This is how the old Windows Media Center looks in Windows 11

The Windows Media Center on Windows 11 looks very good, but outdated.

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Key notes

  • Windows Media Center was the catalyst of all your media files.
  • The app came pre-installed on Windows Vista, 7, and 8.
  • Now, the app is discontinued on Windows 11.
windows media center windows 11

Missing the old Windows Media Center? Well, you should know that there are ways to bring the old app back on Windows 11, but unfortunately not through official means.

If you remember, back in Windows Vista and Windows 7, you had the Windows Media Center, which was an overall great tool for all your multimedia files. It could render pictures, images, videos, you could even record with it.

However, the app is now more than a decade old, and there is a better version of Windows Media Center on Windows 11 called Windows Media Player. But this didn’t stop a Reddit user to reminisce about the old Media Center. Especially on how it would look on Windows 11.

And while the design might be a bit off, considering the sleek and modern look of Windows 11, the Windows Media Center looks good overall. Unfortunately, there isn’t any means of getting it, yet. But you can check the Reddit thread every now and then, and look for the link.

Meanwhile, here’s how it looks.

The old Windows Media Center on Windows 11

The Windows Media Center retains its trademark Vista’s Aero looks, which is that classic look of transparency. The app has its configurations in Spanish, but the overall menu is still the same.

You have the option of going through your Images, Movies, Music, and many others as you can see below. With the TV option, you could also record your favorite TV shows on it.windows media center windows 11

Windows Media Center still retains many of its options, including the exhaustive list of options that you have in settings.

The last version of this beloved app was released in 2013, so exactly a decade ago, on Windows 8.1. This version is the one that seems to work on Windows 11, although the Redmond-based tech giant decided to discontinue it. windows media center windows 11

However, it seems a lot of users would love it to come back.

WMC was absolutely fantastic with different tuners. I have had 2, one for satellite and the other for antenna. Brilliant it was as a PVR.

That UI was so smooth, wish the settings app would be like this.

Windows Media Center was the best. I used to use it for cable to record my shows and automatically skip commercials.

In the end, though, at least in the era of streaming, Windows Media Center seems useless. However, as an artifact of its time, it would be nice to have it back.

What do you think about it? Did you use this software back in the day? How was your experience with it?

More about the topics: Windows 11, windows media center