Enterprise editions have no extended support period. All Windows 10 editions are managed via the Windows as a Service (WaaS) model: Updates are cumulative, with each update built upon all of the updates that preceded it. A device needs to install the latest update to remain supported. Updates may include new features, fixes (security and/or non-security), or a combination of both. Not all features in an update will work on all devices. A device may not be able to receive updates if the device hardware is incompatible, lacking current drivers, or otherwise outside of the Original Equipment Manufacturer’s (“OEM”) support period. Update availability may vary, for example by country, region, network connectivity, mobile operator (e.g., for cellular-capable devices), or hardware capabilities (including, e.g., free disk space). For more information, see the Microsoft Lifecycle FAQ. For the latest on Windows 10 releases, see Windows 10 release information.

Please, anyone, am I being dense? Where does it say they can remove features?
 
Windows lifecycle factsheet:

** Applies to Windows 10 Home, Pro, Education and Enterprise editions. Windows 10 Mobile and Mobile Enterprise editions have no extended support period. All Windows 10 editions are managed via the Windows as a Service (WaaS) model: Updates are cumulative, with each update built upon all of the updates that preceded it. A device needs to install the latest update to remain supported. Updates may include new features, fixes (security and/or non-security), or a combination of both. Not all features in an update will work on all devices. A device may not be able to receive updates if the device hardware is incompatible, lacking current drivers, or otherwise outside of the Original Equipment Manufacturer’s (“OEM”) support period. Update availability may vary, for example by country, region, network connectivity, mobile operator (e.g., for cellular-capable devices), or hardware capabilities (including, e.g., free disk space). For more information, see the Microsoft Lifecycle FAQ. For the latest on Windows 10 releases, see Windows 10 release information.

Please, anyone, am I being dense? Where does it say they can remove features?

it's just being moved to an optional install which makes me wonder if there's behind doors pressure from the EU anti-competitive bs they've been pulling. or it could have something to do with the statistic collection showing that there are far less people using WMP. either way i don't have a problem with it since i use MPC-HC as my default media player.
 
it's just being moved to an optional install which makes me wonder if there's behind doors pressure from the EU anti-competitive bs they've been pulling. or it could have something to do with the statistic collection showing that there are far less people using WMP. either way i don't have a problem with it since i use MPC-HC as my default media player.

Thanks. Yeah we won't have an issue, I too do not use WMP, but I see it being used as the default player by various noobish clients and co-workers of mine. Oh well, moneys incoming :)

I hope they won't invoke the line right after the one I underlined - that some updates (in this case the optional WMP) will not install on certain hardware configs. If WMP needs/wants/uses HW acceleration, this could be their excuse.

On this side of the pond I have not heard any news about the EU coming after the WMP like they did with IE.
 
I'm still upset about keyboard shortcuts being removed (ctrl+alt+X, x being whatever key you assign). The way I used my computer was completely upended when they did that. Dicks...
 
It's their OS, not yours, it's their product, not yours, and they can do basically whatever they damned well please with it. People still don't understand this? :confused:

I get that, it's even stated in my favourite reference (lifecycle factshit). But. It's like going to the barber shop and asking for a mullet every time but having to first compare your picture of a mullet with their picture of what a mullet looks like.
 
It's their OS, not yours, it's their product, not yours, and they can do basically whatever they damned well please with it. People still don't understand this? :confused:

Nope, that shill shit doesn't fly. It's what people use on their computers, they don't own it, they license it to the user on terms for functionality at the time of agreement.

What people don't understand is the damn end game. An os that comes with nothing but the start icon and you have to install everything you want, but third party is not an option, store only. Think that's crazy? Look at the ground work that is here right now for that.
 
either way i don't have a problem with it since i use MPC-HC as my default media player.

MPC-HC is no longer in active development as of v1.7.13 back in July.

Kinda sad, MPC-HC was one of the few applications I missed when I ditched Windows for Linux Mint last year, VLC works fine but MPC-HC had more options and shaders.
 
win10.jpg
 
MPC-HC is no longer in active development as of v1.7.13 back in July.

Kinda sad, MPC-HC was one of the few applications I missed when I ditched Windows for Linux Mint last year, VLC works fine but MPC-HC had more options and shaders.

mpc-hc hasn't been in active development for years.. the only thing he was really updating was the LAV filters and a few others, all of which you've been able to manually download and install since before MPC was released. so while the core application is no longer being updated it doesn't mean it's no longer relevant.
 
Haven't used WMP since 10 came out. For things not compatible with the Movies & TV app I use MPC-HC.
 
WMP has been this annoying thing that tries to hijack my preferred file app settings for years. God how I've loathed this thing since '98 days. We could easily make a thread on the many, many, programs that do its job better and easier to use.

Good riddance WMP.

On the other hand, no I don't like the approach MS is taking with Windows. This is a life-cycle issue. Removing old and adding new. Problem is we don't have choices with it. Like they brand it now, it's a service but they choose how we serve it.
 
As much as the practice rubs me the wrong way - at least give me the option you know - I do agree that third party software is out there that's free and way better than what comes out of the box.
 
The thing people missed about WMP was that for a long time, it was by far the easiest way to get TV listings for free (think about people with HTPCs who don't have cable boxes and DVRs). Microsoft already killed that feature by not updating that online database anymore. Try setting up a software based DVR now without paying a subscription for TV listings - good luck.

