Assessing The Non-Default x64 WMP

I wasn't aware that there was a x64 version of WMP, until I read mention of it in the information for installing the x64 add on of the Shark007 codec pack. I found a page instructing how to set it as the default player:

How to Set 64-Bit Windows Media Player 12 (WMP12) As Default Player » My Digital Life

But I don't want to do that, until I assess the impact that the statement regarding compatibility would have for me. Yet, when I search, there only appears to be a single version of it, and it is the x32 version.

Is there a way to test run the x64 version, without committing one's self all the way?

You are right...thanks. The fact that when I did a search from the Start Menu only showed one instance of it threw me. I guess that it only shows the one set at default. I'm not sure that it will matter much though, because it keeps crashing before it finishes updating it's library. I'll keep tinkering with it some, and see if the wrinkles will smooth out.

I've got a fairly good size video library, and it does take a while to finish. After a crash, it seems to have to start over from scratch, so I'm unsure if it will ever finish.

On the Config TAB of the Shark007 64bit Settings Application is a singleclick selection to set either the 64bit or the 32bit WMP as the systems default player.

I suggest you leave the 32bit player as default.

Shark007,

I had postponed your suggestion regarding reinstalling the codec, because I found some other things that seemed to fix the problem, but since I felt that I should do so anyway as a matter of SOP, I just searched Programs And Features, and couldn't find the codec listed. When I didn't find an uninstaller in the Start Menu, I checked in the codec's program folder. I found an uninstaller for the x64 installation, but not one for the x32. I suppose that I could use Revo for that, but I wanted to check with you first, before proceeding.

Revo will screw up and leave you in a total mess.
Open the Settings Application, go to the Help TAB. press UNINSTALL.

Hmm, I guess that I should have well enough alone, because now that I reinstalled your codec in the manner that you described, PowerDVD is no longer able to play any movies via it's interface with MCE. When I deselected PowerDVD as the player, MCE is still not able to play anything, because when I try to do so, I get prolonged CPU activity coming from WMP, but WMP never displays itself.

I noticed that when I selected the box to use your suggested settings, it stated that all formats were set to use WMP as default, but when I select a movie file directly from the file manager, VLC opens and plays the movie, just as it did before. I'm gettting mixed messages from everything that doesn't make any sense to me. I really don't care what MCE uses as the default player, so long as it work as it should. Some how, either I'm doing something wrong, or the codec is not working as it should. Of course, I really can't say that is true, because things weren't right before I installed it.

I realize that it would be difficult for anyone to provide a rock solid solution to all of this from a remote location, but can you look into your crystal ball and see anything in focus.

1st thing to do is to uninstall my software using the button provided on the help tab.
Then go to Control Panel | Programs and features, uninstall VLC, powerdvd, and anything else that may be codec related such as Matroskasplitter, Haali, FFDshow, DivX, Xvid, etc, etc, etc

reboot your system.

Install the Shark007 Win7codecs. Open the settings app and press the button to associate filetypes to the Windows players.

If you want to use PowerDVD, install it after my codecs.

These instructions should get most of your stuff playing.