No CD Player on Windows 8!

Just upgraded today. (And I forgot to turn my touchpad back on. So when it deleted the "old" mouse driver, the mouse quit, and I had neither. I couldn't get a USB mouse to work, so I lugged it to the Microsoft store, where they got the touchpad working.) Ok, so it's this messy, complex screen, or you can switch over to the old screen. (And the e-mail has me completely mixed up.)

But the OS DOESN'T PLAY CDs!!! You have to buy a separate program, which you can get free with a code. How ridiculous is that? Should one get Microsoft's program, or is there a better one?

rjm

Windows 8 will play CD's via Windows Media Player - which is bundled with Windows 8 OS unless you have an earlier stage of Windows 8 then you can download Windows Media Player here (free) as it wasn't included:
http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/M ... 22765.html

Click on "External Mirror 2 for 64bit version"

If you’re an early adopter of Windows 8, you probably know that some versions of Microsoft’s new operating system do not include the well-known Windows Media Player.

The reason is pretty simple and it doesn’t concern Microsoft at all: some countries require the Redmond-based technology giant to ship Windows without such a piece of software.

Of course, the solution is pretty simple and you can easily install another media player, but Sandeep Joshi, Microsoft MVP, discussed the subject in a blog post.

Basically, users can always download a standalone version of Windows Media Player in case their Windows 8 copy does not include one and it can all be done via the official Microsoft website.

“After setting up your machine with the latest Windows 8 OS, as a user you would assume Windows Media Player to be installed by default. Don't be surprised if you find it otherwise. There is no Media Player installed by default with Windows 8,” Joshi said.

“The reasoning Microsoft provides for this behavior is that some countries require them to ship Windows without Media Player. There could have been a better way to handle this with localization.”

The so-called Media Feature Pack for N and KN versions of Windows 8 comes with separate builds for x64 and x86 flavors of the operating system and requires nothing more than basic computer knowledge to successfully complete the installation.

Of course, the Media Feature Pack for N and KN versions of Windows 8 can also be downloaded from Softpedia, in both x64 and x86 versions

I just downloaded it today. I don't see how it could be an earlier version. They showed this whole media package, which would normally cost quite a bit, but it said "get it free, now." By just putting your product key in, I guess. I haven't done it yet.

I will go to your link. Thanks! (All I did was follow the instructions. Incidentally, it didn't warn me that my touchpad was turned off! And then it quickly erased all the drivers. Oh, Mercy! It was like someone chopped off my fingers and toes. I couldn't access the computer. Actually, if I hadn't panicked, and just waited for the drivers for the optical mouse I tried, to download, it would have worked - pretty certain of that. That's all the other guy did - in the store, with his wired, optical mouse. I went all the way down to Costa Mesa. And it's cold outside. Seriously.)

I'll get used to it. (Oh, and it looks like I need to uninstall, and reinstall Movie Maker, because it put into an "old.windows" directory. And so it presently doesn't work. It will.)

rjm

I just downloaded it today. I don't see how it could be an earlier version. They showed this whole media package, which would normally cost quite a bit, but it said "get it free, now." By just putting your product key in, I guess. I haven't done it yet.

I will go to your link. Thanks! (All I did was follow the instructions. Incidentally, it didn't warn me that my touchpad was turned off! And then it quickly erased all the drivers. Oh, Mercy! It was like someone chopped off my fingers and toes. I couldn't access the computer. Actually, if I hadn't panicked, and just waited for the drivers for the optical mouse I tried, to download, it would have worked - pretty certain of that. That's all the other guy did - in the store, with his wired, optical mouse. I went all the way down to Costa Mesa. And it's cold outside. Seriously.)

I'll get used to it. (Oh, and it looks like I need to uninstall, and reinstall Movie Maker, because it put into an "old.windows" directory. And so it presently doesn't work. It will.)

rjm

Where did you purchase Windows 8 ?

I just downloaded it today. I don't see how it could be an earlier version. They showed this whole media package, which would normally cost quite a bit, but it said "get it free, now." By just putting your product key in, I guess. I haven't done it yet.

I will go to your link. Thanks! (All I did was follow the instructions. Incidentally, it didn't warn me that my touchpad was turned off! And then it quickly erased all the drivers. Oh, Mercy! It was like someone chopped off my fingers and toes. I couldn't access the computer. Actually, if I hadn't panicked, and just waited for the drivers for the optical mouse I tried, to download, it would have worked - pretty certain of that. That's all the other guy did - in the store, with his wired, optical mouse. I went all the way down to Costa Mesa. And it's cold outside. Seriously.)

I'll get used to it. (Oh, and it looks like I need to uninstall, and reinstall Movie Maker, because it put into an "old.windows" directory. And so it presently doesn't work. It will.)

rjm

Where did you purchase Windows 8 ?

On-line, today. With the coupon. I went to the link to upgrade where it said on the coupon. The computer was purchased on September 2 from the Microsoft Store in Costa Mesa. I actually replaced the original coupon, with another one (lost the first one, but the store gave me a new one last month).

rjm

I just downloaded it today. I don't see how it could be an earlier version. They showed this whole media package, which would normally cost quite a bit, but it said "get it free, now." By just putting your product key in, I guess. I haven't done it yet.

I will go to your link. Thanks! (All I did was follow the instructions. Incidentally, it didn't warn me that my touchpad was turned off! And then it quickly erased all the drivers. Oh, Mercy! It was like someone chopped off my fingers and toes. I couldn't access the computer. Actually, if I hadn't panicked, and just waited for the drivers for the optical mouse I tried, to download, it would have worked - pretty certain of that. That's all the other guy did - in the store, with his wired, optical mouse. I went all the way down to Costa Mesa. And it's cold outside. Seriously.)

I'll get used to it. (Oh, and it looks like I need to uninstall, and reinstall Movie Maker, because it put into an "old.windows" directory. And so it presently doesn't work. It will.)

rjm

Where did you purchase Windows 8 ?

On-line, today. With the coupon. I went to the link to upgrade where it said on the coupon. The computer was purchased on September 2 from the Microsoft Store in Costa Mesa. I actually replaced the original coupon, with another one (lost the first one, but the store gave me a new one last month).

rjm

That is why, some countries asked Microsoft to ship without the player, being it's an online version it most likely was deleted from the OS.

Also I highly recommend you to download this Codec package as it will allow you to play most all formats such a mkv, XviD, H.264, FLV1, WMV, MPEG-1 and MPEG-2, MPEG-4.

http://www.video-buzz.com/download/Video/InstaCodecs

Upgrading to a new OS always gives trouble somehow.
Older programms no longer work, printer may fail or in my case Windows 8 did not recognise and connect to the modem.
Now I mainly have the PC to surf the net, so I went back to Windows 7. Works fine for me.

Upgrading to a new OS always gives trouble somehow.
Older programms no longer work, printer may fail or in my case Windows 8 did not recognise and connect to the modem.
Now I mainly have the PC to surf the net, so I went back to Windows 7. Works fine for me.

This is true with older software and hardware , for those who do not want to update to the newer versions of certain software or hardware, there is really no point to update the OS either. Any applications or hardware that do not have updates for windows 8 would be deemed obsolete eventually.
You cannot blame Microsoft for not being able to run a dinosaur PC because some printer manufacturer has not updated their drivers, especially when they have had plenty of time to do so. In any case, modem drivers and the such can be updated prior to a Windows upgrade to assure the older hardware will be compatible beforehand.