How to Fix Media Streaming Not Working Issue in Windows 10/11?

The media streaming not working issue occurs while trying to stream content using media streaming, and it won’t function properly. Some users say the media streaming feature is greyed out and won’t respond when clicking on it.

The problem is mostly the result of a corrupt Media Player cache, an outdated Windows version, and internal system issues. In this guide, we have listed the troubleshooting solutions to solve the media streaming not working problem. 

1. Restart Your System

Sometimes technical glitches prevent Windows from functioning properly; rebooting your device gives your system a fresh start and will solve temporary technical problems.

1. Go to Windows Start and click the Power icon.
2. Next, select the Restart option.
3. Now, wait for your system to reboot and open the Media Player to check if the problem is solved.

2. Clear Media Player cache

Corrupted or missing media player files are one of the primary reasons for this problem. To resolve this issue, you must either delete or rename the Media Player folder. So, the next time you launch the Media Player, the folder will automatically be re-created.

Follow the below-given steps to rename the folder:

1. Launch the Run dialogue box by holding the Win key and pressing the R key.
2. On the Run dialogue box, paste the command path and press Enter key.

   %userprofile%\appdata\local\microsoft

3. In the next window, navigate to the Media Player folder and rename it Media Player Old.

   

4. Now, reboot your system.

Check if the problem persists; if it does, select all the files in the folder and delete them or follow the methods mentioned below.

3. Update Windows 11

Installing the latest Windows updates is suggested because you might be facing the problem due to incompatibility issues.

Follow the below instructions to download the latest Windows 11 version:

1. Launch the Windows 11 Settings by holding the Win + I key on your keyboard.
2. Select the Update & Security category and tap the option to Check for Updates on the Windows Update tab.

   

3. Tap the Download & Install button to download the latest version, if any is available.
4. Now, wait until Windows 11 downloads the latest version. Once downloaded, reboot the PC to let the latest version take effect.

4. Allow the Device To Play Media

If media streaming on Windows 11 is not allowed, then the media streaming won’t work properly. So, you must ensure that the automatic play option is enabled before streaming any multimedia file on Windows Media Player.

Follow the steps below:

1. Open the Windows Media Player on your system.
2. Next, expand the Stream drop-down menu on the menu bar.
3. Then, select the option Automatically allow devices to play my media.

   

4. Now, restart the Windows Media Player and verify if it’s working fine or not.

5. Install Media Feature Pack

The media feature pack is the main requirement for media streaming to work properly on the Windows system. So, here you need to install the package to resolve the issue. Follow the below instructions to download and install the pack.

1. Download the Media Feature Pack from the Microsoft Official Website.
2. Tap the Download button and select your Windows version.

   

3. Wait for the pack to download.
4. Once downloaded, tap the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions to install it.
5. Now, launch the Windows Media Player and check the problem.

6. Enable Related Services

Media Sharing is dependent on some Windows services; when these services aren’t running or working properly, it can cause some features to stop working.

Follow the steps to enable the relevant services:

1. Open the Run dialogue box by pressing Win and I keys together, and on the run box, type services.msc and press the Enter key.
2. Then, on the next window, scroll down, select the UPnP host service, and right-click on it. Now, select Properties.

   

3. Expand the Startup type drop-down menu and set it to Automatic.
4. Now, tap Stop to close the UPnP service.
5. Once done, tap Start to restart the service and then tap OK.
6. Now, find the Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service and right-click on it.

   

7. Choose Properties, set the Startup type to Automatic, and click Stop to close the service.

   

8. Once closed, tap Start to restart it and click Ok once finished.
9. Now, exit the services window and launch Media Streaming to check if the problem is solved.

7. Check the Search Indexing status

Windows Media Streaming is linked to the Search Indexing. Therefore, if search indexing on your system is disabled, it can somehow affect the Media Streaming working. So, you must ensure that Windows Search Indexing enables Media Streaming to work smoothly without interruption.

Follow the simple steps below to check and enable Windows Search Indexing:

1. Hold the Win key and press the R key to launch the Run dialog.
2. Now, on the box, type control, and press Enter key.
3. On the Control Panel, click on Programs and Features.

   

4. Tap the option Turn Windows Features on or off on the left side.
5. Now, choose the Windows Search Indexing checkbox and enable it.

   

6. Tap Ok and reboot your system to allow the changes to take effect.
7. Launch the Media Streaming to check if working fine now or not.

8. Configure the Group Policy Setting

Local Group Policy manages and configures certain permissions on your system. So, some automatic protective settings get activated by default to prevent unauthorized media from streaming. And such permissions sometimes can cause this problem on Windows Media Streaming. Therefore, you need to disable them manually to resolve the issue.

Follow the instructions below as guided to do so:

1. Press the Win and R keys simultaneously to open the Run dialogue.
2. Then, type gpedit.msc on the Run box.

   

3. Select the Computer Configuration option from the left and double-tap on Administrative Templates.
4. Next, click twice on the Windows Components. Scroll down and open the Windows Media Player folder.
5. Make right-click on the Prevent Media Sharing option and select the Edit option.

   

6. Select the Disabled option Click on Apply and then OK to save the changes.

   

7. Now, exit the panel, reboot your system, and check the problem by launching Media Streaming.

9. Run Hardware Troubleshooter

Try running the Windows Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter to fix this issue. This inbuilt tool will detect and fix various bugs related to hardware. Follow the instructions to do so:

1. Hold the Windows key and press the R key to open the Run dialog box.
2. Next, type ms-settings:troubleshoot inside the box and press the Enter key to launch the Hardware and Device Troubleshooter.
3. Once on the Troubleshooting tab, select the Other troubleshooters option from the right pane.

   

4. Next, scroll down and tap the Run the troubleshooter button associated with Hardware and Devices.

   

5. Now, wait for the troubleshooter to detect the problematic hardware or device.
6. If any are found, a window will be displayed where you need to select Apply this fix to auto-apply the repair strategy option.
7. Once done, reboot your system and launch the Media streaming to check if it is working fine.

I hope our guide works for you to resolve the Windows 11 media streaming not working problem. Try the solutions listed one by one and fix the problem in your case.