Media Feature Pack list for Windows N editions

Introduction

This support page provides a central location to obtain the list of the Media Feature Pack for Windows N releases. Use this page to find the correct link for your Windows release version to Microsoft Knowledge Base articles about Media Feature Pack.

N editions of Windows include the same functionality as other editions of Windows, except for media-related technologies, Windows Media Player, and certain preinstalled media apps (Groove, Movies & TV, Voice Recorder, and Skype). The Media Feature Pack provides a way for a customer to restore these excluded technologies.

Some features require reinstalling hardware drivers after the Media Feature Pack is installed. For guidance to do this, see the following Knowledge Base article:

Media Feature Packs by Windows version

The following is a list of the articles detailing each of the Media Feature Packs for each version of Windows N editions from Windows 8 N forward.

The following versions have download links in the articles:

The following versions can be downloaded from Media Feature Pack for N versions of Windows 10, and the articles listed provide more information about the individual update:

For Windows 10 version 1903 and later, you can add the Media Feature Pack by going to Start > Settings > Apps > Apps and features > Optional features > Add a feature, and then locate Media Feature Pack in the list of available optional features. The following articles provide more information about the individual updates:

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.

Что такое Windows Feature Experience Pack в Windows 10?

На днях Microsoft расширила доступность Windows 10 May 2020 Update для пользователей. Таким образом, больше пользователей могут установить версию 2004 и получить вместе с ней новый компонент «Windows Feature Experience Pack». Об данном пакете функций известно по крайней мере с декабря 2019 года, поэтому ожидалось, что Microsoft поделится подробной информации о нем по мере массового развертывания.

Мэри Джо Фоли, журналист портала из ZDNet, отправила запрос в Microsoft по поводу Feature Experience Pack. Официальный представитель компании был немногословен: «Microsoft нечего сказать по данному вопросу».

А что насчет неофициальных каналов? Мэри Джо Фоли удалось выяснить некоторую информацию про Windows Feature Experience Pack у своих источников.

Windows Feature Experience Pack перечислен в списке «Функции по запросу» для Windows 10 и Windows Server. В списке также присутствуют Internet Explorer, Блокнот, DirectX Configuration Database, Paint, PowerShell ISe, Быстрая помощь, консоль управления печатью и др. На странице Microsoft Docs указано, что Windows Feature Experience Pack доступен в Windows 10 версии 2004 и выше и «включает критически важную функциональность Windows». Microsoft рекомендует пользователям, не удалять данную коллекцию компонентов оболочки Windows, общий размер которой составляет 44,15 мегабайт.

Текущий Windows Feature Experience Pack не стоит путать с Windows Experience Pack для Windows XP, Vista и 7, которые предназначались для других целей. Новый пакет совмещает в себе функции, которые будут обновляться чаще, чем сама операционная система Windows 10. Windows Feature Experience Pack активирует набор функций Windows (не только изменения интерфейса), которые будут обновляться через Магазин Windows. Предполагается, что данную коллекцию приложений можно будет тестировать в связке, а не индивидуально.

На данный момент Windows Feature Experience Pack включает несколько приложений: обновленный «Набросок на фрагменте экрана», обновленная панель ввода текста и обновленный интерфейс подсказок оболочки. Ожидается, в будущем в Feature Experience Pack появится больше функций и компонентов оболочки Windows 10.

Уже некоторое время в Магазине Microsoft хранятся фиктивные пакеты Windows Feature Experience Pack для Windows 10 и Windows 10X. В описании версии для Windows 10 сообщается, что она работает со всеми версиями Windows и Xbox One. Напомним, что разработка Windows 10X в настоящее время затягивается, и компании занимается «переосмыслением» данной ОС для одноэкранных устройств.

Также существует предположение, что основная цель Windows Feature Experience Pack в долгосрочной перспективе — это отделение пользовательского интерфейса Windows 10 от базовой операционной системы Windows Core. Основная идея заключается в том, чтобы Microsoft могла переключать различные оболочки поверх базовой ОС в зависимости от используемого типа устройства Windows 10. Это еще в планах? Возможно, поскольку пакет Feature Experience Pack, по всей видимости, подключен к адаптивной оболочке Composable Shell.

Очень странно, что Microsoft не раскрывает предназначение данного пакета на устройствах Windows 10. В любом случае, при установке версии 2004, вы получите Windows Feature Experience Pack.

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.