Hm, strange. Here's what I would do: Control Panel > Programs and Features > Turn Windows features on or off > uncheck Media Feaures > Apply > wait & reboot when asked after the reboot: Control Panel > Programs and Features > Turn Windows features on or off > check Media Feaures > Apply > wait & reboot when asked after the reboot check your WMP if it works w/o freezes at startup. If it do; great. if not; sometimes a fresh install does some magic