Windows Media player does not auto-start

[rccatnap]

Until recently, when friends sent an an attachment with a *.wmv file, on clicking the attachment The Windows Movie player automatically started and played the clip.
Now I have to manually start up the Media player to watch the clip.
Everything else seems OK.
Using Vista Ultimate 32 bit. Outlook express 8 and Windows Media player 11.
Any thoughts?
Thanks for any ideas.

[rccatnap]

I should add that the sound does start.

[Prescott]

Have you tried re-installing your Media Player ?

[rccatnap]

Thank you, yes, but I get the message that there is a later version installed, so will not carry on. I thought about uninstalling it then reinstalling but cannot find it on my installed programmes through Control Panel.

[Kidd72]

Maybe it's the files, and WMP is not set as you default player, if you go into properties of one of the files and check 'opens with' if its not set on WMP then go to change and select it. If you have more than one file in the folder then they should all also change to WMP been the default player.

I'm using XP but I cant see how Vista would make much difference.

[rccatnap]

No, I don't think it should either, I just included the information to give a base to work from.
Have tried uninstalling all the updates for the media centre and a system restore to a month ago, but I still have to start the Media Player manually. Have made it my default player for wmv files.
Apart from this hiccup everything seems to work fine.

[Billy_Sugger]

Better to change it in Default programs

[rccatnap]

Thanks to you all, yes Default Programmes attended to, but still the same; Curious!

[Mobius1]

Is it perhaps your security settings in Outlook that are causing the problem? In Outlook go to Tools > Options > Security. Look in there and make sure that checkbox "Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus" is unchecked. My partner uses Outlook Express and they had a similar problem although it was not with WMV files. See if that's any use.

Personally I do not recommend Outlook Express and have tried to get my partner to stop using to no avail. Personally I use Thunderbird, which is free and much more secure. No accounting for taste I guess, and what works!

[rccatnap]

Thanks Mobius1, I've not really ever had a problem with OE and as everything else is OK, I'll stay with the small inconvenience for the time being.