Troubleshoot WMS Files
Issues Opening WMS Files
Microsoft Windows Media Player Isn't There
If you attempt to load your WMS file, you experience a message such as "Can't Open WMS Files". If this is the case, it's usually due to the fact that you do not have Microsoft Windows Media Player for %%os%% installed on your computer. The OS won't know what to do with your WMS file, so double-clicking to load the file doesn't work.
Tip: If you know of another program that can open your WMS file, you can try opening it by selecting the application from the programs listed.
Obsolete Version of Microsoft Windows Media Player
Occasionally, you might have an outdated version of Microsoft Windows Media Player installed that's incompatible with your Windows Media Skin type. Visit the Microsoft Corporation website to download (or purchase) the latest version of Microsoft Windows Media Player. This issue mainly occurs when your Windows Media Skin file was created by a newer version of Microsoft Windows Media Player than you have on your PC.
Tip: You can sometimes get hints about the right program version by right-clicking on the WMS file, selecting "Properties", and looking at the version information.
Primarily, problems experienced when opening WMS files are due to having the incorrect version of Microsoft Windows Media Player installed on your computer.
Additional WMS Opening Issues
Errors opening Windows Media Skin files can still occur even with the latest Microsoft Windows Media Player software installed on your computer. If you're still experiencing problems opening WMS files, there could be other computer problems. These other problems include (listed in order from most to least common):
- Invalid WMS file references in the Windows Registry (the "phonebook" of the Windows Operating System)
- Deletion of the WMS file description from the Registry by mistake
- Defective install of a WMS program, such as Microsoft Windows Media Player
- Your WMS can't be loaded properly (file corruption)
- The WMS is infected with a virus
- Device drivers for WMS-related hardware are out-of-date
- Your computer does not have the adequate system resources to open the Windows Media Skin format
Poll: How many different computer files (eg. documents, videos, audio) do you typically view or edit on a daily basis?