Vista WMP11 can't open media web links

I have updated to windows media player 11 and my problem is that whenever i click on hyperlink on any web page having wma, mpg, etc media file than a new tab get opened in internet explorer saying:

Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage
Most likely causes:
You are not connected to the Internet.
The website is encountering problems.
There might be a typing error in the address.

I don't have any issue in downloading and playing those content but media player 11 wont play media web links. What might be wrong? has anyone else faced the same issue???

Try this:

• Go to start > Default Programs > select "Set Program Access and Computer Default' > Click on Continue and select Custom
• Now Scroll down the list and Select Windows Media Player under "choose a default media player' section
• Save the setting, restart your system and try cross check the media web links and let me know if they get played without any issues or not.

maratha i have tried out the solution that you have mentioned above but that's not helping. I am still getting the same response when i am trying to play media files. It seems as if there is something wrong with the media player but i am not sure about it as it plays those videos fine once downloaded.

Sam here, windows media player in windows vista machine wont play media web links files and comes up with the same message that you have mentioned above. I have tried disabling my antivirus think that it might be blocking media player form playing those files, i have uninstalled all third party media players that i was having installed but no avail. what are my options further?? will uninstalling and reinstalling media player help??? has anyone tried that out???

I have already tried repairing and reinstalling media player 11 but it still fails to stream media files. I have checked out other forums for a fix on this issue and have found this issue is specific to vista. Some people have also suggested to reinstall vista, i don't think we really need to do that. There should be some other solution for fixing this issue.

I think the program association of MMS protocol to media player 11 might have got changed and in order to set it correctly you can follow below steps:

• Go to Control Panel > Programs > Default Programs and click on "Associate a file type or protocol with a specific program link".
• Now in Set Associations window simply highlight MMS (URL:MMS Protocol), click on "Change program" button and select "Windows Media Player" there.
• Once you have set program association of MMS protocol correctly media player 11 should play all streaming media contents without any issues.

You can try out the solution Manik has mentioned but if that doesn't work than you can try out below things.

• First Register the wmnetmgr.dll file by running below command in command prompt as administrator
• regsvr32 wmnetmgr.dll
• If that doesn't help than delete wmsdkns.xml file located at C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows Media\11.0 folder, restart your system, start media player so that it recreates wmsdkns.xml file and try playing the media file with which you were getting the mentioned error.

Manik your solution worked out for me, i have just set program association of MMS protocol for windows media player as you have mentioned and now i don't have any issue in playing media files. I was thinking of reinstalling vista but your solution was a time saver.