BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH when installing Windows Media Player 11

Everytime I try to install WMP 11 I get the blue screen of death. Here is the exact sequence of events:

*Preliminary/automatic pre-installation goes fine
*I'm asked to chose 'express' or custom set-up
*After choosing (I've tried both ways), WMP 11 continues installing
*Near the end of set-up/installation, the WMP 11 player opens and, within seconds, I get the blue screen of death

In pertinent part, the blue screen (pic showing full message attached)reads as follows:

A problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.

PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA

Then, after a bunch of boilerplate about starting in safe mode, there is the following language:

Technical information:

*** STOP: 0x00000050 (0xFF458000, 0x00000000, 0x804e7418, 0x00000000)

Beginning dump of physical memory.
Physical memory dump complete.
Contact your system administrator or technical support group for further assistance.

I run Windows XP on an IBM T42 laptop. I don't run any crazy programs on my computer (just Adobe, iTunes, etc.) Thanks in advance for the help...

 

uninstall itunes, then reinstall wmp11 then itunes...

 

that didn't work. any other ideas?

thanks for the help...