If you’re still on Windows 7, you should start considering upgrading to Windows 10, no just because the extended lifecycle is coming to an end in January 2020, but also because is already starting to remove features from Windows Media Player and Windows Media Center.
Recently, the software giant published a new documentation page (via Neowin) announcing that starting January 25, 2019, Windows Media Player and Windows Media Center will no longer update metadata for music and videos. This means that using those experiences, you won’t be able to see information, such as title, artist name, genre, director, actors, and TV guide for songs and videos (if not available locally).
While the move may seem as another push from Microsoft to get users to a newer version, the company says that the decision has been made based on feedback and usage data.
The change will not only affect Windows 7 users, but also users on Windows 8.x. However, the feature to offer metadata information will continue to work for Windows Media Player users on Windows 10.
If you’re still running one of the older versions of the operating system, it’s now the time to upgrade, or look for an alternative media player or media center experience.
Of course, this move won’t affect the functionality of the applications, they will work normally, but without the metadata information.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].