Keep WMASF.DLL and WMVCORE.DLL when removing Windows Media Player

[AeonX]

These files are required for Sound Forge 9, Adobe Premiere CS6 and Adobe After Effects CS6. Maybe newer versions need it too (I haven't tested it).

I protect these files in my preset:

*\SysWOW64\WMASF.DLL
*\SysWOW64\WMVCORE.DLL
*\System32\WMASF.DLL
*\System32\WMVCORE.DLL

 

[pmikep]

Interesting. I'll have to remember these for next time. 'Cause when I remove WMP some of my video editors complain that WMP is missing.

 

[Clanger]

perhaps nuhi could add a compatibility option for those codecs, and others later on if they are needed?

 

[pmikep]

Good idea. IIRC, it was Windows Media Center that complained when I removed WMP. I'll try to do some testing in the next few days to confirm.

 

[Clanger]

ive never used wmc but something else i had moons ago moaned about missing codecs, probably SF.
out of interest apart from wma and wmv, what other MS audio/video file types are there?
some stuff might need the fraunhofer mp3 codec.

 

[Clanger]

pmikep any chance you could test Foobar2000 at the same time, thats a very popular media player.

 

[AeonX]

Windows Media Center depends on WMP in Windows 7 (at least NTLite lists this way):

Spoiler

There are several codecs from Microsoft (decoders, encoders and containers) for all types of media (AAC, Flac, H264, H265, MP3...). I believe that they will be removed along with Media Foundation. The codecs for WMA and WMV are probably removed along with Windows Media Codec and its 32 bit part.

As far as I know all third party players contain all the codecs they need. Foobar2000, AIMP, MPC-HC, VLC and PotPlayer do not depend on Microsoft codecs. However browsers and some games depend on these codecs. Some .wmv videos do not play correctly using third party decoders (Ex: LAV Filters). So I keep Media Foundation and Windows Media Codec with its 32 bit part to avoid problems with browsers and old games.

For streaming Audio/Video (Netflix, Youtube...) these codecs are required (taken from WinReducer database):

Spoiler

- AAC (Decoder)
- Dolby Digital (Decoder)
- Flac (Decoder)
- H264 (Decoder)
- H265 (Decoder)
- MP3 (Decoder)
- MKV (Container)
- MP4 (Container)
- MPEG2 Video (Decoder)
- Opus (Decoder)
- VP9 (Decoder)

 

[AeonX]

perhaps nuhi could add a compatibility option for those codecs, and others later on if they are needed?

Another option would be to include these files in Windows Media Codec.

 

[pmikep]

I am pleased to report that I removed Windows Media Player using NTLite Live. (At least, I think I did. See below)

Windows Media Center still works. (The WMC "hack" for Win10 from the guys at MyDigitalLife.) I noticed that nuhi had a sub-component for codecs necessary for Windows Media Codec. So I left that checked. (That is, I did not remove it.) I removed WMP Network Sharing Service and the Player.



However, the 'funny' thing is, the screen shot above was taken AFTER I removed Windows Media Player! NTLite showed two files being removed. But, as you can see in the screen shot, WMP Network Sharing still shows. And the check box for Windows Media Player is not grayed out, as it was when I processed the first time.

(This is the type of thing I see with Windows mail dll, that I reported elsewhere in the forum. I don't know if Windows is putting these things back in, or if they're phantom entries in NTLite.)

Now, 'for fun' I'll remove everything but will protect the four files at the start of this thread to see what happens.

 

[pmikep]

Okay, more news.

First, removing everything (but with the four files above protected) prevents my version of WMC from seeing my tuner. So although WMC opens, it cannot show live TV. (I didn't think to check if it could play back recorded TV. Sorry.)

So I restored my previous image of Win10 and started again.

Second, as to my post above, well, some of the problem there is the "nut behind the wheel" here.

I took a screen shot this time of what NTLite looks like before processing anything.

I have already unchecked Windows Media Player -32 bit and also WMP Network Sharing Service.



But notice that WMP Network Sharing Service is still gray.

So I had to expand it and then also uncheck WMP Sharing Service - 32 bit under it.



(I cannot tell you how many times I am caught by these gray boxes. It seems to me that when I uncheck a box, that all the children under the check box should also be unchecked, and the parent box should go white. But it doesn't. This forces me to expand any gray box to see what's lurking underneath.)

Okay, so then I processed the changes. Upon reboot, I ran NTLite again and this time, viola! all is gone, as it should be, leaving only the Codec and Media Center. (Although why Windows Media Play is not gray now (as it was in the above screen shot) I do not know.)

 

[AeonX]

This usually happens when a sub-component is protected by compatibility or has some dependency.

In your case WMP Network Sharing Service - 32 bit depends on Windows Media Player - 32 bit so if you deselect Windows Media Player - 32 bit first the WMP Network Sharing Service - 32 bit will be deselected as well and WMP Network Sharing Service will be grayed out. That was exactly the behavior of NTLite here with me. I don't have these problems that you reported.

And from what I understand it seems that you removed only Windows Media Player - 32 bit and not Windows Media Player completely.

Media Center is listed as a sub-component of Windows Media Player so if you remove WMP completely you will also remove Media Center at least in theory. But perhaps NTLite is not ready to remove Media Center completely in Windows 10 since that component is not standard in that version of Windows.

In order to have Media Center working in theory you would have to maintain Windows Media Player and remove only Windows Media Player - 32 bit and the WMP Network Sharing Service.