How to Repair Windows Media Player Soundcard Problems

Because Windows Media Player is the default media player on all Windows operating systems, PC users experience a myriad of problems with the program in accordance with their system, hard drive, registry, or hardware.  One problem that is often run into with Windows Media Player is problems with the soundcard, in which case you cannot hear the music or sound files to videos on Windows Media Player.  In this article, you will learn how to troubleshoot and hopefully repair Windows Media Player soundcard problems.

Checking for Sound Devices

A first and important step to diagnosing and solving your Windows Media Player soundcard problems is to make sure that you have a sound device installed on your PC.  If you don’t have one, just install one.  Usually Windows will automatically detect the new hardware and install the software drivers, but if not, run the Add Hardware Wizard by going to Start > Control Panel > Add Hardware.

Use of Sound Device

Are you running other programs while running Windows Media Player?  If so, the other program may be using the sound device also, and that prevents Windows Media Player from accessing it.  Close all other programs so that Windows Media Player is the only one running and try to play a file again.

Corrupt Software Drivers?

Corrupt software drivers are not always detected on your PC, and thus you are sometimes not alerted or aware that there is a problem.  Try reinstalling the most recent software driver for your sound device.  You can do this by scanning updates on the Windows Update website or going to the sound device manufacturer’s website.

DirectX Problems

If you have an old version of Microsoft DirectX on your PC, it may be incompatible with the updated versions of the hardware features on your sound device.  You can eliminate this problem or option by going to the DirectX web page and installing the most current version.

Sound Device Troubleshooter

If you are still experiencing problems listening to media on your Windows Media Player, try opening the program, going to Tools > Options and clicking on the “Speakers” tab and selecting Advanced.  Choose the Hardware tab and select Troubleshooting after you’ve selected the proper hardware for your PC.  This will take you through several other options and help you figure out the problem with Windows Media Player.