windows media player does not open with the correct media guide home page

[sandgroper]

A friend has Windows XP, SP1 and WMP version 9. When he is connected to the Internet, opens WMP and clicks on Media Guide, the usual opening page of WindowsMedia.com with its index of items such as News, Sports, Entertainment etc does not open. Instead he gets a page with only Radio, TV, Video on it. There is no main index. To the right hand side of this page is a link to WindowsMedia.com International, and if he clicks on this, he is taken to the WindowsMedia.com page but it opens in IE, not WMP.

He has WMP configured to open in Media Guide. I have also looked at Add/Remove Programs - Set Access and Default Programs. He has this set for Custom and in each category, he has Use my Current Program selected. I have tried to alter this to select WMP instead to see if this makes a difference but have been unable to make this selection stick. When I check back, it has reverted to the original selection.

Am not familiar with XP and my friend is not an experienced computer user so hasn't a clue. I have never seen an instance of WMP not opening with the Windowsmedia.com home page so wondered if anybody knows how this has come about.
The computer is new but the place he bought it has not a clue, either.

Thanks

[ESALADUANE]

In Media Player 9, go to "Tools" and select "Options". In "Options" there are 10 tabs, select "Player". Make sure that the box that says "Start Player in Media Guide" is checked.