To create this article, 15 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewedtimes. Learn more Media Center has been discontinued, but you can still get it for Windows 7 or 8.
If you are using Windows 10, you'll need to use an enthusiast-made hacked version, as Windows Media Center has been completely disabled. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue. No account yet? Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy.
Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article PRO. Explore this Article methods. Related Articles. Author Info Last Updated: May 6, Method 1 of Download windows media center 8 free the process. Windows Media Center has been discontinued, and is no longer supported by Microsoft. Because of this, it is not possible to install Windows Media Center the traditional way you would do so in Windows You can use the following steps to get Windows Media Center up and running, but be prepared for issues and quirks.
Download the necessary files. You'll need a repacked version of Windows Media Center created by enthusiasts. You will need the ability to open RAR files in order to extract the files. Extract the folder. Use your RAR extraction program to open and extract the files.
Place it on your root system drive usually the C: drive. Open the folder you extracted the files to. You should see several files here. Right-click on. A command prompt window will appear and start installing automatically. Another command prompt window will appear. You'll be prompted to exit the window once installation is complete. Run Windows Media Center. You should be able to launch Windows Media Center by searching for it on the Start menu, or by looking in the "Windows Accessories" folder.
Download additional codecs if necessary. Some users have reported issues playing all of their files due to missing codecs. If this is the case, you can install codec packs from various sources online.
Look for the "Shark" codec pack for Windows 10 and 8. Method 2 of Windows Media Center was not included in Windows 8 when it was released, and is only available in the Pro version of Windows 8.
It is not included in the standard version of 8. This is the only legal way to get Windows Media Center on Windows 8. Upgrade Windows 8 to 8. You'll need Windows 8. The upgrade to 8. See How to Download the Free Windows 8. Determine which pack you need.
There are two different packs that give Windows 8. Purchase the upgrade. You can buy the upgrade pack directly from Microsoft, or you can buy a key from a retailer from places like Amazon and Best Buy.
Add the new pack key to Windows 8. Once you have the key, you can enter it in Windows so that download windows media center 8 free upgrade can be downloaded and installed.
Select "Add features to Windows 8. Choose "I already have a product key". Enter the key into the field. Wait for your files to be installed. After entering the key and accepting the terms, the upgrade files will be downloaded and installed. Your computer will automatically download windows media center 8 free once the installation is complete.
Once your computer restarts and you receive confirmation that installation is complete, you can launch Windows Media Center from the Start screen. Put off upgrading to Windows All Windows 8. Windows Media Center has been discontinued, and is not available on Windows You can use the workaround at the top of this article, but download windows media center 8 free may not be able to get it to work properly.
For now, consider sticking with Windows 8. Method 3 of Download windows media center 8 free you have the correct version of Windows 7.
If you have either of these versions, you'll need to upgrade to at least Home Premium in order to get access to Media Center. You'll need to purchase an upgrade key download windows media center 8 free you want to upgrade your version download windows media center 8 free Windows 7. Open the Control Panel. If you have a supported version of Windows 7, but can't open Windows Media Center, it may likely be disabled during installation.
You can start enabling it from the Control Panel, which you can open from the Start menu. Click "Programs" or "Programs and Features". This will open a list of all of the programs installed on your computer. Click "Turn Windows features on or off".
This will open a list of all of the Windows features that have been enabled or disabled. You will need administrator access to open this list. Expand the "Media Features" option. It is download windows media center 8 free possible to legally get Windows Media Center in these versions.
You'll need to upgrade to a version download windows media center 8 free Windows 7 or 8. Check the Windows Media Center box. Click "OK" to begin installing the feature. This may take several minutes to complete. Launch Windows Media Center. After being enabled, you can find Windows Media Center in your Start menu. If you can't find it, type "Windows Media Center" into the search download windows media center 8 free. Avoid upgrading to Windows If you rely on Windows Media Center, you may want to put off the free upgrade to Windows Microsoft has terminated the Windows Media Center project, and it is no longer supported in Windows There is a workaround available outlined at the the top of this page, but it results in limited functionality.
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Related wikiHows How to. How to. Co-authors: Updated: May 6,
