Microsoft is killing a decades-old Windows Media Player feature (Skins) in November, and points users to the modern app, which is basic and yet uses more RAM

[u/WPHero]

https://www.windowslatest.com/2026/10/01/microsoft-is-killing-a-decades-old-windows-media-player-feature-in-november-and-points-users-to-the-modern-app/

[u/Curious_Touch_5979]

VLC exist to play both video and music

[u/humanmanhumanguyman → u/Curious_Touch_5979]

PotPlayer is also good, better for HDR content imo

[u/Piett_1313 → u/humanmanhumanguyman]

I got it specifically for HDR playback as I couldn’t get it right in VLC, PotPlayer worked right out of the box.

[u/LifeIsBetterDrunk → u/Curious_Touch_5979]

MPC HC

[u/Adventurous_Boat_492 → u/LifeIsBetterDrunk]

Not under active development. MPCBE is, that's what I used when I used Windows.

[u/Raskuja46 → u/Adventurous_Boat_492]

Why would I need it to be under active development when it already does everything I want it to?

[u/Top-Literature-6248 → u/Raskuja46]

Imagine if people applied this logic to things other than software.

"Bro, you're still using that cast iron pan? You know the company that made it stopped developing frying pans years ago, right? You should throw it out and switch to this new pan instead. ^{It was made with AI.} "

[u/LifeIsBetterDrunk → u/Adventurous_Boat_492]

Two weeks ago is not active? https://github.com/clsid2/mpc-hc

[u/Adventurous_Boat_492 → u/LifeIsBetterDrunk]

Hmm, I just went to https://mpc-hc.org and it said to switch to something else as it's not active anymore.

[u/Dragonasaur → u/Adventurous_Boat_492]

Because the original one is not active

The above link is a fork, one of the original contributors (clsid2) decided to continue working on it

[u/Exldk → u/Curious_Touch_5979]

VLC newest update broke it. Going forward or back using either arrow keys or mouse just freezes the app majority of the time and even if I close it, it keeps running within the background processes, so I have to manually terminate it in the task manager as well.

Been an issue ever since the newest update. So that is going to shit as well.

[u/splendiferous-finch_ → u/Exldk]

That's the nice part you can just revert to an older version that works for you unlike what MS is going to offer you with mandatory updates every 2 mins which require 3-5 restarts

The only time I update to a new version if when some new codec supports comes out for something I need really.

[u/Kuckeli → u/Exldk]

Cant say i have either of those issues on the latest version, maybe give it a clean reinstall and see if it fixes it.

[u/EconomyDifficult2415 → u/Exldk]

This is why I turn off auto-updates on everything. I. Not gonna be a beta tester for their broken garbage every time I need to use it.

[u/fearless-fossa → u/EconomyDifficult2415]

How do you manage your updates across your software then? I'd go crazy if I had to do manual updates.

[u/LaughingwaterYT → u/Exldk]

https://mpv.rocks/

[u/DragoBleaPiece_123 → u/LaughingwaterYT]

dayym i just knew about it, some mf making this specific website to compare mpv with others

[u/Piett_1313 → u/LaughingwaterYT]

Gonna have to check this out, commenting for later.

[u/LaughingwaterYT → u/Piett_1313]

You can follow and save comments btw

[u/newbrevity → u/Exldk]

I still have an installer from 2010. I never updated it on my laptop but it still works.

[u/Nova17Delta → u/Curious_Touch_5979]

And supports skins

[u/SubmissiveDinosaur → u/Curious_Touch_5979]

VLC for video. AIMP and Spicetify for music

[u/elquanto → u/Curious_Touch_5979]

MusicBee is an excellent windows music player option.

[u/QuantumQuantonium → u/Curious_Touch_5979]

Vlc is great. People can still prefer the windows media player.

Doesnt mean Microsoft has to spend the time and resources to remove a feature which people might use, and the users would likely work to revert MS's forced changes if it comes down to it.

[u/CheeseGraterFace → u/Curious_Touch_5979]

Winamp is still out there whipping the llama’s ass, too. I think you can snag 5.6.3 still.

[u/splendiferous-finch_ → u/Curious_Touch_5979]

VLC my beloved!

