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Media Center Quick Tip – Using Your HTPC as a Play To Target

Media Center Quick Tip – Using Your HTPC as a Play To TargetMedia Center does not support the Play To functionality of Windows Media Player for some reason.  While not perfect, you can ease the lack of integration by launching Windows Media Player in the background upon login.  To do so you need to write a little four line script and drop it into a certain directory.  After doing so, Media Player will launch and minimize itself when you log in to use Media Center.  You can then use it is a PlayTo target!  Here is what to do:

  • Open notepad
  • Paste this into it
@ECHO OFF
cd “%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Windows Media Player”
START /MIN wmplayer.exe
EXIT
  • Save it by clicking File>Save
  • Save it to C:\Users\<HTPC_USERNAME>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
  • Replace <HTPC_USERNAME>  with your actual username
  • Under “Save as type:” select “All Files (*.*)
  • Name it “mediaPlayerStart.cmd” or whatever you want as long as it ends in “.cmd”
  • Click “Save”
  • You don’t have to but you may want to run it once to make sure it does actually open Windows Media Player minimized
  • Next time you login it will start Media Player minimized so you can use Play To on another device to play music on your Media Center

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