The N editions of Windows ship without media features. This is neither an installation error nor a restriction of your licence: N versions are a separate edition for the European market. You can install the missing components free of charge at any time with Microsoft's Media Feature Pack.
Do you have an N version?
- Open Settings with Windows key + I.
- Select System → About.
- Check the edition under Windows specifications. If the name ends in ‘N’, for example Windows 11 Pro N, you have an N version.
What's missing without the Media Feature Pack
- Windows Media Player
- the Windows Media and Media Foundation libraries, which many programs rely on to play and record audio and video
- codecs for common audio and video formats
- pre-installed media apps such as Sound Recorder; camera features that depend on these libraries don't work, or only work to a limited extent
Often this only becomes noticeable when another program starts with an error message: video conferencing software, music programs and some games require these libraries.
Installing via Settings
Since Windows 10 version 1909, the Media Feature Pack is no longer available as a separate download. Instead, it is built into Windows as an optional feature – the simplest and safest route:
- Open Settings.
- Go to Optional features:
- Windows 11 (version 24H2 and later): System → Optional features
- older versions of Windows 11: Apps → Optional features
- Windows 10: Apps → Apps & features → Optional features
- On Windows 11, click View features next to Add an optional feature; on Windows 10, click Add a feature.
- Type Media Feature Pack into the search box.
- Tick the Media Feature Pack entry. On Windows 11, click Next and then Install or Add; on Windows 10, click Install directly.
- Wait for the installation to finish, then restart the PC. The components won't become active until you restart.
After restarting, Windows Media Player and the media libraries are available. To check, you can search for ‘Windows Media Player’ in the Start menu.
Alternative: using PowerShell
Instead of using the interface, you can also install the package in PowerShell with administrator rights. Use the following command to list the available media packages together with their status:
Get-WindowsCapability -Online | Where-Object Name -like "Media*"
You can then install a package with the status NotPresent using Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name, followed by the exact name from the list (usually Media.MediaFeaturePack~~~~0.0.1.0). Restart the PC afterwards in this case too.
Troubleshooting
- The Media Feature Pack doesn't appear in the list: First install all pending Windows updates. This also refreshes the list of optional features.
- The installation fails: The package is downloaded from Microsoft's servers, so check your internet connection. On corporate networks, a WSUS server can block access.
- Programs still report missing codecs: Usually the restart was skipped. Restart the PC now.
- The pack is missing again after a major feature update: This happens occasionally. Simply reinstall it via Optional features.
- Similar errors even though you're not using an N version: In that case, the Media Feature Pack isn't the cause. Instead, check your graphics drivers and scan the system files with
sfc /scannowin a Command Prompt with administrator rights.
Any questions? Email us at support@mykeys24.com if you're unsure which edition you're using or the installation won't complete. Our support team is available Monday to Sunday from 10:00 to 19:00.
