casa>Video>play the video>Windows Media Player encountered a problem playing the file
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"Internet media player and sound are not working properly. The error message says: Windows Media Player encountered a problem playing the file. I also keep seeing red Xs next to my mp3 files when I try to play them. However, I still have sound on My PC". – from the Microsoft community
"Windows Media Player encountered a problem playing the file" error message means you have problem with your video file while playing it with Windows Media Player. Most of the time the error appears while playing WAV, AVI, MOV, MP4, MKV and MP3 files and also this one error may appear all of a sudden even if you played your video files smoothly before. The causes of "Windows Media Player encountered a problem during playback" could be corrupted files, missing codecs, virus infection or system crash, whatever. , this page will explain everything in detail.
How to resolve WMP cannot play file due to unsupported video formats/codecs
If you get an error message like "Invalid file format error" or "Cannot play the file. The format is not supported", it is likely that the video formats or codecs are not supported by Windows Media Player Half. To solve this, the best way is to convert files into Windows Media Player compatible files with a video converter like Free Video Converter.
Reasons for "Windows Media Player encounters a problem playing the file"
- Your file may be damaged. If you play your video on other media players but it fails, then your video file might be corrupted.
- Windows Media Player settings are incorrect.
- Windows Media Player is out of date.
- There are some errors with your Windows system.
- Windows Media Player is out of codecs. This is the main reason why Windows Media Player cannot play the file error as Windows Media Player does not include necessary codecs for Blu-ray Disc, FLAC or FLV files including HEVC, AV1, etc.
- The file format is not supported by Windows Media Player.
How to resolve "Windows Media Player encountered a problem playing the file"?
- Fix the damaged file.
- Troubleshoot Windows Media Player.
- Update or reinstall Windows Media Player.
- Run System Restore in Windows.
- Download the Windows Media Player Codec Pack.
- Convert video files to WMP compatible formats.
- Try third-party video file player.
Method 1. Repair Damaged File
Due to disturbed media transfer, virus attack, unstable internet connection, incomplete media download, etc., your file may get broken and causethe video does not playmistake. That said, the first thing you should do isrepair filewith video file repair software like WinX Video Converter, VLC Media Player, Stellar, etc.
Method 2. Fix issues through Windows Media Player settings
- PressWindows+Rto open the Run dialog box.
- Type 'msdt.exe -id WindowsMediaPlayerConfigurationDiagnostic'. pressLog inOpenWindows Media Player Settingsbox.
- give a clickAdvanced.
- selectExecute as administratoroption.
- clickNext.
- give a clickapply this fix.
- When the process is finished, just restart your computer to play the videos with Windows Media Player.
Method 3. Update or reinstall Windows Media Player
Windows software updates fix bugs. It's best to use the latest version of Windows Media Player on your PC, as only Windows Media Player 12 supports playing H.264, MKV, MOV, etc. files. By the way, Windows 10, 8.1 and 7 use Windows Media Player 12.
To do this, select theTo startbutton and then selectDefinitions>Forms>apps and features>Manage optional features>add a function>windows media playerand selectinstall.
or go tosite de download da microsoftto download the latest version of Windows Media Player.
Method 4. Run System Restore in Windows
Windows Media Player is unable to play the file also occurs after installing a specific application. It's a system failure and you can fix it by restoring Windows to a previous working state. This method is good because it doesn't affect any data on the system.
- Press Win + R. CliqueRun.
- Type 'rstrui' inOpenText box.
- give a clickACCORDING.
- In the System Restore window, clickNext.
- Select a restore point from the list. give a clickNextyfinalize.
- Restart the computer.
Method 5. Download the Windows Media Player codec pack
Missing required codec is the main reason why Windows Media Player encountered problem playing file error. Codecs are essential for encoding and decoding a file in a media player, sodownload Windows Media Player codecswill help to resolve the error, such as H.264/H.265 for MKV, MP4, MOV videos, etc.
- Open Windows Media Player, go toToolsand chooseoptions.
- click noPlayerEyelash.
- If you are using Windows Media Player 12, inPlayertab, under Automatic Updates, select the 'Once a day' or 'Once a week' checkbox as desired and clickACCORDING🇧🇷 This automatically installs Windows Media Player codecs when available.
You can also download codec packs for Windows Media Player from third-party websites. Media Player Codec Pack, CCCP and K-Lite Codec Pack are the three most popular.
Method 6. Convert video files to Windows Media Player compatible formats
Sometimes, even though you have installed Windows Media Player codecs, Windows Media Player also fails to play the file. You should know that some codecs are missing from official websites and the codec pack of some websites may contain virus, adware or spyware, and may also conflict with existing codecs on your computer. So there is a better way to convert videos to Windows Media Player compatible formats.
The tool we use is Free Video Converter, a 4K video converter and compressor that can be used to convert between any format for any media player, any platform and any device. No need to download any codec packs.
- Ultra-fast CPU-accelerated HD/4K video converter.
- Convert to/from MP4, MKV, MOV, AVI, WMV, WebM, etc. for any media player.
- Support for latest codecs: ProRes, HEVC/H.265, AV1, H.264, etc.
