installed codec pack 12.3.0 on win 10 64 and now windows media player has no sound

I am running windows 10, 64 bits on an Asus motherboard and nvidea gforce sound card. I installed the latest version of K-Lite mega codec pack 12.3.0 and now windows media players both 32 and 64 bit versions will not play sound on any file format. Groove music plays find, VLC media player plays fine, and MPC-HC 64 plays fine. I am only having trouble with media player. I first installed with mostly the LAV codecs being used, so I reinstalled with mostly the ffdshow codecs being used, but neither installation worked. If anyone has any idea as to what the problem is and how to fix it please let me know.
Thanks very much in advance.

It doesn't seem to be codec related. Have you also tried audio files, such as MP3? It doesn't show any errors and is just silent? Are you able to change the volume level and click on the mute button?

Click on the Windows volume icon in the right bottom corner of the screen. You should be able to see the volume of each individual active application. WMP might be set to lowest value.

Another possible solution:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypU7DY28cao

"It doesn't seem to be codec related. Have you also tried audio files, such as MP3? It doesn't show any errors and is just silent? Are you able to change the volume level and click on the mute button?

Click on the Windows volume icon in the right bottom corner of the screen. You should be able to see the volume of each individual active application. WMP might be set to lowest value."

I have tried several media formats including MP3, WAV, WMA, etc. and none of them make a sound in windows media player. I have changed the volume level on the wmp and there is no response. The wmp volume level is the same level as the master level, and both levels work with other players as well as the mute button. I have also clicked on the icon and all of the levels are the same. Not to be rude, but I am a computer tech and programmer and have been for 38 years, of course I checked those items. Windows media player worked fine before I installed the latest codec pack and not there is no sound coming from it, and only windows media player has been affected. Also, my windows media service is working just fine. Checked all of that before and it seems that you do not understand that only windows media player 32 and 64 bit programs are not producing sound. All of my other media players are fine. It cannot be something on my computer that is not codec related, because the system does not single out programs in that way. It has to be in how the codec installation linked the windows media players to the codecs and or other settings that the installer changed.

I didn't have any knowledge about your level of expertise or what you have already tried. I ask all these questions for a reason. I have helped hundreds of people, with great success, and information (no matter how trivial in some cases) is key to solving problems. Users often neglect to mention things themselves.

It is unlikely that codecs are involved because the problem only affects WMP. Also because all formats are involved. The codec pack also doesn't have any effect on playback of for example MP3. WMP uses codecs from Microsoft for that.

Did you already upgrade to Windows 10 Anniversary Update?

Things to try:
Control Panel > Sounds > Speakers > Properties > Enhancements > disable
(Win10 Anniversary Update has some bugs with regard to that functionality)

WMP > right-click on video > More Options > Devices > Speakers > Properties > select "Default Audio Device"

WMP > right-click on video > Enhancements > did you ever change anything here?

Reset WMP library:

- Reboot the PC.
- Go to Start, type services.msc in the Search field, and press Enter. In Services, find the Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service. If its status is Started, double-click the service and click Stop.
- Go to Start, type %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft in the Search field, and press Enter. This folder will open up in Windows Explorer.
- In this folder, delete the Media Player folder. If you can't see the folder, then it's probably hidden. Set Explorer to show hidden files and folders, and to show protected system files.
- Start WMP, your library will have been reset and will be rebuilt.

Open the Registry Editor (regedit.exe) and navigate to this key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\LowRegistry\Audio\PolicyConfig\PropertyStore

Search for "wmplayer.exe" and remove any subkey that contains it. This key stores information regarding audio volume. Removing it will reset things to default.
(the key name might make you think it is related to the browser IE, but it isn't)

I you have Skype running in the background, try closing that, and check if sound works again in WMP.

"Things to try:
Control Panel > Sounds > Speakers > Properties > Enhancements > disable
(Win10 Anniversary Update has some bugs with regard to that functionality)

WMP > right-click on video > More Options > Devices > Speakers > Properties > select "Default Audio Device"

WMP > right-click on video > Enhancements > did you ever change anything here?"

These are some good places to check, but already done that and no effect.

also under Windows 10, and I had sadly converted back in march, I found this setting
WMP > right-click on video > More Options > Devices > Speakers > Properties > select "Default Audio Device"
under
WMP > click on tools > Options > "a window pups up" click tab - Devices > Highlight - Speakers > click - Properties > select "Default Audio Device"

I have found windows 10 to have some very annoying quirks - like the start menu not working sometimes, and with the "enhancements" problem I had not experienced it until I installed the trial plugin "DFX audio enhancement". I liked the better sound, but it is too expensive and it causes the sound to disappear from time to time and the only way that I have found to get it back is to reboot.
I do not run it now.

