This guide describes how we suggest to compile MPC-HC. No one is forced to do everything this way, but don't complain if something doesn't build/work otherwise.

How to compile Media Player Classic - Home Cinema

Part A: Preparing the Visual Studio environment

Visual Studio 2015

1. Install Visual C++ 2015, part of Visual Studio 2015 (any edition will work fine)
2. Make sure you install all available updates from Microsoft Update
3. Install the DirectX SDK (June 2010) -> ​https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=71193

Part B: Preparing the GCC environment

• NOTES:
  • If you installed the MSYS/MinGW package in an other directory you will have to use that path in the following steps.
  • If you don't have Git installed then the revision number will be a hard-coded one, like 1.7.10.

1. Download and extract ​MSYS_MinGW-w64_GCC_610_x86-x64.7z to C:\MSYS\.
   For the components and their version see ​here.
2. OPTIONAL Edit the "fstab" file in C:\MSYS\etc\ to specify your MinGW path.

   C:\MSYS\mingw		\mingw
   

Note the tab-space between mingw and \mingw

3. Create a file named "build.user.bat" in "C:\mpc-hc" containing the following entries, adapted for your system:

   @ECHO OFF
   SET "MPCHC_MSYS=C:\MSYS"
   SET "MPCHC_MINGW32=%MPCHC_MSYS%\mingw"
   SET "MPCHC_MINGW64=%MPCHC_MINGW32%"
   REM Git is optional to set if you chose to add it in PATH when installing it
   SET "MPCHC_GIT=C:\Program Files\Git"
   REM Optional, if you plan to modify the translations, install Python 2.7 or set the variable to its path
   SET "MPCHC_PYTHON=C:\Python27"
   

Part C: Downloading and compiling the MPC-HC source

1. Use Git to clone MPC-HC's repository to C:\mpc-hc (or anywhere else you like)
   Download Git from ​https://git-for-windows.github.io/

Run:

git clone --recursive https://github.com/mpc-hc/mpc-hc.git

or

git clone https://github.com/mpc-hc/mpc-hc.git

git submodule update --init --recursive

If a submodule update fails, try running:

git submodule foreach --recursive git fetch --tags

then run the update again

git submodule update --init --recursive

Note that you can add -b master to the git clone command if you want to get the latest stable version instead of the latest development version

2. Open the solution file C:\mpc-hc\mpc-hc.sln
   Change the solution's configuration to "Release" (in the toolbar).
3. Press F7 to build the solution.
4. You now have mpc-hc.exe under C:\mpc-hc\bin\mpc-hc_x86
5. Open the solution file C:\mpc-hc\mpciconlib.sln
6. Press F7 to build the solution.
7. You now have mpciconlib.dll under C:\mpc-hc\bin\mpc-hc_x86
8. Open the solution file C:\mpc-hc\mpcresources.sln
   Build "BuildAll" project
9. You now have mpcresources.XX.dll under C:\mpc-hc\bin\mpc-hc_x86\Lang

Alternatively, you can use build.bat which can build everything for you (run: build.bat help for more info)

Part D: Building the installer

Download ​Inno Setup Unicode v5.5.9 or newer.
Install everything and then go to C:\mpc-hc\distrib, open mpc-hc_setup.iss with Inno Setup, read the first comments in the script and compile it.

Notes:

• build.bat can build the installer by using the installer or the packages switch.
• Use Inno Setup's built-in IDE if you want to edit the iss file.