Media Feature Pack Windows 11 Hot -

The Ultimate Guide to the Media Feature Pack for Windows 11: Fix the "Hot" Codec Issues

2. Windows Media Player Legacy is still missing

attack surface reduction

One surprising angle: The Media Feature Pack has become a vector discussion for . Security experts argue that installing the pack re-enables Windows Media DRM components, which have historically contained vulnerabilities (e.g., CVE-2020-17009). In high-security environments, staying on N edition without the pack is actually more secure —but at the cost of usability.

• Use Microsoft sources (Settings > Optional features or Microsoft Update Catalog) to avoid malware from third-party codec bundles.
• After installing, confirm apps are up-to-date to take advantage of security fixes in media components.

How to Install the Media Feature Pack

The most common error reads: "Missing Media Features" or "This app can't play this item because the required codec is missing."