What We'll Learn
How to start Windows Media Player
The Basic Controls and Screens
Windows Media Player is the program on your computer used to play audio and video files. You can start it as follows:
Click on one of the following icons:
Windows Media Player icon
in Windows XP
Windows Media Player icon
in Windows 7 or Windows Vista
Alternately, you can click on the Start Button, click All Programs, click Windows Media Player.
Some systems also come with Windows Media Center. It is similar to Windows Media Player, but meant to be used with a television and has simpler controls.
Windows Media Player is quite different on Windows XP and Windows 7.0. However, the parts and features work the same way:
Now Playing
Screen that let's you view what's currently playing
Library
Organize all the music that is on your computer
Create and manage play lists
Rip
Copy an audio disc to your computer and convert it to a digital music file
Burn
Create your own audio discs
Sync
Copy music to your MP3 Player
Media Guide
Access free and paid content on the Internet
For a detailed introduction on how to use Media Player, refer to the Help Tutorials referenced below:
Let's explore Windows Media Player by simply playing an audio CD:
Insert the CD into your drive. The Auto-Play menu should appear.
Select Play Audio CD using Windows Media Player. The CD should start playing in the Now Playing window.
Try out the various controls to see how they work.