How to Troubleshoot Streaming Video in Windows Media Player 11

As technology progresses, computers tend to freeze and have more glitches. The advanced media sharing capabilities of Windows Media Player 11 is one of the prime features of Windows Vista and allows users an interface in which they can combine their video library with streaming video from other PCs on the network and/or the internet. Occasionally, issues may arise with the software, which is when this Windows Media Player Trouble Shooting tutorial comes in handy.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Windows Media Player running on desktop
• Latest version of Internet Explorer (May also run Mozilla Firefox, Avant Browser, or Safari)
• Internet connection

Troubleshooting Streaming Video and Media Sharing

1. Without an internet connection, you will not be able to access the Windows Media Player Media Guide. If you are unable to connect to the internet, disable and restart the internet service. Restart Windows Media Player.

2. Locate the "Library" tab. Scroll to "Media Sharing" option and be sure the "Find Media that others are sharing" box is checked. Click "Allow" and you will be set up to stream video from other PCs on the network. Click on the "Networking" tab and ensure that the "Media Sharing" option is turned on (highlighted in green).

3. Adjust your firewall settings. Ensure that the following ports are open: 554, 8554-8558, 5004-5005, 50004-50013, 1900, 2869, 10280-10284, 10243, 2177. Ports should open automatically once media sharing has been enabled. Ports must be open on all Firewalls (e.g. Windows Firewall and Norton Antivirus).

4. Another form of streaming video is through the internet. If you are receiving error messages such as "Page Cannot be Found," open internet browser. Go to "Tools," then click on "Internet Options". Select "Connection." Open "LAN settings" tab and make sure that the "Automatically Detect Settings" box is checked.

5. Download the codecs for Windows Media Player 11 support. If all else fails, contact your Internet Service Provider to confirm the status of your internet service and reboot the system to Factory Default settings. Be sure to back up the hard drive prior to restoring system.

Tips & Warnings

• your Internet Service Provider will occasionally run tests in your region, resulting in a temporary loss of internet service.
• Restoring to Factory Default without backing up your hard drive will result in loss of any information on your hard disk. Restoration does not guarantee a solution to Windows Media Player 11 streaming video problems and it may take up to several hours to complete, depending on the model of the PC.

Resources

• Windows Media Player 11 Home Page