Windows Media Player - no sound output?

[Tom]

If anyone might have any ideas of what I should check for to correct my problem, I'd appreciate the input:

I'm getting no AUDIO when I play files through Windows Media Player.  Other than with Windows Media Player, sound playback is fine with every type of file played through any other media players.  Flash, mpg, avi, etc., through Cool Edit, WinAmp, etc.  Everything works just fine except for files played back through Windows Media Player.  I was using v11, but just rolled back to v10 to see if that may be an issue.   It's not.  Same problem.  The little sound 'graphic' is visible and indicates there is sound being played, but there's no audio to be heard.  File associations are all in place.  I have a few .wmv files I wanted to watch (hear) today ... that I've watched several times in the past ... and discovered this new problem with the audio.

Anybody have ANY idea what I should check as far as settings...either in XP or WMP?  Since ALL other digital audio is working just fine, this isn't making sense to me.  Especially, since WinAmp can play the sound just fine. 

WMP is required on several websites I visit so I really want to get this corrected ASAP.

[Ari]

Stupid question, but did you check to see that the volume slider isn't all the way down, or that the volume button isn't accidentally pressed?

[Tom]

Yep.  I've done all the basic checks, including checking anything that might hint to sound variables in the OPTIONS settings.  In MP 10, there's a little graphic, like WinAmp's volume indicator, that is visible and active during playback.  It's functioning fine, indicating there is sound playing.  But...there's not. 

I've seen this same problem posted on other message boards, but no solutions -- just:  "Are you sure the speakers are connected" and "Is the mute button pressed"?  Since digital files, wma/wmv or whatever play in other players like WinAmp, it has to be a MP issue.

I'm recalling having this problem once before, after a Apple Quick Time installation.  I recently installed Quick Time, again.  I've uninstalled it now, thinking this may have cause the MP problem.  But...

[Tom]

I think I may have found the solution...though, I've been using Nero for years and why it would start interfering now, I don't know.  Except, I only recently updated to MP v11, so maybe that's why.  Can't wait to get home from work and try this out:

if you have nero installed, its codecs will not let media player have sound so what you have to do is open the midia player, click tools, highlight plug-ins, and uncheck nero fast cd-burning plug-in and thier you have it now you can hear what ever you wish. enjoy

[Alistair]

I have to say, it sounds likely. Before I got to your post I was thinking, "Codec issue.".

I've found Nero codecs are problematic for lots of things- in fact, to get Nero to burn AVI DVD's correctly, I had to get a program just to disable the Nero DVD audio and video codecs (I had other, better ones on my system)!

Don't know why a CD burning codec would affect playing audio though.

- Alistair

[Tom]

Might have something to do with Nero's ability to convert, edit, and preview MP3 and Ogg files when creating audio CD's.  I'll report back if this is the problem.

[Tom]

Nope.  "Nero" plugins isn't the problem.  Anybody have a clue?

[Cloudschatze]

Try logging in as Guest, or another user, and see if you have the same problem.

[Tom]

I downloaded something called "K-Lite Codec Pack" last night.  It included an utility called a Codec Tweak Tool.  I had no idea how to really use the tool; one of the options was "detect broken codecs and DirectShow filters".  Before running this, I had finally got Media Player playing MP3's and some .wmv/.wma files again.  (I reinstalled it, again, even though I tried that earlier.)  But after running this utility, Media Player now works for all files.

[Ari]

Glad to hear. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful...