Running 2 vs. of WMP

I thought this had been talked about before here...but after hours searching and reading I cant find it.
I'm running WMP6.4. Is there a way to install and also run say WMP7 or 7.1 (seems like I remember someone posting that was the last vs. allowing unticking auto ID or something...)
I cant simply D/L and install that would overwrite 6.4. Correct?
Thanks for any help or a how too link would be fine.

Reason is 6.4 cant D/L some codecs that are sometimes needed, rarely but sometimes. I dont want all the CD recording and junk that comes with new versions. So I'm thinking 7.0 - 7.1. Open to suggestions.
Thanks again.

Win98se - IE5.5-sp2

WMP 7.1 was my favorite when i ran Win98. but i'd suggest you get the codec pack from M$ at: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win...ad/default.asp
It's listed on the top menu and will work fine with 7.1. you can install 7.1 over the top of 6.4 with no problems. I would suggest however,after installing it,you go to it's Tools>options/preferences menu and check 'all' for file types. Also shut off all the 'call home' junk such as DRM etc. And,instead of using the media library, i found it much better to just use 'playlist'. You can drag n' drop whatever you want there. To get rid of what you've played,just click to highlight it on the playlist and press 'Delete'...

Hey thanks for the info, Ridgerunr. So is there any way to keep 6.4 and use both or are you saying it's time to give 6.4 up and go for 7.1? ((I could have bet that someone was running both...but the memory is not what it used to be.))
I downloaded the codecs and have on standby. Seems they are for 7.0 and XP versions.

I think this is the one you were refering to.
"Codecs Installation Package for Windows Media Player 7.0 and Windows Media Player for Windows XP"

Also notepadded your insts. Thanks again.

I have three versions. Select a file, left click on it then while holding the shift key, right click, choose open-with.
Scroll down and look for Mplayer, Mplayer2 or Wmp. the attachment is Mplayer, which came with the 98 CD. Forgot to mention the other versions are 6.4 and 7.1.

Thanks for the help, RRampRRatz.
So when you installed WMP7.1 how did you prevent it from installing over 6.4 therefore nullifying 6.4 and simply upgrading.
That's where I hung up. (install 7.1 w/o it simply upgrading 6.4 hence; having both so I can right click and choose vs. to open with)
Thanks guys.

As far as I know, you are installing Wmp 7 not overwriting Mplayer or Mplayer2 . Now from Wmp 7 to Wmp 9 may be another story.
Also with Wmp 7 you can choose classic style.

Oh...ok, was thinking 7.0 would update\upgrade over 6.4. My bad...
Will give it a try later.
Thanks guys for sticking with me on this. I really appreciate it.
:)

You can always uninstall 7 if you don't like it . You can also choose not to install the Cd software that comes with 7. OK, As a test, I "upgraded' from Wmp 7 Wmp 9 then uninstalled 9. I'm now back to having Mplayer and Mplayer2 (6.4) only. So you should be OK. If I want 7 back, I'll just have to download it, no rush though.

Ps, I like Mplayer, there doesn't seem to be a full screen option for video but you can stretch/drag the window to whatever size/shape with your mouse,
How's that for customization?

With version 7.1, Alt+Enter will give you full screen. Esc will bounce it back to Std. Check in Tools>options to see if full screen is activated...

Mplayer configured for a car race video,

When you get to the point where it asks where you want to install it, make it install into another folder. that way you will have both. I have done this with opera, several different small programs so I have several versions side by side. Net scape also.

cheers mac :D

Got it. I defaulted to 7.1 to play with it, unchecked call home junk, and added codecs.
IF I Shift\RightClick and click "open with" I have
mplayer (win98 version)
mplayer2 (wmp6.4 vs.)
wmplayer (wmp7.1 vs.)
So my options are there. However it did overwrite 6.4 in Start\Programs and in Program Files.
Dont remember an "install path" option, pmckinnie...but I can uninstall, reinstall 6.4, make new folder and try again.
So it did upgrade 6.4 in Start\Programs and in Add\Remove "but" I can Shift\RightClick and open with 6.4 .
So 6.4 is still in there somewhere.
7.1 and codecs did allow me to see a video that 6.4 would not.
So another success story here.
Thanks to all. Much appreciated.

PS: Wish auto upgrade had a "Never" option.
And not sure what to do with this:
Windows Media SKD: Unique ID.

Both player versions should reside within the same folder without any problems. You and I appear to want to have the same thing and I have both the 7.1 and 6.4 in the same folder. You might want to consider simply placing a shortcut to one or the other on your desktop for the ease of use.

We both are using the same OS and IE. :D

Yes it was , buf...hiding in the 7.1 folder. Finally found it. Thanks.

I'll ask this while on topic: When you create a playlist and then delete the playlist the list goes into an "All Deleted Media" folder.
Ok deleting from there removed them from my HD. So media player controls my HD now. Great.
I didnt think the help info meant they would be deleted from my computer but I do now.

So how do you clean out the "all deleted media" folder w/o losing them from HD???
TIA...

How did you create your playlist? If you have your music,video in a folder of your making and you drag n' drop them to the playlist window on the right side of media player. After your through playing them,if you have 2 items,you can click one,hold down the Ctrl key and click the other to highlight both,then press the Delete key to clear the menu. If you have more than 2,you click one on either end of the list to highlight,hold down the Shift key and click the one on the opposite end of list to highlight all,then press the Del key and they're all deleted. But these are just 'copies' of the ones in your folder,so the original ones are 'not' deleted from your HDD. I've never used it,but if you put them in the media players playlist,they may be actually 'moved' there,not 'copied'. If this is what's happening,it's one more reason not to use the 'players' options...:(

Just happened to remember,,are you putting them in the players 'media library'? If so,as above,they may be physically moved there and deleting the playlist may,indeed,delete them to a media player 'deleted' file. My mp3's and such are 'never' placed in the player itself. As i said before,much better to create your own file and open the player,then your file and drag them from there...

carson. glad you found it!!
Listen to Ridgerunr, he is my guru on the WMP knowledge base!!
If Train should happen along, he knows these things. If you have music files that you don't want to accidentally remove from your hard drive, create(IF there isn't one already for your use in Favorites, for example) one and save them there.

ok, it appears I can delete from library and if I donr check "delete perm" they will remain on my HD. Whew...
The original ones I lost from HD I do not remember tick "perm. remove" but I must have.
Anyway I guess I have it figured out.
My problem RR, was that I right clicked the playlist and seleted delete from library instead of playlist. That stuck them in the deleted folder that I could not figure out how to clean up. But appear to have now. :)

Thanks for all the help.
carson

Glad to hear they weren't totally deleted.That 'would' be a bummer:( Back in Win98,when version 7 came out, I played around with letting WMP store my music. Didn't tale long for me to make the decision to pull it all out and do it manually. For instance, I keep my music on a seperate drive. I have alphabetized songs according to Artist/Group name. If the groups name begins with something like "the"Who,i rename it and remove "the" from it's name. That way they will sort properly. I have folders for each letter of the alphabet except X-Y-Z is all one folder 'cause few artists start with those. With over 8,000 mp3's, at 27Gigs,it makes things much easier.;) But, i digress,a simple way is to make one folder to put songs that you like to hear often into.Then put a shortcut to this folder on your desktop. Just a few clicks to open WMP,then the folder,then drag n' drop what you want to listen to to the playlist and your good to go...

Hope this helps a' bit...:)