After the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) and the new Paint app, Microsoft has released another update in Windows 11 that replaces Groove Music with a brand new Media Player. It looks beautiful, has a user interface consistent with the rest of the Windows 11 aesthetic, and brings a ton of features that were largely missing before. However, the new Media Player is currently rolling only to users in the Development channel. But if you want to try the new Media Player, we’ve found a nifty way to get it running on stable and beta versions of Windows 11. So without any delay, let’s go ahead and find out how to install the new Media Player on Windows. 11 stable and beta builds.
Install New Media Player on Windows 11 Stable Build (2021)
In this article, we have discussed the steps to install the new Media Player on Windows 11. Even if you’re a beginner, you can get started right away because you know a little about how Windows works.
Download Required Windows 11 Media Player Files
1. First, open this website To download MSIXBUNDLE of new Media Player in Windows 11. After opening the website, set the drop-down menu to the left of the text box to “.PackageFamilyName“. After that, paste the following content into the text field. Then select “Quick” from the drop-down menu to the right of the text box and press the “OK” (checkmark) button.
Microsoft.ZuneMusic_8wekyb3d8bbwe
2. Now, you will find a long list of results. You only need to download the MSIXBUNDLE file. Search file name and download below. In Chrome, you need to right click on the link and select “Save link as…”. The file size is around 34MB.
Microsoft.ZuneMusic_11.2110.34.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe.msixbundle
Replace Windows 11 Media Player File
1. After downloading the MSIX package of Windows 11 Media Player, go ahead and Download 7-Zip (free). Allows you to access and extract the MSIXBUNDLE file.
2. After installation, unzip 7-Zip and find the MSIXBUNDLE you downloaded in the above section. Select the file and click “Remove” at the top. The files will be extracted to the same folder/drive instantly. Click “OK” in the popup that appears.
3. Next, open extracted folder.
4. After that, go to the bottom and x64 MSIX package, as highlighted in the screenshot below. Select it and once again click “Extract” at the top. These files will be extracted to the same folder.
5. Go to the top and extracted x64 folder.
6. Right click here “AppxManifest.xmlSelect the ” file and choose “Edit”.
7. Open the file in Notepad and go to line 11. Here, under MinVersion, change the OS structure to: 10.0.22000.0. This much. Now save and close the Notepad file.
8. In the same x64 folder, delete the following file and folder (create a backup before deleting if you want). You can click on the “Delete” option at the top. You can now close 7-Zip.
AppxBlockMap.xml AppxSignature.p7x [Content_Types].xml AppxMetadata folder
Install the new Media Player on Windows 11 Stable Build
1. Now that you have changed the MSIXBUNDLE, let’s now install the new Media Player in Windows 11 stable build. First, press the Windows key once and search for “developer” without the quotes. Next, “Developer settings” from search results.
2. Here, open developer mode Using the “Install apps from any source, including loose files” toggle. Select “Yes” at the next prompt.
3. After that press the Windows key again and power shield. On the search results screen, click “Run as administrator” in the right pane.
4. In the PowerShell window, paste the following command to remove the existing Groove Music package.
Get-AppxPackage *zune* | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
5. After that, go to the extracted MSIXBUNDLE folder and open the x64 folder. Here, “AppxManifest.xml” is the file we changed in the section above. Right click on it andCopy as Path“.
6. Go back to the PowerShell window and enter the following command. Be sure relocate filepath with the path you copied in the step above. Right click on the PowerShell window and the path will be included at the end. Finally press Enter.
Add-AppxPackage -Register filepath
7. Now, Open the Start Menuand you will find the new Windows 11 Media Player installed on your PC. Click to open and you can use it without any problem. You can also search for “Media Player” in the Start Menu and it will appear. Here are a few screenshots to showcase the new Media Player’s user interface:
Wait! Install New Media Player on Windows 11 Now
So you can install the new Media Player on Windows 11 without having to wait for the stable build to be released. The steps may seem long, but it gets pretty easy once you understand the basics. Not to mention, this method can also come in handy for sideloading other Windows apps in Windows 10 and 11. Anyway, that’s it from us. If you want to learn how to install Google Play Store on Windows 11, check out our linked guide. And yes, you can easily install the new Microsoft Store on Windows 10 too. Finally, if you have any questions, let us know in the comments section below.
