It depends what sort of file you are trying to play and what other media players you have installed on your computer. If for example it is a .WMV file then it will usually automatically play in Windows Media player when you double-click on it or right-click and select play.
If you have another player installed though your defaults may have been set to use that software which would mean you would need to right-click on the file and select Open With... Depending on the version of Windows you have a dialogue box will be displayed and you can select Windows Media Player from a list of available, suitable programs. To change the defaults back or to make Windows Media Player the default for other file types select the Tools Menu and Options. There will be a File Types tab and you can check all the video types that are required.
On playing a file Windows Media Player should automatically add it to the library unless you have deselected that option. You can also manage the library by selecting the folders you want Media Player to scan and they will be included in the Videos section.
Windows Media Player is not compatible with all file types though so if the video is not playing it may be necessary to get another player, such as VLC, which covers more formats. Web videos can be converted or captured using software available to download and you can then watch them in Media Player offline.
If you have another player installed though your defaults may have been set to use that software which would mean you would need to right-click on the file and select Open With... Depending on the version of Windows you have a dialogue box will be displayed and you can select Windows Media Player from a list of available, suitable programs. To change the defaults back or to make Windows Media Player the default for other file types select the Tools Menu and Options. There will be a File Types tab and you can check all the video types that are required.
On playing a file Windows Media Player should automatically add it to the library unless you have deselected that option. You can also manage the library by selecting the folders you want Media Player to scan and they will be included in the Videos section.
Windows Media Player is not compatible with all file types though so if the video is not playing it may be necessary to get another player, such as VLC, which covers more formats. Web videos can be converted or captured using software available to download and you can then watch them in Media Player offline.
