Understanding WM Issues
Common Problems Opening WM Files
Microsoft Windows Media Player Not Present
When you double-click your WM file, you may see a dialog box from your operating system stating that it "Cannot Open This File Type". Generally, this is experienced in %%os%% because Microsoft Windows Media Player isn't installed on your PC. The typical path of opening your WM with a double-click won't work because %%os%% cannot make the program connection.
Tip: If you don't have Microsoft Windows Media Player installed, and you know of another program to open your WM file, you can try opening it by selecting from the programs listed under "Show Apps".
Microsoft Windows Media Player is Out-of-Date
In other instances, your Windows Media File file version may not be supported by your version of Microsoft Windows Media Player. Installing the latest version of Microsoft Windows Media Player from Microsoft Corporation is recommended. Your Windows Media File file was probably created by a newer release of Microsoft Windows Media Player than what's currently installed your computer.
Tip: You can sometimes get hints about the right program version by right-clicking on the WM file, selecting "Properties", and looking at the version information.
Ultimately, most of the difficulties opening WM files are due to having the wrong version of Microsoft Windows Media Player installed.
Other WM File Opening Causes
Although you might already have Microsoft Windows Media Player or another WM-associated software installed on your computer, you can still encounter problems opening Windows Media File files. If you are still having problems opening WM files, there may be other issues that are preventing you from opening these files. Additional factors include:
- Invalid WM file references in the Windows Registry (the "phonebook" of the Windows Operating System)
- The WM file description within the Windows Registry was removed
- Invalid installation of a WM-associated program (eg. Microsoft Windows Media Player)
- Something has caused file corruption of your WM
- The WM is infected with a virus
- WM-related hardware has device drivers that obsolete
- Your PC doesn’t have enough available resources to open the Windows Media File file
Poll: How many different computer files (eg. documents, videos, audio) do you typically view or edit on a daily basis?