I can't get any media player on WinXP to play audio CDs, whether it be WMP10, WMP6.4, WinAmp, Media Player Classic or anything else capable of playing cda files and Audio CDs. WMP6.4 gives this error message: "Cannot play back the file. The format is not supported. (Error=80040265)". WMP10 simple says it can't play the file. I've also tried putting the CDs in both my DVD burner and CD burner with no success. Neither original CDs or those burnt on CD-R will play. Seeing as they no longer play in any player, I'm guessing it's something wrong with XP itself. Any ideas?

Digital cd's should play but if the cd's you refer to are analog then check for this> On the back of the cd-rom and the burner should be a small cable with a 3 or 4 pin plug. This cable is the audio output patch cable. It goes from the cd device to the audio in on the motherboad or to the sound card's audio in. If this cable is not present then no analog audio cd's will be heard. Ah which reminds me, Check the wave and cd volume in the main volume comtrol. Hopefully that's it. But installing a audio cable is a breeze. I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid...

If it was only the volume settings then the tracks would play but I wouldn't hear anything. That's not the case - they don't play at all. The cds are not detected as a valid format, as stated in the original post. I also have digital outputs connected to the soundcard from both drives so that's not it either. Also there's no such thing as analog cds - all cds are digital.

you should check these links: http://www.icronticforums.com/archive/index.php/t-5230 AND http://www.hitsquad.com/smm/programs/MicrosoftMediaPlayer/wwwboard/messages/3246.html

Doing this solved the problem: Go here: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\MediaResources\mci Delete this: cdaudio Reboot.