Media Feature Pack for N versions of Windows 10

Media Feature Pack for N versions of Windows 10

Windows 10 N editions include the same functionality as Windows 10, except that these versions of Windows do not include Windows Media Player, and related technologies.

End-user customers can enable the media functionality to work properly by installing the Media Feature Pack for N versions of Windows 10 (KB3145500).

This feature pack can be applied to computers running Windows 10 N editions.

Supported Operating System

• Windows 10
• Windows 10 Home N, Windows 10 Pro N, Windows 10 Education N, Windows 10 Enterprise N, Windows 10 Enterprise N Eval

1. Select the appropriate version of Windows 10 N from the drop down list below. If your version does not appear in the list, please go to KB3145500 to find the appropriate Media Feature Pack for your version of Windows.
2. Do one of the following:
   • To start the installation immediately, click Run.
   • To save the download to your computer for installation at a later time, click Save.
   • To cancel the installation, click Cancel.

Downloads

Select your version of Windows from the dropdown list below. If your version does not appear in the list, please go to KB3145500 to find the appropriate Media Feature Pack for your version of Windows.

Media Feature Pack for Windows 10 N (October 2020)

Summary

This update provides support for media features in Windows 10 N. These include media-related technologies (Windows Media Player) and certain preinstalled media apps, such as Groove Music, Movies & TV, Voice Recorder, and Skype. You must install additional software from Microsoft to have this communication functionality and to play or to create audio CDs, media files, and video DVDs, to stream music, or to take and store pictures.

How to get this update

Microsoft Optional Features

The Media Feature Pack for N versions of Windows 10 is available for download as an Optional Feature. To install the Media Feature Pack, navigate to Settings > Apps > Apps and Features > Optional Features > Add a Feature and find the Media Feature Pack in the list of available Optional Features. Note, you will not be prompted to restart your computer, but you must restart in order to successfully complete installation of the Media Feature Pack.

Additional steps
After you have installed the Media Feature Pack, there are additional apps that can be installed from the Store to regain additional Windows 10 functionality. Such apps include (but are not limited to):

Media codecs for playback of media in apps and in the browser:

Update information

Prerequisites

To install this update, you must have Windows 10 N installed.

Registry information

To apply this update, you don’t have to make any changes to the registry.

Restart requirement

You must restart the computer after you apply this update.

Update replacement information

This update doesn’t replace a previously released update.

More information

Excluded features

Windows 10 N includes the same functionality as other Windows 10 editions, except for Windows Media Player and related technologies. Customers can restore the functionality of these technologies by installing the Media Feature Pack for N versions of Windows 10. These technologies include, but are not limited to, the following features:

Windows Media Player user experience: Enables Windows Media Player features, such as the ability to play media files and audio CDs, manage media in a library, create a playlist, provide metadata (including album art) for media, create an audio CD, transfer music to a portable music player, and play streaming content from a website.

Windows Media Player ActiveX control: Exposes methods and properties to manipulate multimedia playback from a webpage or an application.

Windows Media Format: Provides support for the Advanced Systems Format (ASF) file container, the Windows Media audio and video codecs, basic network streaming capability, and digital rights management (DRM).

Windows Media DRM: Enables the secure delivery of protected content for playback on a computer, portable device, or network device.

Media sharing and Play To: Enables music, pictures, and videos on a networked computer to be shared with other computers and devices on the same network. Also enables computers to find those kinds of files on the network.

Media Foundation: Provides support for content protection, audio and video quality, and interoperability for DRM.

Windows Portable Devices (WPD) infrastructure: Communicates with attached media and storage devices that include devices that support the Media Transfer Protocol.

MPEG, WMA, AAC, FLAC, ALAC, AMR, and Dolby Digital audio codecs: Enable the playback of digital audio content, such as MP3, WMA, MPEG-2 audio, AAC audio, FLAC and ALAC audio, and AC-3 audio.

VC-1, MPEG-4, and H.264, H.265, and H.263 codecs: Collectively known as «Standards-based codec components.» Enable Windows 10 program such as Windows Media Player to support activities that include the playback and recording of multimedia files that are encoded with standards-based codecs.

Groove Music: A preinstalled app that’s used to play digital music.

Video: A preinstalled app that’s used to play digital video.

Voice Recorder: A preinstalled app that’s used to record sounds.

Skype: A preinstalled app that’s used for messaging and communications.

Effects on other features

Some features aren’t excluded directly from Windows 10 N edition, but they are affected by the media technology exclusions and will not work even with the installation of the Media Feature Pack. These features include the following:

Alarms and clock: Alarm and timer sounds don’t play.

Application Sync: This feature doesn’t work.

Cortana Personal Assistant: Cortana with Voice (speech interaction with Cortana) doesn’t work.

New Microsoft Edge Browser: Certain video streaming websites may have incomplete functionality when accessed via the New Microsoft Edge Browser.