[u/Chinatsez]

I don't think anyone who cares about skins uses Windows Media Player

[u/LaronX → u/Chinatsez]

You underestimate how many people use computers/laptops like an appliance. It matters, otherwise they wouldn't push it

[u/Dot_1X]

Well thank God ram is cheap, and it's easily ... Oh wait.

[u/DoctorKomodo]

Who the hell uses Windows Media Player? I mean if you care even the slightest bit about media you're realistically using something else and the people who don't care aren't going to care about this swap either.

[u/7978_ → u/DoctorKomodo]

Unironically me. I use it to burn music to CD's for my car.

[u/X2Kraft → u/7978_]

The new media player also lets you rip discs surprisingly, not sure if it can do burning.

[u/ParanoidalRaindrop → u/DoctorKomodo]

Almost all of my music library was ripped in WMP. I'd still use it, but they broke whatever feature was used to autofill album information. Previously, it was a perfectly fine tool for the purpose.

[u/Serious_Office3913 → u/ParanoidalRaindrop]

The servers have been turned off

[u/ParanoidalRaindrop → u/Serious_Office3913]

I'll strip to turn em on again.

[u/Serious_Office3913]

doesn't Winamp still work?

[u/Cygnusaurus → u/Serious_Office3913]

Yes. You can still whip the llama’s ass.

[u/ratttertintattertins → u/Serious_Office3913]

It still works really well actually. I recently started using it again. It feels lightning fast on a modern PC and I was surprised it supported FLAC.

I’m using a version from 2013 iirc, you have to be a little careful where you download it from.

[u/Melbuf → u/Serious_Office3913]

yes but WACUP is better and actively being developed. its still winamp but not shitified

[u/Fitz911]

Windows Media Player? Like the 90s thing?

[u/Potential-Winner4601]

Remember Winamp? That was a great little app

[u/pkeith1986 → u/Potential-Winner4601]

Still is

[u/HarryTurney]

I'm sure all 3 who use that are upset

[u/colossusrageblack]

Foobar2000 is where it's at for music.

[u/nyiregyi → u/colossusrageblack]

My go to music player in the last 20 years. I use it on android too. Simple and perfect

[u/WantToSeeTits4545 → u/colossusrageblack]

I don't like its GUI, AIMP works better for me.

[u/EdliA]

Shitty editorialized tittles

[u/Fine_Engineer7514 → u/EdliA]

Love me some tittles

[u/clothanger]

Yeah OP had to include "which is basic and yet uses more RAM" while original title just stops at "to the modern app" lmao.

What a pathetic attempt of ragebaiting man.

[u/Alu_card_10 → u/clothanger]

is it ragebait if he isn't wrong?

[u/clothanger → u/Alu_card_10]

It is. I understand you guys have to say "I hate windows" every single day otherwise you can't function normally, but seriously tho you are pathetic.

[u/Anustart2023-01 → u/clothanger]

I hope Microslop is paying you well for this comment. 

[u/Alu_card_10 → u/clothanger]

ok buddy

[u/greentiger → u/Alu_card_10]

The enshittification continues.

Why are they devoting resources to nerfing the old stuff which isn’t bothering anyone?

Because it gave the user too much of a feeling of control.

Nowadays, us peasants should get those lofty ideas out of our heads and be grateful that we have a basic player for our streamed content.

To put this in context, as an example, PowerBI is a tool used to surface/expose data.

That’s what they want our interactions with Windows to be, an extension of that paradigm. As a window pane into something, but not our something, their something.

Shame.

[u/acab56 → u/clothanger]

It's a beautiful sight, 5 years ago they were still sucking off windows, and 12 or so years ago reddit was claiming it was 'impossible' that i was getting better performance in borderlands the pre sequal on linux than windows on my dual booted system.

When I was getting 45 fps on my i5 4440 and gt 710 at 1280x1024 on windows with all lowest settings, physx turned off, and a solid 60fps at the same resolution with all settings maxed out with physx turned off on linux. Because the native linux steam port of that game is a masterclass in open GL optimisation.

