Windows Media Player and MP3 files

I downloaded, but found that I could not use Media Player 11 -- way more bells and whistles than I needed, so I uninstalled it with Add/Remove Programs.  I reinstalled Media Player 10 from Microsoft's website (couldn't find MP 10 on my add/remove programs files, so couldn't uninstall it). 

 

Two problems are causing me grief after this change:

 

My CPU usage (in Task Master) shows 100% at times.  Something is really using my CPU, even when I'm not running anything.  This just started, and it makes it impossible for me to use the internet -- way slow.  SBC support says it is a CPU usage problem.  (I use their DSL service.)  But they can't do much but advise me to uninstall and reinstall everything.  Of course, I don't want to do that!

Is this related to the Media Player changes I made?  I also deleted Music Match at the same time that I uninstalled Media Player 11, since that program doesn't work well for me, either.  Takes too much time to load and work.

 

Second, my slide show program, which I purchased from Anix Software (anixsoft.com) no longer recognizes my .wma files created by Windows Media Player when I rip CDs.  Not even the old files I ripped years ago.  (I put music files with my photos.)  I suspect I'm missing some pieces of Media Player 10, like some .dll files or something.  The Anix people advised me to convert the .wma files to MP3 files, but I get a computer message saying I don't have a MP3 encoder on my computer.  What gives?  Media Player 10 has one, according to Microsoft. 

 

Any help with any of this would be appreciated.  Ive got a Dimension 8200, 1.8 Ghz, Pentium 4 processor, 512 of RAM, 80 GB hard drive.  I do a lot of photo editing, so I may need more RAM.

 

Grandma Jo