Group Policy for removable disks: This feature is not available in the N edition of Windows 10 Pro.

HomeGroup: Integrated media sharing through streaming features doesn’t work.

OneDrive and Photos: These applications cannot play videos.

PDF Viewing in Edge: This feature doesn’t work.

Sound Recorder: Recordings are limited to WAV format.

Webcam: This feature doesn’t work.

Windows 10 camera devices: Cameras that use the picture transfer protocol (PTP) don’t work.

Windows Hello: This feature doesn’t work.

Windows Mixed Reality: Windows 10 N is not compatible with Windows Mixed Reality.

Windows Portable Devices: There is no support for media synchronization, image acquisition, or file browsing.

Windows Store Media Content: Audio and video content that was obtained through the Store cannot be played. Also, the preview of audio or video content in the Store doesn’t work.

Wireless Display: This feature doesn’t work.

Xbox: Some functionality that’s associated with this application, such as Game DVR, doesn’t work.

Media Feature Pack for Windows 10 N (May 2020)

Summary

This update provides support for media features in Windows 10 N. These include media-related technologies (Windows Media Player) and certain preinstalled media apps, such as Groove Music, Movies & TV, Voice Recorder, and Skype. You must install additional software from Microsoft to have this communication functionality and to play or to create audio CDs, media files, and video DVDs, to stream music, or to take and store pictures.

How to get this update

Microsoft Optional Features

The Media Feature Pack for N versions of Windows 10 is available for download as an Optional Feature. To install the Media Feature Pack, navigate to Settings > Apps > Apps and Features > Optional Features > Add a Feature and find the Media Feature Pack in the list of available Optional Features. Note, you will not be prompted to restart your computer, but you must restart in order to successfully complete installation of the Media Feature Pack.

Additional steps
After you have installed the Media Feature Pack, there are additional apps that can be installed from the Store to regain additional Windows 10 functionality. Such apps include (but are not limited to):

Media codecs for playback of media in apps and in the browser:

Update information

Prerequisites

To install this update, you must have Windows 10 N installed.

Registry information

To apply this update, you don’t have to make any changes to the registry.

Restart requirement

You must restart the computer after you apply this update.

Update replacement information

This update doesn’t replace a previously released update.

More information

Excluded features

Windows 10 N includes the same functionality as other Windows 10 editions, except for Windows Media Player and related technologies. Customers can restore the functionality of these technologies by installing the Media Feature Pack for N versions of Windows 10. These technologies include, but are not limited to, the following features:

Windows Media Player user experience: Enables Windows Media Player features, such as the ability to play media files and audio CDs, manage media in a library, create a playlist, provide metadata (including album art) for media, create an audio CD, transfer music to a portable music player, and play streaming content from a website.

Windows Media Player ActiveX control: Exposes methods and properties to manipulate multimedia playback from a webpage or an application.

Windows Media Format: Provides support for the Advanced Systems Format (ASF) file container, the Windows Media audio and video codecs, basic network streaming capability, and digital rights management (DRM).

Windows Media DRM: Enables the secure delivery of protected content for playback on a computer, portable device, or network device.

Media sharing and Play To: Enables music, pictures, and videos on a networked computer to be shared with other computers and devices on the same network. Also enables computers to find those kinds of files on the network.

Media Foundation: Provides support for content protection, audio and video quality, and interoperability for DRM.

Windows Portable Devices (WPD) infrastructure: Communicates with attached media and storage devices that include devices that support the Media Transfer Protocol.

MPEG, WMA, AAC, FLAC, ALAC, AMR, and Dolby Digital audio codecs: Enable the playback of digital audio content, such as MP3, WMA, MPEG-2 audio, AAC audio, FLAC and ALAC audio, and AC-3 audio.

VC-1, MPEG-4, and H.264, H.265, and H.263 codecs: Collectively known as «Standards-based codec components.» Enable Windows 10 program such as Windows Media Player to support activities that include the playback and recording of multimedia files that are encoded with standards-based codecs.

Groove Music: A preinstalled app that’s used to play digital music.

Video: A preinstalled app that’s used to play digital video.

Voice Recorder: A preinstalled app that’s used to record sounds.

Skype: A preinstalled app that’s used for messaging and communications.

Effects on other features

Some features aren’t excluded directly from Windows 10 N edition, but they are affected by the media technology exclusions and will not work even with the installation of the Media Feature Pack. These features include the following:

Alarms and clock: Alarm and timer sounds don’t play.

Application Sync: This feature doesn’t work.

Cortana Personal Assistant: Cortana with Voice (speech interaction with Cortana) doesn’t work.

New Microsoft Edge Browser: Certain video streaming websites may have incomplete functionality when accessed via the New Microsoft Edge Browser.

Group Policy for removable disks: This feature is not available in the N edition of Windows 10 Pro.