The response I got was 'REEEE IMPOSSIBLE WINDOWS R DA BEST' lol

[u/M4K4T4K]

The new windows media player is fucking garbage and whoever made it should feel bad.

[u/jolly_rodger42]

Still rocking Winamp

[u/7978_]

Wow, modern app uses more RAM than a 20 year old app? Shocking.

[u/RUPlayersSuck]

Ah - I remember going through a few Media Player skins. Think my favourite one was the one that made it look like the control panel from an alien spacecraft. Blue Energy I think it was called?

[u/_Xee]

PotPlayer.

[u/SheActuallyFarts]

VLC for the win

[u/Gomez-16]

Everything is a model of inefficiency. We fixed a bug in the clock here is a 4gig update. Browsers are stupidly bloated. Game launchers are 1-2gigs when all it should be is a button that says play and a license check.

[u/Melbuf]

VLC, MPV, PotPlayer. MPC-HC,.... there are tons of other and better options

[u/DeltaPeak1]

Yet again: why would anyone use it to begin with when options like VLC and MPC-HC exist?

[u/Apprehensive_Web_800]

thats nice have you met my friend VLC

[u/toqer]

I kind of feel like things are slowly dumbing down since the 2000's. 2000's was "Let's see what we can do with this!" and now it's "Take what I give you"

WMP was inspired by Winamp (1997). Granted media player had been in Windows since 91, but the actual skinnable stuff didn't show up until Windows Me (2000)

Stuff like skinning, plugins, it's all but vanished from most modern mainstream applications. Granted there's still stuff out there that uses it. Most notable Reaper (which was made by the Winamp author)

Take a trip down nostalgia lane.

Winamp Skin Museum

[u/Vtempero]

V

[u/Ravvynfall]

1 step forward, 12 steps back. every single time.

[u/Grimmhoof]

VLC for life.

[u/jbca909]

I use it for work actually 

[u/Levoso_con_v]

VLC and ImageGlass btw

[u/Psykosoma]

Oh no! Microsoft is releasing a new product with fewer features and more bugs to replace an old product that functions perfectly fine?

https://giphy.com/gifs/cVpjeYHKM84pkb5L2V

[u/H3rioon]

what are you talking about an app this is a pc not a phone

[u/VisibleTangerine3127]

It's really ridiculous that the majority of PC-users still accept this windows-bullsh*t. Even my children (both under 10 years old) can use (and the older one even install) Linux. Just use it. It won't hurt.

[u/designerlemons → u/VisibleTangerine3127]

No thanks im already insufferable enough

[u/Serious_Office3913 → u/VisibleTangerine3127]

Can you rip your music and have the titles automatically added?

[u/Tower21 → u/Serious_Office3913]

Yes, several options are available, asunder is one example.

[u/debopudobudepo → u/VisibleTangerine3127]

Ya it's so fun having to know 30 terminal commands to install a single program

[u/Noah18923]

nobody uses that shit

[u/ParanoidalRaindrop]

They already bricked the media data recognition like a year ago. I don't care about skims, but adding song titles to ripped CDs is a must.

[u/ArseBurner]

Haven't used WMP since Windows 10 came out. The last time it was good was during 7 IMO.

[u/SnowStormYukikaze]

K lite codec or VLC

[u/invyros]

I refuse to listen to Like Humans Do in a loop with this new media player.

[u/revanmj]

I wonder why put an effort into removing a feature from a legacy app?

[u/Monsta_Owl]

Urgh we need to pivot away like FR. Thank you Lord Gaben for SteamOS.

[u/Double_DeluXe]

Still running off the 2013 CCCP pack with MP-HC.

[u/ShootingStar-NX]

f ck OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOFF

[u/Berxo-Ostia]

Damn, microsoft is really going downhill these last few days, every news about them is dissapointing

[u/RisingPhil]

Microsoft is just decaying, man. As a programmer, I don't even know what to do with my relatives who use Windows, man. On the one hand I kinda want to move them away from Windows. But it's still the mainstream option. I think they'd have a hard time transitioning, especially because they'd have to abandon the applications they know.

I was hoping that Windows 11's failure would push Microsoft to release something decent again.

But this news tells me something else.