FIX: A constant rate of many script commands may cause Windows Media Player to use maximum CPU (832732)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 Series for Windows 2000
  • Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 Series for Windows XP
  • Microsoft Windows Media Player 9 Series for Windows Server 2003

SYMPTOMS

When you play back content that has a constant stream of many script commands (approximately two or more per second), the client computer gradually uses more and more CPU until the process continually uses 100% CPU.

CAUSE

This problem occurs because Windows Media Player requires excessive CPU resources to manage the scheduling and firing of the script commands. Search operations by means of the script command lists are CPU-intensive; the more script commands that you have in a file, the more CPU usage is required.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, when you create content, consider the frequency of script commands that are being stored in the media files that you create. Very few cases require a constant rate of two or more commands per second. For example, do not sustain a rate of two or more commands per second. Although you can insert more than two script commands occasionally, do not sustain that rate. This recommendation may vary according to the configuration on your client computer.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, download an update for Windows Media Player. The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:
DownloadDownload the WindowsMedia9-KB832732-ENU package now. For additional information about how to download Microsoft Support files, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

119591 How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services

Microsoft scanned this file for viruses. Microsoft used the most current virus-detection software that was available on the date that the file was posted. The file is stored on security-enhanced servers that help to prevent any unauthorized changes to the file. The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel. 
   Date         Time   Version        Size    File name
   ------------------------------------------------------
   19-Nov-2003  21:28  9.0.0.3093  4,706,304  Wmp.dll

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section of this article.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:8/4/2004
Keywords:kbdownload kbfix KB832732 kbAudDeveloper kbAudEndUser kbAudITPRO
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