Media Player
The latest Media Player coverage — news, analysis, and updates from the WindowsNews.AI desk.
Windows 11 Media Player’s 377MB Idle RAM Drain Exposes Deep Codec Divide
Microsoft’s modern replacement for the venerable Windows Media Player is gobbling up over three times the memory while doing absolutely nothing, according to fresh community measurements. On a...
Windows 11’s Media Player Ramps Up RAM Usage to 377MB—and Still Lacks Essential Codecs
Third-party testing has revealed that Microsoft’s modern Windows 11 Media Player idles at nearly 377 MB of RAM—over triple the 103 MB consumed by the legacy Windows Media Player under identical...
Windows 11 Media Player Update (11.2605.14.0) Delivers HEVC Fixes, Yet Legacy Player Still Faster
Microsoft pushed Media Player version 11.2605.14.0 to Windows 11 Insiders on June 12, 2026, alongside a fresh round of Insider Preview builds. The update arrives with a dedicated set of release...
Windows Media Player CD Metadata Service Shutdown: How to Tag Ripped Music in 2024
Microsoft has quietly discontinued the online metadata lookup service for Windows Media Player, ending a decades-old feature that automatically fetched album art, track titles, and artist information...
Beyond Windows Media Player: 5 Hidden Media Players for Speed & Control
While Windows 11 and Windows 10 come with built-in media apps like Media Player and Movies & TV that serve basic playback needs, power users and enthusiasts have long known that the real magic...
Windows 24H2 Kills WordPad, Buries Cortana: Your Migration Roadmap
Microsoft quietly removed WordPad from Windows 11 version 24H2 this month, ending a 28-year run for the unassuming rich-text editor. The cut is the latest in a string of feature retirements that also...
6 Lightweight Windows Apps That Crush Built-in Tools for Speed and Features
Windows bundled apps get the job done, but for users who demand speed, features, and efficiency, the defaults often fall short. Whether it’s the sluggish Photos app struggling with large RAW...
Urgent Microsoft Patch Closes Remote Code Execution Hole in Windows Media: CVE-2025-53131
Microsoft has shipped a critical security update to plug a heap-based buffer overflow in Windows Media components that could hand remote attackers the ability to execute arbitrary code on unpatched...
Five Free Windows Apps That Instantly Boost Productivity on a New PC
Five free utilities can transform a fresh Windows PC into a productivity powerhouse in less than an hour, according to a practical checklist from ZDNET that targets the most common friction points in...
Bringing Windows Media Center Back to Life on Windows 11: A Step-by-Step Survival Guide
Microsoft buried Windows Media Center over a decade ago, but a stubborn community of home theater PC enthusiasts has dug it up, patched it together, and coaxed it back to life on Windows 10 and 11....
Top 5 Essential Third-Party Apps to Supercharge Your New Windows 11 PC
Setting up a fresh Windows PC isn’t merely a rite of passage—it’s an opportunity to craft a digital workspace that maximizes both productivity and enjoyment. Windows 11, with its refined...
Windows Media Player Legacy 12 in 2025: Endurance, Compatibility, and Community
For over two decades, Windows Media Player has held a prominent spot in the world of digital media playback—an achievement few software titles can boast. In an era defined by relentless...