I want the Windows10 media player on Windows11

jason smith 0 Reputation points
2026-08-15T16:10:20.24+00:00

So, I absolutely HATE the windows11 media player that is default. When playing videos and I want to skip ahead a few seconds, it ONLY goes 30 seconds forward and back. Super annoying. My Windows10 player I could drag the slider bar in any direction and it moved forward by frames instead of seconds. Have gone through ever tutorial video to get this but none are the correct versions.

Windows for home | Other | Music, photos, and video
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  1. Bulldog 3,865 Reputation points
    2026-08-15T17:23:14.28+00:00

    The old Windows Media Player is legacy software - even says so in the name. It's going to be retired. There are so many terrific media players from third parties that run rings around WMP. You ought to try them.

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  2. Marcin Policht 103.7K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-08-15T17:00:35.2066667+00:00

    You can get the classic player back by enabling Windows Media Player Legacy in your Windows 11 optional features.

    To enable Windows Media Player Legacy, open the Start menu and go to Settings. Click System on the left menu, then select Optional features on the right. Click the View features button next to "Add an optional feature."

    Type Windows Media Player Legacy in the search box. Check the box for it, click Next, and then click Add. Once it is installed, search for Windows Media Player Legacy in your Start menu to use it.

    To make Windows Media Player Legacy the default player, right-click any video file, such as an MP4, and select Open with. Choose Choose another app, or Another app, depending on what Windows displays. Select Windows Media Player Legacy from the list and click Always. Windows will then use it to open that type of video file by default.

    More at

    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5818001/how-to-install-windows-media-player-legacy-in-wind

    If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

    hth

    Marcin

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  3. AI answer

    2026-08-15T16:10:34.7166667+00:00

    Windows 11 can still use Windows Media Player Legacy, which is the older player available as an optional feature.

    To enable it:

    1. Open Start > Settings > System > Optional Features.
    2. Select View features.
    3. Search for Windows Media Player Legacy.
    4. Check the box, select Next, then Add.

    If using Windows 10, the path is: Start > Settings > Apps > Apps & features > Manage optional features > Add a feature > Windows Media Player > Install.

    Also, on Windows 10/11 N editions, media features such as Windows Media Player and related technologies are excluded until the Media Feature Pack is installed.

    For the newer player behavior, the available documented skip options include skip forward or backward by 10 seconds in the Microsoft 365 web player, and app media playback examples also show 10-second skip behavior. The provided context does not include a supported setting to change the Windows 11 Media Player seek step to frame-level dragging.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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