Media Feature Pack for Windows 10 N October 2022

Prerequisites

To install this update, you must have Windows 10 N or Windows 11 N installed.

Registry information

To apply this update, you don't have to make any changes to the registry.

Restart requirement

You must restart your computer after you apply this update.

Update replacement information

This update doesn’t replace a previously released update.

Excluded features

Windows 10/11 N includes the same functionality as other Windows 10/11 editions, except for Windows Media Player and related technologies. Customers can restore the functionality of these technologies by installing the Media Feature Pack for N versions of Windows 10/11. These technologies include, but are not limited to, the following features:

• Windows Media Player application: Enables Windows Media Player features, such as the ability to play media files and audio CDs, manage media in a library, create a playlist, provide metadata (including album art) for media, create an audio CD, transfer music to a portable music player, and play streaming content from a website.

• Windows Media Player Runtime: Exposes methods and properties to manipulate multimedia playback from a webpage or an application.

• Windows Media Format: Provides support for the Advanced Systems Format (ASF) file container, the Windows Media audio and video codecs, basic network streaming capability, and digital rights management (DRM).

• Windows Media DRM: Enables the secure delivery of protected content for playback on a computer, portable device, or network device.

• Media sharing and Play To: Enables music, pictures, and videos on a networked computer to be shared with other computers and devices on the same network. Also enables computers to find those kinds of files on the network.

• Media Foundation: Provides support for content protection, audio and video quality, and interoperability for DRM.

• Windows Portable Devices (WPD) infrastructure: Communicates with attached media and storage devices that include devices that support the Media Transfer Protocol.

• MPEG, WMA, AAC, FLAC, ALAC, AMR, and Dolby Digital audio codecs: Enable the playback of digital audio content, such as MP3, WMA, MPEG-2 audio, AAC audio, FLAC and ALAC audio, and AC-3 audio.

• VC-1, MPEG-4, and H.264, H.265, and H.263 codecs: Collectively known as "Standards-based codec components." Enable Windows 10 programs such as Windows Media Player to support activities that include the playback and recording of multimedia files that are encoded with standards-based codecs.

• Groove Music: An app that's used to play digital music.

• Movies & TV: An app that's used to play digital video.

• Windows Voice Recorder: An app that's used to record sounds.

• Skype: An app that's used for messaging and communications.

Effects on other features

Some features aren't excluded directly from Windows N edition, but they are affected by the media technology exclusions. The following features won’t work properly if the Media Feature Pack isn’t installed on a PC running Windows 10/11 N. Note that some of these may not work properly after installing the Media Feature Pack: 

• Alarms and clock: Alarm and timer sounds don't play.

• Application Sync: This feature doesn't work.

• Cortana Personal Assistant: Cortana with Voice (speech interaction with Cortana) doesn't work.

• Group Policy for removable disks: This feature is not available in the N edition of Windows 10 Pro.

• Microsoft Edge browser: Certain video streaming websites may have incomplete functionality when accessed via the new Microsoft Edge browser.

• Microsoft Teams: Some functionality such as audio or video calling will not work.

• Narrator: Voice navigation using the Narrator app doesn’t work.

• Microsoft OneDrive and Photos: These applications cannot play videos.

• PDF Viewing in Microsoft Edge: This feature doesn’t work on older versions of Microsoft Edge but will work on the New Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser even without the Media Feature Pack installed.

• Sound Recorder: Recordings are limited to WAV format.

• Voice typing: This feature doesn’t work.

• Webcam: This feature doesn't work.

• Windows 10 camera devices: Cameras that use the picture transfer protocol (PTP) don't work.

• Windows Hello: This feature doesn't work.

• Windows Mixed Reality: Windows 10 N is not compatible with Windows Mixed Reality.

• Windows Portable Devices: There is no support for media synchronization, image acquisition, or file browsing.

• Microsoft Store Media Content: Audio and video content that was obtained through the Store cannot be played. Also, the preview of audio or video content in the Store doesn't work.

  How do I install media Feature Pack on Windows 10 N?

  The Media Feature Pack for N versions of Windows 10 is available for download as an Optional Feature. To install the Media Feature Pack, navigate to Settings > Apps > Apps and Features > Optional Features > Add a Feature and find the Media Feature Pack in the list of available Optional Features.

  How to install media Feature Pack for N and KN versions of Windows 10?

  If using the latest versions of Windows 10 N:.

  Go to Windows Settings > Apps > Apps and Features > Optional Features > Add a Feature;.

  Find and install the Media Feature Pack in the list of Optional Features;.

  Restart your computer to complete the installation..

  How do I download media Feature Pack for Windows 10 21H2?

  Windows 10 N: Select the Start button, then select Settings > Apps > Apps & features > Optional features > Add a feature. Then locate the Media Feature Pack in the list of available optional features. Windows 11 N: Select the Start button, then select Settings > Apps > Optional features.

  Can you still use Windows 10 in 2022?

  Installing Windows 10 on your current PC Windows 10 is still available and will be supported until October 14, 2025.