How to download windows media center

Microsoft removed Windows Media Center from Windows 10. It is only available for Windows 8.1 or earlier. Windows 10 users can get Windows Media Center (WMC) from unofficial sources which we will describe in this article.

What is Windows Media Center?

Windows Media Center is an all in one multimedia app for recording and playing videos and audio. One of the main benefit of Windows Media Center is that it can play streaming video onto the computer or the television from services like Netflix.

Technically, Windows Media Center is a media player just like Windows Media Player but with more functionality. Additional functionality includes playing TV through TV Tuner, recording, DVD Player, old MPEG-2 video support, etc.

You can learn more about Windows Media Center on Wikipedia.

Most of the times, WMC was used as a DVD player. That’s why Microsoft has replaced Windows Media Center with a DVD player app in Windows 10. The DVD player app can be installed through Windows Store.

Download Windows Media Center for Windows 10

Some people have extracted Windows Media Center files from earlier versions of Windows and created an installer to install Windows Media Center on Windows 10. You can download Windows Media Center from below:

  Windows Media Center for Windows 10 (Version 8.8.4) (86.2 MiB, 44,133 hits)

Note: Please note that this is a custom installation and is not from Microsoft itself. I have scanned it for viruses and have not found anything. I have also installed the executable on multiple systems and encountered no issues. I have installed it on Windows 10 version 1809 and Windows 10 version 1903 without any issues.

Install Windows Media Center on Windows 10

Once you have downloaded the WHC set from above mentioned link, you can install it on your Windows 10 system. Here is how:

1. Extract the downloaded zip file to a folder and run the files as follows:
2. Run _TestRights.cmd with administrative privileges. This will open a new command prompt window.
3. Run InstallerBlue.cmd to install blue skin of WMC or InstallerGreen.cmd to install green skin of WMC.
   

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4. Once the installation is complete, open Windows Media Center from the Start Menu.

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Using Windows Media Center is the same as the original one. All functionality of WMC will be intact and you can use any feature for free.

If you want to uninstall Windows Media Center, just run Uninstaller.cmd from the extracted folder.

Do you like Windows Media Center? Or you use alternatives for WMC? Let us know in the comments below.

Windows Media Center was Microsoft's media PC interface, and allowed you to record live TV, manage and playback your media, and more. Media Center has been discontinued, but you can still get it for Windows 7 or 8.1. If you are using Windows 10, you'll need to use an enthusiast-made hacked version, as Windows Media Center has been completely disabled.

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Understand the process.

Windows Media Center has been discontinued, and is no longer supported by Microsoft. Because of this, it is not possible to install Windows Media Center the traditional way you would do so in Windows 10. You can use the following steps to get Windows Media Center up and running, but be prepared for issues and quirks.

Download the necessary files.

You’ll need a repacked version of Windows Media Center created by enthusiasts. You can download the file here, or you can search for WindowsMediaCenter_10.0.10134.0v2.1.rar and download it from a trusted site on the list of results.

• You will need the ability to open RAR files in order to extract the files. You can use the trial version of WinRAR or the free 7-Zip to open RAR files. See How to Open RAR Files for more information.

Extract the folder.

Use your RAR extraction program to open and extract the files. Place it on your root system drive (usually the C: drive).

Open the folder you extracted the files to.

You should see several files here.

Right-click on .

_TestRights.cmd A command prompt window will appear and start installing automatically.

Right-click on .

Installer.cmd Another command prompt window will appear. You’ll be prompted to exit the window once installation is complete.

Run Windows Media Center.

You should be able to launch Windows Media Center by searching for it on the Start menu, or by looking in the “Windows Accessories” folder.

Download additional codecs (if necessary).

Some users have reported issues playing all of their files due to missing codecs. If this is the case, you can install codec packs from various sources online. Look for the “Shark” codec pack for Windows 10 and 8.1. It will add MKV, AVI,, MOV, and other codec support.

Windows 8.1

Understand the process.

Windows Media Center was not included in Windows 8 when it was released, and is only available in the Pro version of Windows 8.1. It is not included in the standard version of 8.1, which means you’ll need to upgrade to Pro in order to use Windows Media Center. This is the only legal way to get Windows Media Center on Windows 8.1

Upgrade Windows 8 to 8.1, if necessary.

You’ll need Windows 8.1 in order to install the Pro Pack or Media Center Pack, which allows you to run Windows Media Center. The upgrade to 8.1 is free, and you can get it from the Windows Store. See [[Upgrade-from-Windows-8-to-8.1|How to Upgrade from Windows 8 to 8.1] for detailed instructions on upgrading Windows 8 to 8.1.

Determine which pack you need.

There are two different packs that give Windows 8.1 access to Media Center, and the pack you’ll need depends on which version of Windows you have. Press ⊞ Win+Pause to see your version.

• Pro Pack ($99) – This updates the standard Home version of Windows 8.1 to Windows 8.1 Pro, and also includes Windows Media Center.
• Media Center Pack ($9.99) – This update is for Windows 8.1 Pro users, and adds Windows Media Center to Windows 8.1 Pro.

Purchase the upgrade.

You can buy the upgrade pack directly from Microsoft, or you can buy a key from a retailer from places like Amazon and Best Buy.

Add the new pack key to Windows 8.1.

Once you have the key, you can enter it in Windows so that your upgrade can be downloaded and installed.

• Press and type “add features”.
• Select “Add features to Windows 8.1”.
• Choose “I already have a product key”.
• Enter the key into the field.

Wait for your files to be installed.

After entering the key and accepting the terms, the upgrade files will be downloaded and installed. Your computer will automatically restart once the installation is complete. Once your computer restarts and you receive confirmation that installation is complete, you can launch Windows Media Center from the Start screen.

