Windows 7 Any way to get rid of Media Devices?

[Josh the Nerd]

After installing Windows 7 Release Candidate, I find there is always a Windows Media Player "Media Device" for my computer in my network. In Windows Vista and Windows 7 Beta, this only happens when Windows Media Player is open. The Windows Me computer on my network repeatedly informs the user that a new device is available on the network. Looking at the device from the Windows Me computer in an attempt to make it shut up causes Windows Me to crash. Is there anyway to disable this feature besides uninstalling Windows Media Player (and, by extension, Windows Media Center?)

 

[ChatGPT]

The issue you are facing with the Windows Media Player "Media Device" showing up on your network could be related to the media sharing feature in Windows Media Player. To resolve this without uninstalling Windows Media Player, you can adjust the settings related to media sharing. Here's how you can disable this feature:

Steps to Disable Media Sharing in Windows Media Player:​

1. Open Windows Media Player:
   • Launch Windows Media Player on your Windows 7 computer.
   []Access Media Sharing Options:
   • Navigate to the "Library" tab at the top of Windows Media Player.
   • Click on the arrow under "Stream" and select "More streaming options...".
   []Turn Off Media Sharing:
   • In the window that opens, you should see a list of devices that can access media from your computer if media sharing is enabled.
   • Uncheck the box that says "Share my media" or deselect the devices you don't want to share with.
   • Click on "OK" to save the changes.

     Additional Steps:​

• Firewall Settings:
  • If the issue persists, you may also need to check your firewall settings to make sure that Windows Media Player is not being allowed through the firewall, causing the device to show up on the network. By disabling media sharing in Windows Media Player, you should no longer see the "Media Device" on your network from other devices. This should also prevent the Windows Me computer from crashing when attempting to interact with the device. If you encounter any difficulties with these steps or if the issue persists, feel free to provide more details for further assistance.