A little while after setting up 64-bit codecs for Windows Vista, my Windows Media Sharing suddenly died (taking my ability to connect to Windows Media Center from my Xbox 360 with it) with what might be the most infuriating error message ever displayed:
Great. Which Windows setting or component has changed? Why does that stop sharing from working? How do I fix it? The “Web Help” link is no more useful. On top of this, whenever I tried to launch Windows Media Player from the Start menu, nothing would happen – inspecting the Task Manager, I could see WMP running, but it wasn’t doing anything. Killing that process would allow me to start Media Player, but if I selected the sharing option, all I got was that despicable error dialog. Anyway, after a ton of trial and error, I found a way to fix things. Seems neither a Windows setting nor a component had changed – the Windows Media Player library database had gotten messed up. Simply going to C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Media Player and deleting all the files there allowed me to start up Windows Media Player. I had to re-specify which folders I wanted to watch, and let it re-create my library. Then I could start sharing again, and re-register my Xbox 360 as a Media Center Extender. I don’t know whether switching Windows Media Player to 64-bit killed things, or whether it was some crashes I had (related to improperly set memory timings), but I’m glad to have music in my living room again.
Update: Apparently this happens on Windows XP, too. On XP, you can find the same folder at:
C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Application Data\Local\Microsoft\Media Player
Tags: Windows Media Player, Windows Media Sharing, Windows Vista, Windows XP
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hi i cant seem to find this file or folder any suggestions iv’e tried finding it my copy and pasting it into the search bar
hi this may sound silly but could you be more specific where to find the file lol. because i have the same error message as that screenshot but i am not able to find filename C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Media Player p.s i have windows media player 11
Daniel, you need to replace “{username}” with your username.
Thanx! Worked great!
I dont have a folder named Users, AppData or Local.
What OS you using? Coz im using XP and its not there.
Thanx anyway
I’m using Windows Vista. As you might have found in the comments, the path for Windows XP is:
C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Application Data\Local\Microsoft\Media Player
You have to enable hidden folders to see those paths!
This worked for me thanks!!!!!
I run Vista, and you just helped me as well……..the microsoft solution gave no good solution. This worked almost right away! Many thanks
mate thank you so much i spent 5hrs trying to figure this out, almost threw the laptop acroos the room thanks again for the help worked a treat first time
Many thanks!
solved the same error on win vista, I had forgotten a dvd in the drive while hibernating the computer and removed it before the computer had really started and inserted another one, this might be the cause of my db corruption…
People have been looking for a fix or something for “hours” jeez that’s not much ¬.¬ I’ve been bloody looking since 2nd of December ¬.¬ and I’m not even sure this has worked, time to try boot my xbox first… which usually means I can’t connect to xbox live as I have bridged my connection on my pc and the NXE doesn’t like it when I turn my xbox on first usually >.> but hey, worth a try… I deleted every association with “media” in the folder “application data” and it’s subfolder’s so good luck eh ^_^
aaaaaaand no ¬.¬ Microsoft just loves screwing with me ^_^ If I ever see Bill Gates I’m going to rip off his bollocks the twat!
Or as my good friend Duke Nukem says “I’ll rip your head off and shit down your neck!” and “blow it out your ass!”
[...] button there ? This page suggests the media library has become corrupt :(and how to delete it) : http://brh.numbera.com/blog/index.ph…t-has-changed/ Cheers – Neil ———————————————— Digital Media MVP : 2004-2008 [...]
I searched the web and microsoft for days til I came apon your fix.
Works great now I can use my xbox360 to view my movies again!!
thanks a million
D
Hi Guys the problem of un checked media library also occurs if the Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service is not running.
try to start the service if it fails to start due to dependencies check the event log, errors.
Thanks a lot, it worked great!! Why can’t Microsoft support be so helpfull?!?
This also fixed my problem, my library suddenly stopped sharing on my 360. None of microsofts solutions worked, but this solved my problems. Thanks!!
You’re a genius, fixed my problem, thank-you.
i found user user name appli data and all that what do i do when i get there
To absolutely resolve this problem, clear the Windows Media Player database. To do this, follow these steps:
Exit Windows Media Player.
For Windows XP:
Click Start, click Run, type/copy@paste: %userprofile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Media Player, and then click OK.