HomeGroup: Integrated media sharing through streaming features doesn’t work.

OneDrive and Photos: These applications cannot play videos.

PDF Viewing in Edge: This feature doesn’t work.

Sound Recorder: Recordings are limited to WAV format.

Webcam: This feature doesn’t work.

Windows 10 camera devices: Cameras that use the picture transfer protocol (PTP) don’t work.

Windows Hello: This feature doesn’t work.

Windows Mixed Reality: Windows 10 N is not compatible with Windows Mixed Reality.

Windows Portable Devices: There is no support for media synchronization, image acquisition, or file browsing.

Windows Store Media Content: Audio and video content that was obtained through the Store cannot be played. Also, the preview of audio or video content in the Store doesn’t work.

Wireless Display: This feature doesn’t work.

Xbox: Some functionality that’s associated with this application, such as Game DVR, doesn’t work.

Media feature pack for Windows 10 N and Windows 10 KN editions

In Windows 10 1511, this update is superseded by update 3099229 for the November 2015 release of Media Feature Pack.

This Media Feature Pack applies to Windows 10 version 1508. If you have a different version of Windows, please go to KB 3145500 to find the appropriate Media Feature Pack for your version of Windows.

Introduction

The N and KN editions of Windows 10 include the same functionality as Windows 10, except for media-related technologies (Windows Media Player) and certain preinstalled media apps (Groove Music, Video, Voice Recorder, and Skype). You must install other software from Microsoft or a third-party for this communication functionality and to play or create audio CDs, media files, and video DVDs, to stream music, and to take and store pictures. New features such as Cortana and PDF viewing in the new Edge browser rely on Windows Media files that are not present in these editions.

Some websites and software, such as Windows Store apps or Microsoft Office, use Windows Media-related files that are not incorporated into these editions of Windows. Users can make these websites and software work correctly by installing the Media Feature Pack for N and KN editions of Windows 10.

More Information

Download information

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:

Download the update package now.

Excluded features

The N and KN editions include the same functionality as Windows 10 editions, except for Windows Media Player and related technologies. The excluded technologies include, but are not limited to, the following features:

Windows Media Player user experience: Enables Windows Media Player features such as the ability to play media files and audio CDs, manage media in a library, create a playlist, provide metadata (including album art) for media, create an audio CD, transfer music to a portable music player, and play streaming content from a website.

Windows Media Player ActiveX control: Exposes methods and properties to manipulate multimedia playback from a webpage or an app.

Windows Media Format: Provides support for the Advanced Systems Format (ASF) file container, the Windows Media audio and video codecs, basic network streaming capability, and digital rights management (DRM).

Windows Media DRM: Enables the secure delivery of protected content for playback on a computer, portable device, or network device.

Media sharing and Play To: Enables music, pictures, and videos on a networked computer to be shared with other computers and devices on the same network. Also enables computers to find those kinds of files on the network.

Media Foundation: Provides support for content protection, audio and video quality, and interoperability for DRM.

Windows 8.1 Portable Devices (WPD) infrastructure: Communicates with attached media and storage devices, including devices that support the Media Transfer Protocol.

MPEG, WMA, AAC, FLAC, ALAC, AMR, and Dolby Digital audio codecs: Enables the playback of digital audio content such as MP3, WMA, MPEG-2 audio, AAC audio, FLAC and ALAC audio, and AC-3 audio.

VC-1, MPEG-4, H.264, H.265, and H.263 codecs: «Standards-based codec components» (as they are collectively called) enable Windows 10 program such as Windows Media Player to support activities that include the playback and creation of multimedia files that are encoded with standards-based codecs.

Groove Music: A preinstalled app that is used to play digital music.

Video: A preinstalled app that is used to play digital video.

Voice Recorder: A preinstalled app that is used to record sounds.

Skype: A preinstalled app that is used for messaging and communications.

Effect on other features

Some features are not removed. However, they are affected by the media technology removal in the N and KN editions. These features include the following:

App Sync: This feature does not work.

OneDrive and Photos: These apps cannot play videos.

Xbox app: Some functionality associated with this app (such as Game DVR) do not work, and Windows Gaming Settings will not be available.

HomeGroup: Integrated media sharing through streaming features do not work.

Webcam: This feature does not work.

Windows Portable Devices: There is no support for media synchronization, image acquisition, or file browsing.

Windows 10 camera devices: Cameras that use the picture transfer protocol (PTP) do not work.

Sound Recorder: Recordings are limited to the WAV format.

Group Policy for removable disks: This feature does not work.

Cortana Personal Assistant: Speech interaction with Cortana does not work.

Windows Store Media Content: Audio and video content acquired via the Store cannot be played. Also, preview of audio or video content in the Store does not work.

Wireless Display: This feature does not work.

PDF Viewing in Edge: This feature does not work.