Windows Media Player and URGE

I don't want anything to do with URGE.  Is there a way to get rid of it?  Control panel->add/remove programs doesn't list it.  Its there by default when WMP11 is installed.  I don't buy music online and I prefer to buy my cds in person. So this URGE thing is an eyesore.  Its really annoying and I'd prefer not to see it at all.

Any ideas on how to get rid of it?  (without moving towards winamp or some alternative media player)

Even if you choose not to install URGE, WMP11 still has all the hooks in place and won't let you get rid of it--as far as I can tell, it's the only store that can't be removed from the drop down menu. While there may be registry hacks and the like to get rid of it, I haven't been compelled to look for them. The easiest thing, IMO, is to set the current store to something less onerous--personally, I have mine set to eMusic. It really isn't a solution, but at least I don't have to look at it. I'd hate the URGE integration and I'd love to have a better answer to this, so if you find anything, let us know.

Replacing URGE with another music provider is not an option.  I want the whole idea of not having any music providers at all on my machine.

I love the features and looks of WMP11 so I'm not about to switch over to something else.

Is it really -that- obtrusive? I mean, if you don't click the 'buy music' button, does it even show up at all?

Some experimentation revealed that if you click the down arrow below the Urge button and select "Browse all Online Stores", then select another tab (e.g., Now Playing, Library), you can at least get rid of the logo--instead you'll just have a generic "Online Stores" button. Still can do anything about the buy music button though. In the Zune software, that button opens an browser window with a relevant Live Search query; it's slightly less annoying, but that software has plenty more issues of its own that don't make it an option.

Whatever minor irritation having the Urge button always visible may cause, actually having the store installed with WMP11 on XP was far worse for me. I installed it, foolishly thinking I'd check it out and see what it had to offer. What I got was a WMP that would freeze for 10-15 sec on startup as the store downloaded new content in the "background". I finally uninstalled it and WMP11 again became usable.

 

*Bump*

Sorry for the bump, but I'd like to get a word from the WMP team to see about getting rid of the "store" feature totally. How it can be done safely without resorting to hacking the registry and such.  Maybe they can provide a patch or something.

Please guys, I'm sure there are a lot of other people who think the same way.  We should not be "forced" to have a store feature if we don't want it.

sc00ter wrote:

Please guys, I'm sure there are a lot of other people who think the same way.  We should not be "forced" to have a store feature if we don't want it.

No-one's forcing you to use WMP11, good ol' fashioned WMP9 is still available for download.

I agree, it's a free app, and there's alternatives. Being able to get rid of URGE would be nice, but hey, you get what you pay for.

DCMonkey wrote:



Whatever minor irritation having the Urge button always visible may cause, actually having the store installed with WMP11 on XP was far worse for me. I installed it, foolishly thinking I'd check it out and see what it had to offer. What I got was a WMP that would freeze for 10-15 sec on startup as the store downloaded new content in the "background". I finally uninstalled it and WMP11 again became usable.

I agree with that.  I use Urge, but even so, I don't want it downloading stuff every time I open the app or every time I try to search my own library.  There should be better offline support.  It even goes through this stuff when your not connected, so it is not real smart yet about offline use.

W3bbo wrote:



sc00ter wrote:Please guys, I'm sure there are a lot of other people who think the same way.  We should not be "forced" to have a store feature if we don't want it.

No-one's forcing you to use WMP11, good ol' fashioned WMP9 is still available for download.

True, but WMP9 doesn't have the niceness and most excellent looks as WMP11 does.  Its the best they've come out with so far. If there was a theme that looked exactly like that for WMP9.. i'd downgrade.

sc00ter wrote:



W3bbo wrote: sc00ter wrote:Please guys, I'm sure there are a lot of other people who think the same way.  We should not be "forced" to have a store feature if we don't want it. No-one's forcing you to use WMP11, good ol' fashioned WMP9 is still available for download.

True, but WMP9 doesn't have the niceness and most excellent looks as WMP11 does.  Its the best they've come out with so far. If there was a theme that looked exactly like that for WMP9.. i'd downgrade.

Well, now WMP9 isn't anything like it used to be.

Remember the integrated Media Guide that matched WMP9's colors with those cool animations and all the nifty information, like artist photos, automatic album art downloading, lyrics, and critic's reviews from AMG (and other providers)

Well that's all gone now, t'was a shame, but it taught me a huge lesson: never trust any software that touts its "online features" as part of its sales pitch, they'll never last forever and you'll need to upgrade.

*Bump* 

Just as an update, today, I noticed WMP11, the "Urge" button that was previously annoying.. has some how gone invisible! but its still there.  I've made a screenshot of it with the mouse hovering over the button and included it below..  Any ideas how this could have happened?




I'm not complaining, but i don't mind that.   Now.. I wonder how I could get rid of the "Sign In" thats next to it. hehe.

sirhomer wrote:

I don't have this problem with Rhythmbox

umm, we know you are lame....

You know, I don't even -have- an URGE button on WMP11. Is this a US-only feature?

I'm starting to suspect maybe its because my firewall is blocking stuff from WMP.  I'm not about to test that out, because I like the semi-invisible button.