"Reset WMP library:

- Reboot the PC.
- Go to Start, type services.msc in the Search field, and press Enter. In Services, find the Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service. If its status is Started, double-click the service and click Stop.
- Go to Start, type %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft in the Search field, and press Enter. This folder will open up in Windows Explorer.
- In this folder, delete the Media Player folder. If you can't see the folder, then it's probably hidden. Set Explorer to show hidden files and folders, and to show protected system files.
- Start WMP, your library will have been reset and will be rebuilt."

No effect on sound.

"Open the Registry Editor (regedit.exe) and navigate to this key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\LowRegistry\Audio\PolicyConfig\PropertyStore

Search for "wmplayer.exe" and remove any subkey that contains it. This key stores information regarding audio volume. Removing it will reset things to default.
(the key name might make you think it is related to the browser IE, but it isn't)"

I thought that this one might actually work and it is a very good one that I had not considered, and kudos to you, but alas, there were no entries under the PolicyConfig\PropertyStore that contained wmplayer.exe I check several times and even did a full registry check and found no similar keys with wmplayer.exe underneath.

I really appreciate your help and excellent ideas. This one really has me stumped and I am sure that you are puzzled as well.

"I you have Skype running in the background, try closing that, and check if sound works again in WMP."

I do not run Skype since Microsoft took it over. I have always found that Microsoft usually hires the worst programmers, or their restrictions on their programmers make their code full of bugs, and probably due to the departmentalization of code without standardization of code and lack of structural guidelines. I hate spaghetti code and poor object code where passed parameters are not objectified. I haven't become familiar enough with windows 10 yet to find and fix a lot of problems with tweaks or workarounds yet. I am finding it troublesome, as you can see. I do however use google hangouts and casts, but I have not yet had any issues with them that would indicate that they might be the culprit.

Again I really appreciate your help and good ideas. They are helping me analyze this better, but I still have not found the solution.
Thanks Admin.

Oh, and I had not touched or changed a single thing other that installing the codec pack. I litterally just stopped listening to wmp, closed it, downloaded the mega pack 12.3.0, installed it, and then re-started wmp and no sound.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\NodeCLSIDs

For each subkey, change the "AutoInsert" value to 0. These are those enhancement filters from WMP options.

Could you test if re-installing DFX makes a difference? If it doesn't just uninstall it again.

https://www.fxsound.com/support/dfx/index.php

Also re-install the sound driver.

I am currently out of further ideas. Have there been any other changes to your system in the days before the problem started? Or other software that was installed or removed.

"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\NodeCLSIDs

For each subkey, change the "Auto Insert" value to 0. These are those enhancement filters from WMP options."

This was a good idea, and I thought it would work because of windows 10 quirks with the enhancements, but no luck. There was no effect.

"Could you test if re-installing DFX makes a difference? If it doesn't, just uninstall it again.

https://www.fxsound.com/support/dfx/index.php"

I installed it again like you suggested, but again, there was no effect on windows media player sound with it installed or uninstalled.

"Also re-install the sound driver.

I am currently out of further ideas. Have there been any other changes to your system in the days before the problem started? Or other software that was installed or removed."

I uninstalled and then re-installed the realtek high definition audio driver like you suggested here, but again no effect.

I am sorry that it has taken a couple of days to respond, but life has kept me busy. I am very stumped, but I am going to uninstall the K-Lite 12.30 mega codec pack and re-install the K-lite mega codec pack version 11.10 that I had on there before and see if by chance that has an effect on it and the sound for windows media player returns. I will let you know what happens. This situation really has my curiosity levels peaked. Being a computer nerd myself, I have to know what in the world is causing the problem. At least one of the solutions that you have suggested should have worked. I myself am baffled as to why none of them have made a difference. I guess if uninstalling 12.30 and re-installing 11.10 does not work, then I might have to do a system restore to a point before I installed it. I do not like doing it, but I may have no choice. I do not believe that I can uninstall windows media player and reinstall the same version that I have.

I have never seen anyone with this specific problem before. And there are a few million users...

To re-install WMP:
Start > Run > appwiz.cpl > Turn Windows features on or off > Media Features
First disable WMP. Then reboot. Then able it again.