Windows 7 – Trick To Set x64 Version Of WMP 12 As The Default Player

Windows 7 – Trick To Set x64 Version Of WMP 12 As The Default Player

Both, 32-bit as well as 64-bit version of WMP12 (Windows Media Player 12) is compatible with Windows 7 64-bit OS. However, 32-bit or X86 version of WMP12 has been used as a default player in Win 7 as it offers better codec support and compatibility.

Windows 7 keeps the system registry keys locked so as to secure the system from any malicious codes which often try to modify some WMP commands. Therefore, users are unable to manually change the default player in Win 7.

The 64-bit or X64 version of WMP12 has better features as compared to 32-bit version. As the 64-bit version of WMP12 enjoys an architecture advantage of 64-bit operating systems, it can play a video with better exposure and run faster as compared to 32-bit version. 64-bit WMP is used as a default player by Windows Media Center (WMC) as well.

If you wish to set 64-bit version of WMP12 as the default player in your Win 7 Operating System, you have to install some video codecs and unlock the system registry keys by making a few changes. Follow the simple procedure mentioned below to switch to X64 version of WMP12 and set it as the default player in Win 7.

Click on Start to display the Start Menu and type in “RegEdit” within the search bar followed by Enter to open the Registry Editor. If you are prompted by UAC, you need to choose “Yes”.
By taking ownership, obtain full power over the below mentioned system registry keys so as to unlock them.

HKLM\Software\CLASSES\CLSID\{45597c98-80f6-4549-84ff-752cf55e2d29}\LocalServer32

HKLM\Software\CLASSES\CLSID\{cdc32574-7521-4124-90c3-8d5605a34933}\LocalServer32

HKLM\Software\CLASSES\CLSID\{ed1d0fdf-4414-470a-a56d-cfb68623fc58}\LocalServer32

You need to then open the Command Prompt with admin rights and elevated privileges and type in the command mentioned below:

%WinDir%\system32\unregmp2.exe /SwapTo:64

Go to Registry Editor and go to the registry branch mentioned below:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\wmplayer.exe

In the right window pane, look for the subkey named “Path” and fix the value data to “%ProgramFiles%\Windows Media Player”. The default value data is ““%ProgramFiles ?x86?%\Windows Media Player”.
Close the Registry Editor.
You need to copy the below mentioned code and paste it in a text editor. Save the file with an extension “.reg”.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{45597c98-80f6-4549-84ff-752cf55e2d29}\LocalServer32]

@=hex(2):22,00,25,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,46,00,69,00,6c,\

00,65,00,73,00,25,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,\

4d,00,65,00,64,00,69,00,61,00,20,00,50,00,6c,00,61,00,79,00,65,00,72,00,5c,\

00,77,00,6d,00,70,00,6c,00,61,00,79,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,\

22,00,20,00,2f,00,45,00,6e,00,71,00,75,00,65,00,75,00,65,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{cdc32574-7521-4124-90c3-8d5605a34933}\LocalServer32]

@=hex(2):22,00,25,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,46,00,69,00,6c,\

00,65,00,73,00,25,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,\

4d,00,65,00,64,00,69,00,61,00,20,00,50,00,6c,00,61,00,79,00,65,00,72,00,5c,\

00,77,00,6d,00,70,00,6c,00,61,00,79,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,\

22,00,20,00,2f,00,42,00,75,00,72,00,6e,00,43,00,44,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{ed1d0fdf-4414-470a-a56d-cfb68623fc58}\LocalServer32]

@=hex(2):22,00,25,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,46,00,69,00,6c,\

00,65,00,73,00,25,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,\

4d,00,65,00,64,00,69,00,61,00,20,00,50,00,6c,00,61,00,79,00,65,00,72,00,5c,\

00,77,00,6d,00,70,00,6c,00,61,00,79,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,\

22,00,20,00,2f,00,50,00,6c,00,61,00,79,00,00,00

Run this registry registration file so as to merge the respective values into the system registry.
Finally, unpin the 32-bit WMP12 shortcut from the taskbar so that the taskbar doesn’t show two Windows Media Player icons. In order to pin 64-bit WMP12 to the taskbar, you need to simply right-click on 64-bit WMP12 in the Start Menu and choose the option “Pin to Taskbar” from the right-click context menu.

Alternatively, you may just download the Switcher zip package “Win7-WMP-x64.zip” for x86 and x64 WMP12 which includes all the files necessary for either setting x64 WMP12 as default or reverting back to 32-bit WMP12.

Unzip the contents into a folder with the same name. Now, open Command Prompt with admin rights and run the file “Set_WMP_x64.cmd” in order to set X64 WMP 12 as the default player. Similarly, you can run the file “Set_WMP_x86.cmd” to revert back to x86 WMP12.

Instead, if you want to revert back to x86 WMP12 using a manual registry trick, you need to follow the steps as mentioned below.

Run the below mentioned command in the Command Prompt with admin rights.
Now, open Registry Editor and go to the registry branch mentioned below:
Change value data of the registry subkey called “Path” to “%ProgramFiles ?x86?%\Windows Media Player”
Copy the below mentioned code and paste it in a text editor. Save the file with an extension “.reg” and run this registry registration file so as to merge the system registry keys and corresponding values to modify the file associations related to WMP.
Lastly, you need to re-pin the icon for X86 WMP12 onto the Win 7 Taskbar.

“%WinDir%\system32\unregmp2.exe /SwapTo:32”

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\wmplayer.exe

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{45597c98-80f6-4549-84ff-752cf55e2d29}\LocalServer32]

@=hex(2):22,00,25,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,46,00,69,00,6c,\

00,65,00,73,00,28,00,78,00,38,00,36,00,29,00,25,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,\

64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,4d,00,65,00,64,00,69,00,61,00,20,00,50,00,6c,\

00,61,00,79,00,65,00,72,00,5c,00,77,00,6d,00,70,00,6c,00,61,00,79,00,65,00,\

72,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,22,00,20,00,2f,00,45,00,6e,00,71,00,75,00,65,\

00,75,00,65,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{cdc32574-7521-4124-90c3-8d5605a34933}\LocalServer32]

@=hex(2):22,00,25,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,46,00,69,00,6c,\

00,65,00,73,00,28,00,78,00,38,00,36,00,29,00,25,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,\

64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,4d,00,65,00,64,00,69,00,61,00,20,00,50,00,6c,\

00,61,00,79,00,65,00,72,00,5c,00,77,00,6d,00,70,00,6c,00,61,00,79,00,65,00,\

72,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,22,00,20,00,2f,00,42,00,75,00,72,00,6e,00,43,\

00,44,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{ed1d0fdf-4414-470a-a56d-cfb68623fc58}\LocalServer32]

@=hex(2):22,00,25,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,46,00,69,00,6c,\

00,65,00,73,00,28,00,78,00,38,00,36,00,29,00,25,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,\

64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,4d,00,65,00,64,00,69,00,61,00,20,00,50,00,6c,\

00,61,00,79,00,65,00,72,00,5c,00,77,00,6d,00,70,00,6c,00,61,00,79,00,65,00,\

72,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,22,00,20,00,2f,00,50,00,6c,00,61,00,79,00,00,\