Windows 10: Microsoft disables a key feature of Media Player on Windows 7

Microsoft has already announced it will end support for Windows 7 by end of the next year. But until then Microsoft faces a daunting task of making Windows 7 users upgrade to Windows 10, especially when its free upgrade offers have expired.

Now, Microsoft has stripped Windows media player on Windows 7 off its key features - a move seen as the company's latest effort to push Windows 10.

Microsoft last week announced it will disable Windows 7 users from downloading metadata from Windows Media Player and Windows Media Center from their servers.

"Going forward, you may be unable to view information (metadata) such as the title, genre, and artist for songs, and the director, actors, cover art, and TV guide for movies in Windows Media Center and Windows Media Player. After looking at customer feedback and usage data, Microsoft decided to discontinue this service," said the company on its website.

Interestingly enough, Microsoft hasn't made any changes for Windows 10 users while Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 users are partially affected. The move is expected to prompt Windows 8 and Windows 7 users to rely on third-party media players like VLC to retain the metadata feature.

The latest report comes days after Microsoft's Windows 10 overtook decade-old Windows 7 in terms of active install base. According to Net MarketShare, a third-party tracking platform, Windows 10 has now 39.22% share followed by Windows 7's 36.90% as of December, 2018.