Downgrade Windows Media Player 12 to WMP 11 on Windows 7
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Windows 7 has got lots of new goodies like, several visual enhancements, new taskbar aka superbar, Taskbar Thumbnail Preview, Windows Media player 12, DirectX 11 etc. I am sure everyone will not like all these new features for e.g some one may find uncomfortable with latest windows media player 12 visual changes.
If you are one such user, unconformable with WMP 12 then here is the way to downgrade your Windows 7 WMP 12 to Window Media player 11. Thanks to Lord Devrexster of Winmatrix forum who has made Windows Media Player 11 installer for Windows 7.
How to Downgrade Windows Media Player 12 to Windows Media Player 11 on Windows 7
1. Download Windows Media Player 11 Installer for Windows 7
2. Now Type services.msc on windows 7 search bar
3. Stop Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service.
4. Take Ownership of following files
All files in “Program Files\Windows Media Player\” folder
All files starting with “wmp” in System32 folder
wmploc.dll.mui in “Sytem32\en-us\” folder
5. Now Run Windows Media Player 11 Installer
6. Now type Regedit on Start Menu Search bar
7. Delete following Registry key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Setup\Installed Versions“
(Don’t forget to take Backup of Registry before modifying/editing/deleting any registry key)
8. Reboot your Windows 7
Screenshot of Windows Media Player 11 in Widows 7 (Media Player Gadget)
Please Note : We will not be responsible if you damage your Windows 7 with above information. Do it at your own risk. We have not created or nor host any files for download here.
Reader Comments
don’t work !!!
I don’t think that some one will unlike the new visual changes in WMP 12 to the extent of downgrading it.
BTW, nice one if there are some existing.
this is fake. snapshot also not win7. its vista
@axis : it works, it’s win7 and you have messed up something…I’ve ported WMP11 from my x64 to my Win7 x64 and it works..
Its works with me, build 7022
nice worked, was quick and easy, i like how its seethrough instead of black! looks just like it fits in!
How do you then install the DRM upgrade required by certain programs such as 4OD?
Using the x86 installer that basically makes this one key click discussed at http://www.joejoe.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=18633&st=0
I edited it so it auto detects and installs on both x86 and x64, removed the backup, removed some unneeded files and fixed the admin check failed bug on x64 machines. I couldn’t get the taskbar toolbar to work correctly in x64.
If anyone is interested I’ve uploaded it to: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?1kwtkmz22iz
Many thanks to all involved
i would like to recieve windows media player skins, as i am a big fan of this product…
How do we return to WMP12 after changing down to WMP11? RC 7100 btw.
I need to downgrade because boneheaded MS changed WMP12 so that it doesn’t allow advanced tag editing on files. I’ve been editing the metadata, but that’s stupid, so I’m going back to WMP11…..
I agree that the tag editing change is terrible. If WMP12 mistags information — and I have had a lot of problems with just a few tests — it is difficult and cumbersome to correct it. For instance, I have yet to find a way to change the genre of all songs in an album if the album is mislabled. In WMP11, you can select all tracks, right click, advanced tag editor, and make that change. In WMP you can’t even directly edit genre as far as I can tell. You have to actually go to the file itself in explorer, do properties, and correct that information. WMP12 sometimes is unresponsive when I try to click on titles and artists and change them, I have also had it automatically split albums apart for some reason. And if the album artist, performing/contributing artist, and composer information is intermixed? ARGH.
No, WMP12 is BAD.
Plz include in the Instructions file that:
Finally, go to C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player, right click wmplayer.exe, and in the details tab copy the “Product Version” (eg in my pc it’s 11.0.6000.6324). Then open regedit again, open “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\PlayerUpgrade\PlayerVersion”, and replace the value with the one you copied before, but where you see dots, replace them with commas. I had to do this in order to use WMP 11 in windows 7.
@Stefanos, This is easier:
Go here:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Setup
And remove the ‘folder’ in there called “Current Version”.
Good works like a charm. Windows Media Player wouldn’t add all my songs to the library, WMP 11 does, best WMP.
When I take ownership over all the files in media player i can’t install wmp11, should i erase the files or just take ownership?
Would like to read a more specific guide thanks!
great work anyways hate wmp12
Don’t work with win 7 ultimate RTM
gzz
Can you use miniplayer in Windows 7, after you have downgraded from WMP 12 to 11?
Can you tell me how to change Ownership in Windows 7 Ultimate? I’m following these directions, but it’s not working (http://www.winmatrix.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=13157). PLEASE HELP
It works I also used the a windows 7 skin after turning it back to wmp11
http://bogo-d.deviantart.com/art/7-for-Windows-Media-Player-11-105796300
and it looks so much better than wmp12 but still looks like it belongs in windows 7
Thank You
Have been looking at retail versions of W7. I wonder if buying an ‘N’ version will avoid having to go to the trouble of un-installing WMP12 before installing WMP11 ? Presumable the ‘N’ versions still allow you to install WMP if you choose even they they do not bundle it in.
this process does not work with the RC build. I have taken over permission of all of the required files, and the wmp11 installer tells me that
“an error occurres while trying to copy a file” and then lists all of the files in c:\program files\windows media player\en-US\