Them removing the program will get the press, but they killed the product years ago already.
 
Windows lifecycle factsheet:

** Applies to Windows 10 Home, Pro, Education and Enterprise editions. Windows 10 Mobile and Mobile Enterprise editions have no extended support period. All Windows 10 editions are managed via the Windows as a Service (WaaS) model: Updates are cumulative, with each update built upon all of the updates that preceded it. A device needs to install the latest update to remain supported. Updates may include new features, fixes (security and/or non-security), or a combination of both. Not all features in an update will work on all devices. A device may not be able to receive updates if the device hardware is incompatible, lacking current drivers, or otherwise outside of the Original Equipment Manufacturer’s (“OEM”) support period. Update availability may vary, for example by country, region, network connectivity, mobile operator (e.g., for cellular-capable devices), or hardware capabilities (including, e.g., free disk space). For more information, see the Microsoft Lifecycle FAQ. For the latest on Windows 10 releases, see Windows 10 release information.

Please, anyone, am I being dense? Where does it say they can remove features?

This is still bullshit, in our corporate environment people listen to their voicemails through their computer since they're delivered in email form and we use WMP for that purpose. I hate having to assign Groove to play audio because when that happened, a bunch of people became confused with all the stuff on the screen. Hopefully there is an option before deploying this that prevents WMP from being removed because I don't want to have to do this manually for everyone and/or resort to using Groove or some other player.
 
And only just now did I realize we’re talking about player not media center (no posting prior to coffee from now on).

That’s messed up Microsoft.
 
I don't mind the UI for WMP, but it's awful at playing movies/videos. I'd rather see an update (not that Groove/Movies nonsense) rather than dropping it. I use Classic-HC, but it might be nice if Microsoft would just update their program for the people that still use WMP.
 
This is still bullshit, in our corporate environment people listen to their voicemails through their computer since they're delivered in email form and we use WMP for that purpose. I hate having to assign Groove to play audio because when that happened, a bunch of people became confused with all the stuff on the screen. Hopefully there is an option before deploying this that prevents WMP from being removed because I don't want to have to do this manually for everyone and/or resort to using Groove or some other player.
They already announced that they are killing off groove as well.....so you might be screwed.
 
They already announced that they are killing off groove as well.....so you might be screwed.

I can only hope that for Enterprise customers there will be a policy in place to block the removal of WMP. If the option is there to re-install it, then for Enterprise customers they should give the option to not remove it in the first place.
 
About the only real use I get out of WMP is quick-ripping my audio CD's to 320kbps MP3s so I can load them on a USB flash drive to play in my car...
 
Well, I have looked and yep, it is no longer there. (I am running build 16299.15, which is the FCU build.) I never even noticed which shows just how little I even used it.
 
They already announced that they are killing off groove as well.....so you might be screwed.

No, they killed off the streaming service, not the app itself. That is not going anywhere and works fine, the controls are on the bottom of the window when a file is being played.
 
it's just being moved to an optional install which makes me wonder if there's behind doors pressure from the EU anti-competitive bs they've been pulling. or it could have something to do with the statistic collection showing that there are far less people using WMP. either way i don't have a problem with it since i use MPC-HC as my default media player.

Well, I looked through the add or remove windows features and did not see it. Any idea where you can install it from if it is needed? Also, I went online and it says WMP is not compatible with Windows 10 FCU: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/windows-media-player-details.aspx
 
Some programs (like Sony's PS4 streaming app) actually require that WMP be installed or they won't even install on your system. I have to re-activate it every time Sony updates their software.
 
Paint, Windows Media Player...what's next on the removal list- Notepad?

Dear god people. Paint was going away because they replaced it with a different application with more functionality.

Media player is becoming optional because they introduced groove and "movies & TV" as their audio and video players respectively. They have integration into their monetized channels. You will still be able to download most video fromats out of the box, click on them, and have stuff play. There will not be some island of lost noobs who won't be able to play sound or video files.
 
No, they killed off the streaming service, not the app itself. That is not going anywhere and works fine, the controls are on the bottom of the window when a file is being played.
Ahh thats right I do remember that now....well they killed the music portion (streaming and purchasing).
 
Dear god people. Paint was going away because they replaced it with a different application with more functionality.

Media player is becoming optional because they introduced groove and "movies & TV" as their audio and video players respectively. They have integration into their monetized channels. You will still be able to download most video fromats out of the box, click on them, and have stuff play. There will not be some island of lost noobs who won't be able to play sound or video files.

"They introduced Groove". Actually they just killed Groove.

The crappy, not-even-good-enough-for-phones apps they've been overwriting proven, long time Win32 utilities with have not had "more functionality" or even been an improvement. That's the whole problem.

UWP(WinRT10) is too weak to replace Win32 programs 1:1, and now that they finally admitted what was obvious to most of us years ago - that windows mobile is abandoned - there's no more reason for UWP apps to exist, let alone to torture desktop users with functional inequivalent programs.
 
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There will not be some island of lost noobs who won't be able to play sound or video files.

You obviously don't have a job supporting corporate users.
Even a changing in how a menu looks can trigger a huge increase in support calls.
 
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