For Windows Vista:
Click Start, click Run, type %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Media Player, and then click OK.
Select all the files in the folder, and then click Delete on the File menu.
Note You do not have to delete the folders that are in this folder.
Restart Windows Media Player.
Note Windows Media Player automatically rebuilds the database.
If this does not resolve the problem, clear the Windows Media Player database cache files. To do this, follow these steps:
Exit Windows Media Player.
If you are running Windows XP, click Start, click Run, type %userprofile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft, and then click OK.
If you are running Windows Vista, click Start, click Run, type %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft, and then click OK.
Select the Media Player folder, and then click Delete on the File menu.
Restart Windows Media Player.
Note Windows Media Player automatically rebuilds the database.
I tried everything next to re-installing Vista. Glad I found this post first!
Deleting the corrupt database is the best solution. Less invasive and 100% effective… a really great find. It’s really too bad more sites (including Microsoft support blogs) aren’t broadcasting this as a solution that applies to most people’s problems.
Well done, works perfectly!
Really, really thankful for the find.
Or even better if microsoft would just fix the problem by stopping it occurring. This has been known about since before vista came out.
Thanks a lot for posting this. I was going absolutely nuts trying to figure this sh*t out!
so wait, the Application Data Folder is supposed to be inside the Local Settings Folder?
This solved my problem too! I had exactly the same mysterious error note with no help from the web link. Big thanks!
br, perza
Wow thanks it worked ! If you don’t know how to get to the folder AppData just go in the search section it’ll save you some times.
Thanks again
I have tried doing all these steps in this article and I am still unable to turn sharing back on. Any other ideas?
I figured this problem out.
I just installed updates to Vista. SP2 and others. After the install and the machine reboots, it will automatically turn on Windows Firewall. Either configure it or disable it. If you haven’t configured it or disabled it, The media sharing will turn on, but when you try to access media sharing again, you get that error message.
Hope this helps, someone.
V.
cheers .. had the same prob .. tried using the crappy microsoft no help service and still nothin … did this an i got ma tunes back .. thanks
If you have Peer Guardian installed, this can also cause the error. Turned off PG2.exe and now it’s fine.
OMG!!! thankyou sooooooooo much Cressticles. deleating the media player folder entirely fixed it. iv been trying to fix this for months and never get anywhere. :)
Thanx! I hope it will works for me! :)
wow i was soooo frustrated for the longest time,this solved my issues 100% thank you for doing what micro crap hasnt be able to do.FIX THINGS :) but im glad i dont own a mac aswell ehehe PC FTW
Worked like a charm, much appreciated.
Running Windows Vista 64
Strangely enough I’ve had the problem for months and my sharing to my brothers xbox was unaffected, only needed to rectify the problem when an additional xbox was added to the network.
Again, many thanks.
Quick note, after deleting the corrupt database files I had to restart the “Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service” before the error message disappeared.
I don’t know how long I’ve had this problem, because I don’t regularly play music or watch video from my computer. But I’ve had no problem doing that in the past. Unfortunately, the solution of deleting the Media Player files, as described here, didn’t work for me. I’m running Vista Home Premium 64.
One thing that puzzles me is that Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service, which Microsoft mentions in the “Web Help” link, doesn’t even appear in the list of Services under Administrative Tools in Control Panel, so I’m at a loss as to how to proceed. I suspect that may be my problem, but I can’t imagine why that Service just vanished from my computer.
Any ideas?
Thanks.
Worked for me! I was trying forever to get this to work.
Deleting the WMP files worked. Thanks
Im using win xp,i did not use C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Application Data\Local\Microsoft\Media Player
because i did not have a local folder,i used this instead
C:\Documents and Settings\usernamegoeshere\Application Data\Microsoft\Media Player
after you delete the corrupt files in there restart the services by going to start,control panel,administrative tools,and hit the services icon,then scroll down and find windows media player sharing services and right click it and hit restart
GOOD WORK – and what an ANNOYING error!
Wow it worked I have been working on it for over a year on and off and I have read lots of what people have said to do and nothing .. This worked so far I thank you so much now I can connect all my home computers so they all work with my extenders I have… I am very Happy so far…