How to Uninstall Windows Media Player 11
Written under Technology Buzz on Saturday, 17th June 2006 . Jump to Comments
Usually most of the software you install has an uninstall option in the program menu from where you can easily uninstall the software, but with some softwares like Windows Media Player 11 and Internet Explorer 7 it is not the case.
Recently one of my readers asked me how to uninstall the Windows Media Player 11, which in itself is not a straight forward task as it is does not have an uninstall option present unlinke most of the other softwares.
Performing the steps listed below you can remove any Windows Software updates that have been installed on your computer, including Internet Explorer 7 and any other updates.
Its a quite simple process and do this you will have to open the Add / remove program option from Control Panel.
Once you are in the Add / Remove Program section you will see a list of programs that have been installed on your computer.
In the top section of the Add / Remove program section you will see a small check box saying Show updates click on that as shown in the screen shot below.

Once you have clicked on that scroll down till you see Windows XP - Software Updates.
Under that remove anything that is related to the Windows media player 11 and you will have successfully uninstalled Windows Media Player 11.
You will also find the Internet Explorer Beta 7 and various other updates installed by Windows Update and uninstall it using the same steps.
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(27 votes, average: 3.33 out of 5)
THANK FOR LETTING MEHOW TO UNINSTALL MEDIA PLAYER 1 I THINK IT SUCKS BECAKS IT SCREWS EVERYTHING UP
I removed the media player on a wrong way… I just removed the icon, and now I can`t get rid of the other files and I can`t install it again:S
Can some body help me?
Hat’s off To whoever found this solution….. to uninstall the Windows Media Player 11….. and Internet Explorer 7.
I racked my head for 3 days and searched many tech websites and forums but could not find the solution…. I may have skipped your website but today on 23rd June 2006…. I happened to see this and was thrilled…. Thanks buddy….
Regards,
Sony Joseph
Great to know that you found a solution to your woes from this site.
I am glad to be of help.
Keep visiting back for more such interesting things.
Thanks
Techie
Like the look of Windows Media Player 11 but soon found out it did not support my “online stores” and was therefore unable to download any music tracks. This is of course the BETA version so hopefully the full version will soon be out !
Cool this is good stuff…for whatever reason pcmark05 doesnt like media player 11
Thanks for the help. Media Player 11 sucks!
Thanks for the find, but mine Fails to roll back… thanks MS…
I have tried everything to uninstall WMP 11. Nothing works…it won’t roll back to 10. WMP 11 also plays videos from CNN and ESPN, which use the WMP format, upside down.
Hi scott,
Thanks I hope to help in future too.
Howard,
Glad to be of some help to you.
Joedy,
Too sad you could not get rid of it, maybe I can help you if you want.
I have tried to uninstall the way you said, but it says that it has rolled back to the previous version succesfully but when I click on the icon for media player nothing happens and when I try to install media player 10 it says it cant because ther is a newer version on the computer, I have tried restarting and all that, but no matter how many times it says it rolled back the version nothing seems to change except I cant access the player without reinstalling media player 11.
I need media player 10 because 11 screws around with my iRiver MPC.
if you fail to unisnatll wmp11 (rollback to the previous version of wmp) please try the following solution if all other solutions given above fails….. but note this might even take u back to wmp9 (original wmp that comes with winxp).. then u might need to re-install wmp10 again if that’s what u want…
I tried every possible solution that was give in all the sites….. maybe there are even tools which i might have not come across… but the following worked for me… so i hope it will work for u too
GOTO ->
C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstallwmp11$\spuninst\spuninst.exe
after the rollback is complete… a restart might be required… then afterwards…
C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstallWMFDist11$\spuninst\spuninst.exe
again a reatart might be needed….
good luck all!
No warranties express or implied with this solution. Try at you own risk.
the files
C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstallwmp11$\spuninst\spuninst.exe
and
C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstallWMFDist11$\spuninst\spuninst.exe
don’t seem to exist on my computer to get rid of this BLEEPING program.
yeahh i have the same exact problem as Ashley…sumone help pleeeez!
This is what microsoft suggests:
Rolling back to a previous version of the Player
Windows Media Player is a feature of the Windows operating system and cannot be removed entirely. However, in Windows XP, you can roll back to the version of the Player that was previously on your computer.
You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group to perform the following procedure.
1.
Disconnect any portable music or video devices that might be attached to your computer.
For more information, see Issues with devices after removing Windows Media Player.
2.
In Category View of Control Panel, click Add or Remove Programs, and then click Remove a program.
3.
At the top of the list, select the Show updates check box.
4.
In the Windows XP - Software Updates section, click Windows Media Player 11, and then click Change/Remove.
5.
In each of the two confirmation dialog boxes that appear, click OK.
6.
When the rollback process is complete (it might take several minutes to complete), click Restart.
7.
In Category View of Control Panel, click Add or Remove Programs, and then click Remove a program.
8.
At the top of the list, select the Show updates check box.
9.
In the Windows XP - Software Updates section, click Windows Media Format 11 Runtime, and then click Change/Remove.
If you installed a non-US English version of Windows Media Player 11, the instructions in the dialog boxes that are mentioned in steps 9, 10, and 11 might appear in English.
10.
In the first confirmation dialog box that appears, click OK.
11.
In the second confirmation dialog box that appears, select the Do you want to continue with the rollback? check box, and then click OK.
12.
When the rollback process is complete (it might take several minutes to complete), click Restart.
13.
In Category View of Control Panel, click Add or Remove Programs, and then click Remove a program.
14.
Click Microsoft User-Mode Driver Frameworks Feature Pack 1.0, and then click Remove.
15.
Follow the instructions that appear in the Software Update Removal Wizard.
If the Wudf01000 confirmation dialog box appears, click Yes to continue. When the software removal process is complete (it might take several minutes to complete), click Finish.
Note If you remove Windows Media Player 11 and the Windows Media Format 11 Runtime, and then encounter error C00D271D (”A problem has occurred in the Digital Rights Management component. Contact Microsoft product support.”), you might be able to resolve the problem by installing the Windows Media Format 9.5 Runtime. For information about installing the Runtime, in the Microsoft Knowledge Base, see article 891122, “Update for Windows Media Digital Rights Management-enabled players.”
You might not be able to roll back to a previous version of the Player if the hidden folder $NtUninstallwmp11$ is deleted from your computer. Some non-Microsoft programs (such as CCleaner) delete this folder in an attempt to remove unwanted files from your computer.
Hi all,
I’m hoping someone has an answer for my problem. Not the personal ones.
Ever since I installed media 11 my colors are all messed up. Everything is highly saturated with red. Even DVDs that I play via PowerDVD are overly red. Worth mentioning is that I never had a problem with version 10. Serves me right to try a beta from MS!
Like many here I’ve tried to uninstall version 11 to no avail. My next step to start poking in the registry.
Any thoughs other than reinstall XP? Please…
Thank you.
Sam
i thought i was getting a good deal but i found out i was sooooooo.. wrong thank you very much for showing me how to get rid of this version i hope nobady else is as jumpy as me to get rid of thier 10 version.
thank you sooooo much….media player SUKS. had soo many problems. thank for the tip
I tried for over two weeks to uninstall windows media 11 from my computer. I went to many different web sites to try to find out how to do this. On my own I found out the best way to do this is to go to safe mode. Once you are in safe mode you can go to my computer and then to C drive. Once there click programs and find windows media and delete it. You might also go to search and type in windows media and then delete what ever comes up there. People this really works just try it. If you have questions just write me and maybe I can help you through this.
I tried this method of going in through safe mode and simply deleting Media Player. Worked like a charm! Thanks a lot, Rob. It would have never occurred to me to try it this way. I would have kept on trying and getting my blood pressure up to the boiling point ’til I just exploded and left my wife to clean up the mess! She thanks you, too, btw.
I tried and it seems I got rid of WMP11. But then I can’t install WMP10?
It says that it’s not compatible with my OS. I have ordinary XP and I’m trying to install WMP10 for XP. What can be wrong?
FANTASTIC!!!! windows media 11 was about to drive me to compter mayhem. Thanks for your help in removing Media 11. I’m sure when it is ready for the market it will be great like the media 10.
