WMP uses .cda files provided by Windows (fake files). You can also try CD Player from Win98/2k for testing.
It uses MCI commands to directly "talk" to the drive (like old WMPs did). Music is then played by the drive itself.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CD_Player_(Windows)

If you enable digital audio playback for the CD-ROM drive (it's in one of the Sound or Multimedia control panels), then the data will be played through the appropriate Windows audio device.

Digital audio playback is enabled for both phisical drives. Note: they can read/burn dvd discs, they aren't simple cd drives.

Cdplayer.exe from my windows98se retropc, it runs but it cannot identify audiocd discs, it says "please insert audiocd". Wmp9 correctly see disc as audiocd but it throws that error when selecting play from drive menu or when when selecting play an audiocd directly in wmp.

Software like nero's built in cdplayer can correctly play audio discs.

Myloch wrote:

Cdplayer.exe from my windows98se retropc, it runs but it cannot identify audiocd discs, it says "please insert audiocd".

Your drive may be experiencing hardware failure. You should see if audio CDs still play in DOS or from a Linux-based player like Geexbox or MoviX.

Wmp9 correctly see disc as audiocd but it throws that error when selecting play from drive menu or when when selecting play an audiocd directly in wmp.

It sees the disc as "audiocd" but throws a "please insert audiocd" error? I don't understand.

I doubt it's an hardware failure because nero cd player can correctly play audio tracks.

Wmp detects tracklist but when playing a track a redcross icon appears and url error, like it cannot find the file.
I'll post a screenshot when possible.

Myloch wrote:

I doubt it's an hardware failure because nero cd player can correctly play audio tracks.

I'm confused. Are you running nero cd player on your "windows98se retropc" as well?

Sometimes strange problems are produced by programs adding lines to the "Upperfilters" and "Lowerfilters" registry keys. Googling around should provide some more information.

Jorpho wrote:

I'm confused. Are you running nero cd player on your "windows98se retropc" as well?

Nope. I don't have nero suite on that system.

Jorpho wrote:

Sometimes strange problems are produced by programs adding lines to the "Upperfilters" and "Lowerfilters" registry keys. Googling around should provide some more information.

Like this? https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/kb/314060
I'll try, I never did some of the proposed solutions.

Myloch wrote:

Jorpho wrote:

I'm confused. Are you running nero cd player on your "windows98se retropc" as well?

Nope. I don't have nero suite on that system.

So... If you're having problems playing audio CDs on that system, why are you saying that it can't be a matter of hardware failure?

I don't have problems in the win98se pc, just in the winXP one. Win98 pc can play audio tracks regularly. Nero cd player is installed in the XP one and it's the only program I have that can play audiocd there.

So do you mean you swapped the drive between both the 98se rig and the XP one ?

Jo22 wrote:

So do you mean you swapped the drive between both the 98se rig and the XP one ?

🤣 forget that win98se pc. It works perfectly, it uses another cd drive that I never removed 😀 I only talked about it because I got cdplayer.exe (as suggested by you) from that machine.

No. I stated that the 2 cd/dvd drives I have in the winXp pc *imho* have not a hardware failure because they correctly play audio cds with a player by Nero. If the drives are broken, they wouldn't work at all. They just don't play redbook tracks in Windows media player and when you run a random game.

Again, I'll try messing with registry, following Jorpho's suggestion and see what happens.

Nothing worked so far, making registry edits shown in microsoft's article didn't do the trick. I wonder if it might be an audiodriver or directx issue, midi in games didn't work too, while midi work in wmp (confused).

Made further tests with redbook playing: not only wmp but some free software like tinyplayer didn't work while others like nero's player (nero showtime), exact audio copy or openmusicplayer worked brilliantly.

Myloch wrote:

midi in games didn't work too, while midi work in wmp (confused).

Not sure, but perhaps one of them is using MCI and the other one Direct Music..

Jo22 wrote:

Not sure, but perhaps one of them is using MCI and the other one Direct Music..

Guess what? Today I tested (for other reasons) an old win3.1 native game and midi songs can be heard. What if all redbook and midi weird problems are related to directx? Dxdiag tests say all is ok though.