Put off upgrading to Windows 10.

All Windows 8.1 users are being offered a free upgrade to Windows 10, but if you rely on Windows Media Center you may want to avoid the upgrade. Windows Media Center has been discontinued, and is not available on Windows 10. You can use the workaround at the top of this article, but you may not be able to get it to work properly. For now, consider sticking with Windows 8.1.

Windows 7

Ensure you have the correct version of Windows 7.

Media Center is available for free for all versions of Windows 7 except Starter and Home Basic. If you have either of these versions, you’ll need to upgrade to at least Home Premium in order to get access to Media Center.

• You’ll need to purchase an upgrade key if you want to upgrade your version of Windows 7. These usually cost around $100, but may be hard to find now that Windows 7 is getting older. This is the only legal way to get Windows Media Center in the Starter or Home Basic versions of Windows 7.

Open the Control Panel.

If you have a supported version of Windows 7, but can’t open Windows Media Center, it may likely be disabled during installation. You can start enabling it from the Control Panel, which you can open from the Start menu.

Click “Programs” or “Programs and Features”.

This will open a list of all of the programs installed on your computer.

Click “Turn Windows features on or off”.

This will open a list of all of the Windows features that have been enabled or disabled. You will need administrator access to open this list.

Expand the “Media Features” option.

You should see three different options when you expand it: “Windows DVD Maker”, “Windows Media Center”, and “Windows Media Player”.

• If you only see “Windows Media Player”, you have either Windows 7 Starter or Home Basic. It is not possible to legally get Windows Media Center in these versions. You’ll need to upgrade to a version of Windows 7 or 8.1 that supports Windows Media Center.

Check the Windows Media Center box.

Click “OK” to begin installing the feature. This may take several minutes to complete.

Launch Windows Media Center.

After being enabled, you can find Windows Media Center in your Start menu. If you can’t find it, type “Windows Media Center” into the search field.

Avoid upgrading to Windows 10.

If you rely on Windows Media Center, you may want to put off the free upgrade to Windows 10. Microsoft has terminated the Windows Media Center project, and it is no longer supported in Windows 10. There is a workaround available outlined at the the top of this page, but it results in limited functionality.

This is the downloadable Windows Media Center 8.8.5 for Windows 10. For instructions on how to use, visit this page.

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Microsoft decided to cut the Windows Media Center when launching Windows 10, but many are still wondering if Windows Media Center is available for download.

Those who ignored the app don’t miss it, but those who used it knew it was one of the best media center software to manage videos and other media content and probably want it back.

It used to be possible to install Windows Media Center in some earlier Windows 10 Preview builds. However, can you still do that? Keep on reading to find out.

Windows Media Center was an all-around media solution designed to bring the living room media experience to PC. It had the following features:

• Live TV – The software allowed users to watch and record live TV shows using a TV tuner. This allowed you to use your PC as DVR.
• Multimedia playback – With Media Center, you could play any media stored on your hard drive or any other device.
• Streaming platform support – The software could handle YouTube, Netflix, and similar services thanks to the available plug-ins.

Is Media Center supported in Windows 10?

Media Center was a part of Windows XP, and it was available on all versions, including Windows 8. However, that’s not the case with Windows 10. The software hasn’t been in development since 2009, and it hasn’t got any updates.

However, if you install it, it should work on Windows 10, but your results might vary.

Why was Windows Media Center discontinued?

Shortly after Windows 7 release in 2009, Microsoft decided to disband the team behind Media Center development.

According to Microsoft’s Gabriel Aul, the reason for this is decreased use.

And we’ll have to agree since during our time with Windows 7, we rarely, if ever, used Windows Media Center, and we’re not the only ones.

The software didn’t achieve the expected popularity, so it’s no wonder that Microsoft wanted to focus its resources on something more beneficial to users.

What replaces Windows Media Center in Windows 10?

The DVD Player app replaces Windows Media Center. Remember that this app is available only to users that have upgraded from Windows 8.1 to 10.

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If you have performed a clean install, you’d have to purchase the DVD Player app from the Microsoft Store. Another software that was intended as a replacement for Media Center is Groove Music.

Unfortunately, the Groove Music service is discontinued. On the bright side, the new Windows Media Player is coming to Windows 10, so that’s a decent alternative you can use.

The Windows Media Center is no longer available. Microsoft has since removed the media player and recorder on Windows 10.

Hence, there is no official way to get it back. However, you can still use unofficial third-party sources.

How can I install Windows Media Center on Windows?

If you want to download the software from an official and reliable source, that’s no longer possible since Microsoft has discontinued this software.

However, you can still get this software from other, third-party sources. This comes with its share of problems, including the following:

• Legal issues – Different states have different laws regarding abandonware, but usually, it’s not illegal to download it. Hosting abandonware or sharing it is illegal.
• Security issues – Since the software is hosted by third parties, it could be altered or infected by malware.
• Compatibility issues – The software was optimized for Windows 8, and it hasn’t received an update for more than a decade, so, likely, it won’t work properly on a modern operating system.

Since the software can’t be downloaded safely from an official source, we’ll refrain from giving instructions on how to download it.

However, if you do so, use a reliable source and scan the downloaded file for malware with reliable antivirus software.

In case you are errors on Windows Media Center, check our detailed guide for the surefire fixes to get rid of them.

If you have more questions about the installation process, don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments below.

Passionate about all elements related to Windows and combined with his innate curiosity, Ivan has delved deep into understanding this operating system, with a specialization in drivers and driver troubleshooting.

When he’s not tackling diverse driver-related problems, Ivan enjoys watching good movies and spending time hiking with his family and friends.