Thanks again, Bud
Be Blessed
Thanks for the information to uninstall WMP11 with right screen shots.It works.
regards,
Suryakant Nayak
Hi Thanks so much, MP 11 really sucks and cause alot problems
Omg that dint work it rollback to windows media player 10, but qith skins and buttons of media player 11 and it freezes…
oh wwait now it doesnt wor at all
Hi.. all
if you fail to unisnatll wmp11 (rollback to the previous version of wmp) please try the following solution if all other solutions given above fails….. but note this might even take u back to wmp9 (original wmp that comes with winxp).. then u might need to re-install wmp10 again if that\’s what u want…
I tried every possible solution that was give in all the sites….. maybe there are even tools which i might have not come across… but the following worked for me… so i hope it will work for u too
GOTO ->
C:\\WINDOWS\\$NtUninstallwmp11$\\spuninst\\spuninst.exe
after the rollback is complete… a restart might be required… then afterwards…
C:\\WINDOWS\\$NtUninstallWMFDist11$\\spuninst\\spuninst.exe
again a reatart might be needed….
good luck all!
p.s. the reason behind unistalling wmp11 was not coz it was bad… coz i did not have any bad experience with it untill now when i got my nokia n91 the mplayer sync driver that came with the player did not work with wmp11… this is due to me upgrading wmp9(comes withg windows) directly to wmp11. i had to install wmp10 1st to make the driver work and then upgrade to wmp11… which fixed my problem…. but the latest wmp11 beta does not work at all with the syn driver anyway….
Thanks BIT-stream. Was the only one metod that helped me…
thanx u helped alot ……….
MP11 SUCKS and so does BILL GATES!
[quote=Sam K.]Hi all,
I\’m hoping someone has an answer for my problem. Not the personal ones.
Ever since I installed media 11 my colors are all messed up.
Hi Sam,
Have you found a solution? I have the same problem. I haven\’t installed Media Player 11 tho… My red saturated issues only started after I updated my drivers for 7900GT. But I have exactly the same problem as you, red saturation in all video and not just in media player.
Drop me a line if you came right.
G out
BIT-stream
^^^thx for the help
You sir are a genius , the uninstallation process seems to be complex yet its so simple to perform….keep on the good work,i love your work
peace
I HATE WMP11! Where can I find:
GOTO ->
C:\\WINDOWS\\$NtUninstallwmp11$\\spuninst\\spuninst.exe
BITstream, I cant locate this where you suggested. Any ideas? Thanks.
anyway Jay!… I did not clearly understand wat you meant by \”where to locate it\”… it should be in your windows installation Drive if it\’s not your C drive then try the other drives.. as d:…etc. if you still cant find it though u have found the windows folder… then most probably something must have happened to the uninstallation information….
where at this point i am not really sure wat is wrong…..
if all your required files are in place.. then try to re-install wmp11 and then find the unsinstallation folder using the information in my earlier post!
BIT-Stream, I\’m going to try your solution today. I\’ve had a very frustrating time with trying to get rid of Windows Media Player 11. I\’ve tried the instructions from Microsoft itself, which didn\’t work, and I\’ve also tried the other solutions on this site, yet I keep getting the message that I have a newer version installed, and can\’t install Windows Media Player 10.
The only other option I\’ve been able to find through my search is to get rid of SP2 in order to be able to take this thing off, but that means reinstalling Internet Explorer and a bunch of other things. I really hope it doesn\’t come to that, so here\’s to hoping your solution works! *crosses fingers* I\’ll check back and let you know.
I have gone through removing WMP 11, and WM Format Runtime 11, but when I get to the point that I need to remove MS User-Mode Driver Framework Feature Patch 1.0.0, and I click \”yes\” something pops up that says \”in clicking yes, you may have problems running these other applications\” including Adobe Photoshop, Palm OS, etc… I don\’t want to click yes just to have problems with all these other things then. What to do?
i unstalled media 11.
i need to unstall. ms user-mode drive framework.
feature 1.0. it says is i remove this program.
i might have problems it gives me a bunch of programs. on my computer .can i remove this.
with out having. all of these problems.
with these other programs. please let me know.
something. aaron
Thanks for this tip. I have searched off and on ever since I have downloaded this useless excuse of a media player to uninstall it.
do a search for spuninst.exe using windows search
ok, ive tried a little bit of everything ive seen here
i tried to uninstall, restart, uninstall, restart, get rid of that file….didnt work
reinstalled, looked for those files, dont exist…back to square one…
nothing i do will get rid of wmp 11 enough so i can get 10 back on…help please?
[color=red][/color]
I too am having problems getting rid of media 11. This is rediculous. Who on earth could have thought of such a thing. Neverhave I ever seen anything that I couldn\’t delete or un-install in some way or another. This thing doesn\’t let go…! Is there anything that has ever worked? Help please
the Internet is so big, with no help in regards to wmp11. Why dos\’nt Microsoft hired real brains like you people. Thanks for your help.
Problem !!!
Cannot roll back because uninstall folder are deleted
C:\\WINDOWS\\$NtUninstallwmp11$\\spuninst\\spuninst.exe
I accidentaly delete all files that is $NtUninstallwmp11 similiar.
I try reinstalling WMP11 but it did not create uninstall folder at all.
Help
i tried doin all tht, but it says rollback complete but it just messes up the media player and doesn\’t uninstall it, its really pissin me off lol
im having problems uninstalling media player 11… ive follow the instrustions as above but in remove programs my media player isnt selected under windows XP updates its its own seperate thing. ive tried to simply remove it anyway but obviously it didnt work, otherwize i wouldnt be here, it keeps saying it cant delete it because the uninstall folder has already been deleted (or something like that) and i havnt deleted anything ive even tried reinstalling media player 11 to get this folder back but i still cant get…. can anyone help??
This command actually removes it instead of rolling it back. i found it using a tweakUI app.
[code]C:\\WINDOWS\\$NtUninstallwmp11$\\spuninst\\spuninst.exe[/code]
WMP 11 Is gone but cant uninstall IE7
I don\’t have those 2 updates- what now?
in response to anyone who has deleted these two folders due to space
C:\\WINDOWS\\$NtUninstallwmp11$
&
C:\\WINDOWS\\$NtUninstallWMFDist11$
If you use have another machine or a friends machine and copy over its wmp11 uninstall folders then run the spuninst\\spuninst.exe in each of those folders it will get you back to wmp10 then i just ran the wmp10 install again to fix any unseen problems
Thanks a lot finally I found out a solution to my problem guys.Thx a lot.
C:\\WINDOWS\\$NtUninstallWMFDist11$
or you will not be able to reinstall Windows Media 10
I deleted the folders:
C:\\WINDOWS\\$NtUninstallwmp11$
and
C:\\WINDOWS\\$NtUninstallWMFDist11$
then I went in to control panel add/remove
and uninstalled mediaplayer 10 (not 11) which rolls it back to mediaplayer 9 and then reinstalled mediaplayer 10 (downloaded from a non microsoft site)
Worked like a charm
I am completely un tech savy. I went to completely uninstall 11. It says I need the eula.txt on the NT service Pack. I have no idea what to do from there.
I DO NOT HAVE WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER 11 AND WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER 11 RUNTIME IN THE SOFTWARE UPDATES SECTION .. PLEASE HELP ME WHAT DO I DO
OH MY GOSH!!!!! Who in their right mind put media player 11 accessible to ANYONE yet?!?!? IT acts more like a VIRUS than a \’better\’ version! I typed song info on 1 song - only 1 song - the ONLY song I had listed under a certain artist. The program randomly pulled 13 songs from other artists and albums and put them all under this one artist, and made it an album! WHAT A MESS! anyone have any ideas on how to fix this before I just try the roll back option?! I tried to change one of THE FEW songs I knew to the correct info, but it still shows under this bogus album, and is NO LONGER listed in the correct place! I went into my add/remove and selected show updates as stated. I do not show any media player updates, HOWEVER, it DOES show 2 updates for yesterday (the day I \’upgraded\’ to 11). They are listed as a \’hot fix\’ and another as an \’XP media center edition.\’ Do I mess with either or both of these? HELP!