1-Click Installer for Windows Media Taskbar Mini-Player for Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10

Update 2017: See my post for an improved installer for Windows 8, 8.1, 10, 10 CU (64-bit), CUF (64-bit) version only.

Getting back Windows Media Mini-Player on Windows 8+, with a one click installer.

Does not show video or visualizations

Windows Media Player 12 version was missing the one of the best features of older Windows Media Players (WMP) and that was the mini-player that appeared when you minimized it. 

The WMP Mini-Player allows you to access the media player right from the Taskbar or system tray area.
Moreover, it displays the currently playing album, artist and provides next song pop-ups. This was a innovative feature, that oddly got removed?  Well, this installer will get it back for you.

Features:

• Windows Media Player 12 Mini-Player 
• 1 click install and and proper uninstall - no registry files required
• Installer works for Windows 7, 8, 8.1,10+ and Server 2008, 2012, 2012 R2, 2016+

What does it install? 

The WMPTaskbarInstaller.inf file is old style (Win95) installer file that installs task-bar Windows Media Mini-Player dll (wmpband.dll) for your computer. The source of the wmpband.dll comes from Windows 7.  

unadulterated file

Install Instructions

Prerequisite:  Your user account must be part Administrators group or you know Administrator password to install.

1. Download unadulterated file for
   
   Windows 7,8,8.1,10+ (64-bit) and unzip WMPTaskbarInstaller64.zip, 
   or Windows 7,8,8.1,10+ (32-bit) and unzip WMPTaskbarInstaller32.zip.
   
   To check what version 32-bit or 64-bit of Windows you are running, run this in Command line (CMD.exe) windows;
   

   1	wmic os get osarchitecture

    
2. Right-click onWMPTaskbarInstaller.inf and click Install
3. Click Yes to User Account Control pop-up.
   
   
4. Run Windows Media Player and minimize it.
5. Right-click on TaskBar, hover Toolbars and select Windows Media Player. 
   
   
   
   Make sure to Uncheck "Lock the taskbar".
   
   You may not see it appear at first, since explorer process (that contains taskbar process) has to be refreshed. You may try to select another toolbar like Links and activate it and deactivate it, repeat, repeat, repeat until Windows Media Payer shows up.
   
   If that does not work, you'll have to refresh the explorer process, see my post here on doing that.
6. When you select Windows Media Player toolbar the mini-player appears then you have voila, you have it working! Have fun.
   
   
   

Uninstall

The great thing about this WMPTaskbarInstaller.inf, is it creates a uninstall option.

Goto Programs and Features, and double-click "Windows Media Player Taskbar mini-Player..." to uninstall.

To remove this blog page (only) IE tab on start-up follow http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/internet-explorer/change-home-page#ie=ie-11. I couldn't remove this key in the registry using inf.