How to install WMP12 on Windows XP

[raff1992]

Hi everybody! Is there a way/tutorial to install Windows Media Player 12 on Windows XP? Thanks for the answer!

[Wheatley]

It's not possible afaik.

[Valerio]

No, you can't. The last version of Windows Media Player that works under Windows XP is Windows Media Player 11. If you want you can get a WMP 12 style skin for WMP 11, you can found some on these on deviantART.

[Ricardo95]

The correct answer is that you can't install anything newer than Windows Media Player 11 on Windows XP by default. I don't think anyone here has tried to modify something to make it run, so we don't know if it's possible by doing a hackjob.

[leomate]

I think firstly it need port WMP12 to Vista first, after success it, i think more easier to port from vista patched WMP12 to XP. Or wait from samuka shorthorn project

[raff1992]

Oh yes, I know that the latest version of this player for XP is WMP11. And infact, I meant how to port WMP12 on XP by doing some hacks and not how to install it directly.

[skywalker06]

I found a youtube video on how to get it to work on XP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd8ngUqC8EU

[raff1992]

Oh good, it seems that works fine, even if there isn't "in execution" mode (this ---> http://img.clubic.com/03561270-photo-wi ... ecteur.jpg).

However, I've read in the Youtube video comments that this is a way to simulate only WMP12 interface, but the real engine is of WMP11...

[nerd70]

Actually, I believe that you can pull the files out of Win7, zip them, and try them out.
However, like the other people in this community, I don't think it will work.

[ExplicitNuM5]

How about a Windows version number hack?

[nerd70]

How about a Windows version number hack?

Actually, I put more faith in it now that you said that.
However, one time I was trying to hack a whistler build to get the service packs to install, and I tryed changing the version number, and it didn't work.

[Overdoze]

Sometimes things aren't released for certain systems because of deeper technical issues. In such cases, changing the OS version would hardly accomplish anything if the program can't run anyway...

I'm guessing WMP12 relies on something exclusive to Windows 7 and later, so perhaps that's why they didn't release it for Vista and XP.

[Homers]

Changing NT version, build number and adding APIs from Windows 7 to XP would probably enable the installation

[AlphaBeta]

adding APIs from Windows 7 to XP

Which is probably a no.

[Wheatley]

Changing NT version to 6.1 or above by using the less-known "Full installation from an NT 6.x install media" method will give you a working copy of Windows Media Player 12.

[Courage]

@Wheatley:
That's probably the only way to get WMP 12 working without doing a hackjob. (In my honest opinion, also the best way since XP is not supported anymore.)

@OP:
There are three main reasons why a certain version of a software is not released for a certain OS:

1. Either the OS or the specific version of the software is not supported anymore at the time of release.
(At the very least, not in 'mainstream support', as XP was in October 2009 when Windows 7 along with WMP 12 was released.)

2. A certain critical component of the specific version of the software is not compatible or causes severe problems with the OS.
(eg. VPC 2007 SP1 in Windows 8. It can be installed and run, but vmm.sys, which is a critical component of the software, crashes Windows 8 when starting a VM.)

3. The specific version of the software is not compatible with the OS at all.
(eg. WMP 12 on Windows 2000.)

In the case of reason 1, a solution to make the software run on the OS may or may not be found.
In the cases of reasons 2 and 3, a solution usually cannot be found without hacking the software and/or replacing base components of the software with newer or older versions.

Your case suffers from reason 1 and either of reasons 2 or 3. In this case, Wheatley's solution is the best IMHO.

[Nashville]

You can't get WMP 12 on Windows XP. Also, there isn't any installation file for WMP 12. Only way to get WMP 12 is to install Windows NT 6.1 or later.

[dreamsmasher]

Is it possible that WMP12 relies on some Aero specific calls for how it looks and feels? I'm not great with digging to find this stuff out, but it's possible that may be what would keep it from working as a straight install.

[MichaelD]

I honestly doubt it'll work - APIs/structures/etc is pretty different between Windows XP and 7. I could be wrong, though. If somebody can prove that, I'll be pretty impressed!

[computebrute]

Why would you want it in the first place?