- Compress 4K/HD video to smaller size with highest quality reserved.
Step 1.Free download WinX Video Converter, install and run it on your computer.
step 2.Click "+ Video" button to add the file that Windows Media Player cannot play, such as MP4, MKV, MOV, H.264 or H.265.
Step 3.When the Output Profile window appears, scroll down to "General PC Video" and choose "MP4 Video" as the output and click OK.
Step 4.Click "Browse" button to find a destination folder to save the converted file.
Step 5.Press "RUN" button to start converting to Windows Media Player.
Method 7. Try Third Party Media Player
By default, Windows Media Player cannot play H.264, H.265, MKV, RMVB, RM, SWF, WebM, DVD media, ISO, VOB, VCD, etc. files. So a better way is to switch to a third-party media player that can play media files, especiallyplay dvd.
There are many excellent media players on the market that can replace Windows Media Player to play video files without errors, including VLC Media Player, 5KPlayer, PotPlayer, KMPlayer, etc.
Conclusion:
This article explains why the error "Windows Media Player encountered a problem playing the file" appears and provides solutions for different situations. After analysis and comparison, missing codec and unsupported formats are the main reasons, and the best solution is to convert videos to Windows Media Player compatible formats.
Other useful how-to guides
How to set Windows Media Player as default in Windows 11?
Want to play media files on Windows 11 with Windows Media Player all the time? This guide will teach you how to make Windows Media Player default in Windows 11 in 4 simple ways.
[Fix] Windows Media Player Cannot Play MP4 MKV File
Windows Media Player can't play only video sound in Windows 11/10? MP4, MKV has no picture, only sound in Windows Media Player 12? Issues now fixed.
How to play MOV files in Windows Media Player?
Unable to load MOV files in Windows Media Player? No image when playing MOV in WMP? This post shows you how to play MOV files on Windows Media Player without any errors.
[Solved] Windows Media Player is Missing in Windows 11
Can't find Windows Media Player after Windows 11 upgrade? Where is Windows Media Player in Windows 11? Here you can find the answer.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
brent archer
Brent Archer is an experienced editor who loves all social media. He has spent over a decade writing how-to content related to social media, streaming services and internet video related topics for Digiarty. Outside of social, he's addicted to Google I/O, Apple WWDC, and other tech news to stay in the loop.
casa>Video>play the video>Windows Media Player encountered a problem playing the file
FAQs
How do I repair Windows Media Player? ›
Method 1: Run Windows Media Player Troubleshooter
Step 2: Type msdt.exe -id WindowsMediaPlayerConfigurationDiagnostic in the box and then click OK to open the troubleshooting wizard. Click Next to run the Troubleshooter. Now the Windows Media Player not responding error should be fixed.
There can be numerous reasons that your media player not showing a video. The reasons could be that your video file is damaged, corrupted, bad sectors on a hard drive, some electromagnetic interference, virus attack, or other software problems. Here are some errors that you can experience while playing the video file.
How do I clear Windows Media Player cache? ›- Open My Computer from the desktop.
- Navigate to \%allusersprofile%\application data\microsoft\media index (e.g., C:\documents and settings\all users\application data\microsoft\media index).
- Delete the wmplibrary_v_0_12. db file.
- Close My Computer.
- Press the Home button.
- Select Settings.
- Select Resetting.
- Select Reset to Factory Default Settings.
- Select from the following list of specific settings or select All Settings. Screen Settings. Audio Settings. Parental Control Settings. ...
- Select Start.
Re-enable or reinstall Windows Media Player
If you have previously uninstalled Windows Media Player, you can reinstall it.
Windows Media Player is included with Windows 10 desktop. Note that the app no longer plays DVDs.
What has happened to Windows Media Player? ›The latter was renamed Groove Music in Windows 10, and Windows Media Player in Windows 11. In January 2023, Microsoft began backporting the latter to Windows 10. Windows RT does not run Windows Media Player, but comes with Xbox Video and Xbox Music.
How do I get Windows Media Player to work on Windows 10? ›In some editions of Windows 10, it's included as an optional feature that you can enable. To do that, select the Start button, then select Settings > Apps > Apps & features > Manage optional features > Add a feature > Windows Media Player, and select Install.
Can I update Windows Media Player? ›- Click the Start button, type features, and then select Turn Windows features on or off.
- Expand Media Features and see whether the Windows Media Player check box is selected. ...
- Click OK and then restart your PC.
- Click Start.
- Type Media Player in the seach box.
- Click Windows Media Player in the Programs list.
- Windows Media Player is started. ...
- Click Manage Video library.
- In the right pane, click Add, specify the location where you put your videos, and then click Include folder.
- Click OK.
Why Windows Media Player Cannot play MP4? ›
Here are some common reasons why you can't open MP4 files on Windows 10 or Windows 11: Media player doesn't support MP4 format. Windows media player doesn't have necessary codecs. MP4 file is corrupt or damaged due to virus infection, bad sectors in the drive, etc.
How do I get Windows Media Player to play all video files? ›Go to folder location of the media files. Now select all files in that folder, right click on any highlighted area and select to add to WMP. Stop playback. Select Library View.