When working on your Windows PC, you may notice a task running in the background called Wmpnscfg.exe with a description saying “Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service Configuration Application.” This startup element is related to Windows Media Player and UpdateLibrary.
What is UpdateLibrary on Windows 10?
UpdateLibrary is basically a scheduled task in any Windows operating system: it prevents Media Player startup from shutting down. This lets users stream and share media via a network with other users using Windows Media Player. While some use these features often, others may not have any use for them on their PCs at all. However, you might soon notice that the wmpnscfg.exe file starts to use too many resources — as a result, your system may begin to lag preventing you from using your PC normally. The way out of this would be to fix UpdateLibrary startup. So how does one disable the UpdateLibrary scheduled task on Windows 10? This is exactly what we will address in this article.
How to fix wmpnscfg.exe issues on Windows 10?
While disabling some startup items is really easy, others, like UpdateLibrary, might take a bit of an effort. The thing is, when you try to disable wmpnscfg.exe, you will notice that the file reappears every time you launch Windows Media Player.
Another concern here is malware. As you probably already know, every executable file can be replaced by malware. So, if you notice that wmpnscfg.exe is using up a lot of your CPU, it may also be worth running an anti-malware scan on your PC.
Below, we will give you several options for disabling wmpnscfg.exe so that you can avoid extra CPU usage and other issues on your system. Here’s how you can fix startup UpdateLibrary on Windows 10:
- Option one: disable UpdateLibrary scheduled task
- Option two: rename wmpnscfg.exe to wmpnscfg.exe.old
- Option three: use Windows Registry Editor
- Option four: scan your PC with anti-malware software
Let’s start from the beginning.
Option one: disable UpdateLibrary scheduled task
The most straightforward way to address the wmpnscfg.exe issues is to disable UpdateLibrary via the Task Scheduler. Here’s how to do it:
- On your keyboard, press the Win + R key combo.
- Type in “taskschd.msc” and press Enter.
- In the new window, go to Task Scheduler Library > Microsoft > Windows > Windows Media Sharing.
- Right-click UpdateLibrary and select Disable.
And that’s it — UpdateLibrary scheduled task should now be disabled and not consuming any more of your CPU power/
Option two: rename wmpnscfg.exe to wmpnscfg.exe.old
Another option is to rename wmpnscfg.exe to wmpnscfg.exe.old. Here’s how you can do that:
- On your keyboard, press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc key combo to launch Task Manager.
- Scroll down and find Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service.
- Right-click and choose Open file location.
- Find wmpnscfg.exe, right-click and select Rename.
- Change wmpnscfg.exe to wmpnscfg.exe.old.
- When a notification pops up, click Yes.
- Type in Notepad into Windows search and press Enter.
- Go to File > Save As.
- In the new window, select All Files under Save as type and choose C:\\Program Files\\Windows Media Player for location.
- Type “wmpnscfg.exe.old” as name and press Save
Option three: use Windows Registry Editor
Yet another fix for the problem is to make changes via Windows Registry Editor. Here’s how to proceed:
- On your keyboard, press the Win + R key combo.
- Type “regedit” and press Enter.
- Head to the following location: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\MediaPlayer\\Preferences\\HME.
- Right-click the DisableDiscovery value and select Modify.
- In the Value Data field, change the 0 value to 1.
- Click OK.
Option four: scan your PC with anti-malware software
Finally, if you are noticing high CPU usage on your computer, it’s a good idea to run an anti-malware scan — just so you can eliminate the possibility that your PC has been infected with a virus. There are plenty of options here as to what anti-virus software you can use — but we suggest you take a look at Auslogics Anti-Malware. Once installed, the software will run automatic scans of your entire system locating even the rarest malicious items and will then safely remove them from your PC before they manage to cause any trouble on your computer. What makes the program different from other anti-virus software is that it allows for flexible scheduling of automatic scans, catches malware your primary anti-virus might miss, is super easy to set up, has a simple user-friendly interface and more. Plus, Auslogics Anti-Malware is designed to run alongside your primary anti-virus without compatibility issues. In the program, you will have the choice of running a Quick Scan (only key areas on your PC will be scanned), Deep Scan (your entire system will be scanned) and Custom Scan (where you will be able to select specific folders and files to be analyzed).
And just one more thing before you go. If you have successfully disabled wmpnscfg.exe and scanned your PC for malware, but your system is still running slowly, this may be a sign of other issues. As extra files build up and storage gets cluttered, you may start running into frequent errors and glitches on your PC. These may not be serious system issues and your PC may not be gravely affected — but if this happens on your computer often enough, it will surely get annoying and, most importantly, prevent you from using your PC efficiently, enjoying gameplay and more.
If you have indeed noticed a recent slowdown in your system, we recommend trying a performance-enhancing program like Auslogics BoostSpeed that will help keep your system in check. Once installed, the software will run a comprehensive scan of your system and locate any unneeded files (such as user temporary files, web browser cache, unused error logs, leftover Windows Update files, temporary Sun Java files, unneeded Microsoft Office cache and so on). They will then be safely removed from your system without causing any complications. This way, you will be freeing gigabytes of space on your computer and solving lots of issues and inconsistencies without overspending on expensive hardware upgrades.
