Windows Media Player 11.2606.19.0 for Windows

Windows Media Player 11.2606.19.0 is Microsoft's free media player and media library for Windows. There is usually nothing to download: on Windows 10 and 11 the classic player is an optional feature you enable in Settings, and editions without it get the Media Feature Pack from Microsoft.

Overview

Windows Media Player dates back to 1991, and for a long time it was the default way to play music, watch videos and organise a local media library on a PC. It also edits tags, so you can fix titles, artists and album names in your files. Microsoft now splits the job between two apps. Windows Media Player Legacy, the familiar player with its library view, is still available as an optional feature of Windows 10 and 11. For modern video features such as 4K, Microsoft recommends the newer Media Player app, which follows its own release notes in the Windows Insider documentation. If you only need to play a local music collection or old playlists, the Legacy player is still perfectly usable; if you watch high-resolution video, the new app is the direction Microsoft is taking.

How to enable it

According to Microsoft Support, the Legacy player is included in clean installs of Windows 10, and in some editions of Windows 10 and in Windows 11 it is offered as an optional feature.

1. On Windows 10, open Start > Settings > Apps > Apps & features > Manage optional features.
2. Select Add a feature, find Windows Media Player and choose Install.
3. On Windows 11, add Windows Media Player Legacy from the optional features section of Settings in the same way.
4. On N editions of Windows, install the Media Feature Pack first.

System requirements

Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, so Windows 10 no longer receives free security fixes. The player still works there, but Microsoft recommends moving to Windows 11.

Security

Only enable the player through Windows Settings or the official Media Feature Pack. Sites that offer a standalone Windows Media Player installer are not Microsoft and may bundle unwanted software. Keep Windows Update on, since the player is serviced together with the system.

Pros and cons

• Pro: already part of Windows, no third-party installer.
• Pro: simple library and tag editing.
• Pro: free.
• Con: Legacy player is no longer where Microsoft adds new features.
• Con: limited format support compared with dedicated players.

Alternatives

If a file refuses to play, VLC media player, KMPlayer and GOM Player from our listings handle many formats on their own, and K-Lite Codec Pack adds codecs that Windows players can use.