Tips for Windows Media Player 11

Keep It Kid-Friendly
If you're afraid that your child is going to slip an R-rated DVD into your PC to watch when you're not around, limit Windows Media Player from playing movies with grown-up content. Under Tools > Options, select the DVD tab, then press the Change button under DVD Playback Restrictions. Select the highest-rated DVD you want to allow shown on your system, then hit OK twice.


No Use
By default, Microsoft automatically obtains usage data from your version of Windows Media Player. If that sounds a little ominous to you, go to Tools > Options, click on the Privacy tab, uncheck the box under "Windows Media Player Customer Experience Improvement Program," and click OK.


New View
Like iTunes, Windows Media Player lets you customize which information is shown in your library view. Look for the little gray-and-white icon near the search bar in the upper right-hand corner, and click it to reveal a drop-down menu. Select Choose Columns to check or uncheck boxes for the information you want shown.


Time Travel
If you're planning a '70s party, you don't need to scroll through your whole digital-audio library to find the right disco tracks for the party mix. Instead, type a range of dates you want songs from, separated by two periods, in the search bar (like "1970..1979"). Windows Media Player will instantly show you all your Donna Summer and Chic songs.


It's Your Default
To make Windows Media Player your default media jukebox, click the Start button and then select Control Panel. Then click on Add or Remove Programs, and click Set Program Access and Defaults. Choose Custom as the type of configuration, then click on the downward-pointing arrows to the far right to open up the options drop-down. Under "Choose a default media player," select Windows Media Player, and click OK.