Problems with Windows Media Player Full-Screen Visualizations on Your Secondary Monitor (326725)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows Media Player 10
  • Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 Series for Windows XP
  • Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 Series for Windows 2000
  • Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 Series for Windows Millennium Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 Series for Windows 98 Second Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Media Player for Windows XP Home Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Media Player for Windows XP Professional
  • Microsoft Windows Media Player 7.1
  • Microsoft Windows Media Player 7
This article was previously published under Q326725

SYMPTOMS

After you configure Microsoft Windows Media Player to use full-screen visualizations, you may experience one or more of the following symptoms:
  • A white or black rectangle may appear on your secondary monitor.
  • A white or black rectangle may appear on the desktop of your primary monitor.

CAUSE

This behavior may occur when a program uses Microsoft DirectX Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to switch the screen resolution to a smaller size. When this occurs, the desktop from the primary monitor may be displaced to the secondary monitor. Note that this symptom disappears when you quit or minimize the program that caused the resolution change.

WORKAROUND

To work around this behavior, use either of the following methods.

Method 1

Windows Media Player 7.0, 7.1, and Windows Media Player for Windows XP

  1. In Windows Media Player, click Options on the Tools menu.
  2. Click the Visualizations tab.
  3. Click the visualization you are using, and then click Properties.
  4. Click the screen size that matches the resolution of your primary monitor.

Windows Media 9 Series Player

  1. In Windows Media Player, click Options on the Tools menu.
  2. Click the Plug-ins tab, and then click Visualization under the Category field.
  3. Click the visualization you are using, and then click Properties.
  4. Click the screen size that matches the resolution of your primary monitor.
Note You may not be able to customize some visualizations.

Method 2

In Windows Media Player, click the Maximize button.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

This behavior may occur with any program that uses DirectX APIs to change screen resolutions. Games frequently exhibit this behavior. For additional information about related topics, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

268352 WMP7: How to Run Visualizations in Full Screen Mode

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:9/1/2005
Keywords:kbdisplay kbprb KB326725
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.