Windows Media Player trying to get online! (1 Viewer)

[Timon Russo]

I want to use this program to play CDs and DVDs, and don't need it to dial out on my internet connection to get song names or update playlists or search for updates to the program or any of that crap. How can I stop from constantly having to cancel that dial-up connection box?

 

[JustinCleveland]

It's probably either aquiring a license, or accessing the CDDB to give you a track list.

 

[Tekara]

actually it's that little media guide in it, it loads up an internet page for it's content.

I know there's some options in the preferences to turn off a lot of the accessing the internet. I would also reccomend a software firewall like zonealarm to block it's access completely.

 

[MikeFR]

Options privacy

 

[Timon Russo]

Thanks, but I still can't find anything about privacy in the options dialog.

Any other thoughts or more specific instructions?

 

[Rob Gillespie]

I'm not sure you can TOTALLY stop it accessing the web unless you run a firewall capable of monitoring outgoing traffic (i.e. ZoneAlarm).

However it sounds like your dialup connection is configured to automatically spring up whenever something wants the web. Look in your Internet Options / Connections and make sure it's set to 'never dial a connection'. I think that will at least stop MP trying to dial out.

MP is not alone in this type of behaviour. RealPlayer tries to access the web after almost every clip you play. Pile of crap.

 

[Mark Shannon]

WMP only tries to access AFTER I close the program.

 

[MikeFR]

What version are you running?

In 9, under tools>options on the privacy tab, there are 5 checkboxes that deal with connecting to the internet. The only ones you would want checked are "acquire media information" and possibly "update my media files...".

You cannot, to my knowledge, completely stop windows media player from accessing the internet without using a firewall.

To minimize its access:

On the player tab of the options dialogue there are 3 option buttons for "checking for updates", best option is once a month. There are also checkboxes for: "Download codec's automatically", "Start player in media guide", and "connect to the internet". Uncheck all of those.

 

[Timon Russo]

Thanks guys. I am running the XP version (8 maybe?). There is no privacy tab under options. I already have it set to look for updates once a month, and the other things that might cause it to dial-out have been unchecked for a while (there isn't one called "connect to the internet"). I'll try the other thing, I guess, and tell Windows never to dial-out; hopefully that won't mess up anything else.

 

[Timon Russo]

Selecting "NEVER CONNECT" in Internet settings fixed it. Thanks again.

 

[MikeFR]

You might want to upgrade to 9, its great.