Videos not playing on your Windows PC? Learn the most effective solutions to fix playback errors, codec issues, and system problems so your videos work flawlessly again.
Videos play a very important role in today’s digital world, whether they are used for entertainment, education, or communication. From streaming movies and TV shows to attending online classes, business meetings, and tutorials, videos have become an inseparable part of our daily lives. However, sometimes you may experience issues while streaming video files on your Windows PC, which can be extremely frustrating.
If your video refuses to play due to an incompatible media player, outdated codecs, or any other reason, it can interrupt your workflow and cause unnecessary stress. Fortunately, several fixes are available online that you can try to make your videos playable again. In this ultimate guide on how to fix videos that won’t play on Windows, we’ll discuss the causes of video playback errors and different methods to fix them efficiently.
What You'll Discover:
Why Videos Won’t Play on Windows?
Understanding the exact reason for your video-related issue helps you determine adequate fixes. Here are some main reasons for this issue:
- Unsupported Video Format: Some video players are not compatible with each video file format. If the file uses a format or encoding that your player cannot read, the video will fail to open or display an error message.
- Missing or Outdated Codecs: Videos need codecs to compress and decode media files. If the codec required to play your video files is missing or outdated, Windows will not be able to play them correctly.
- Corrupted Video Files: Any error during downloading, transferring, or saving video files on your computer may corrupt them and lead to playback errors.
- Outdated Media Player: If the version of the media player installed on your device is outdated, it may lack support for newer video standards and prevent videos from playing properly.
- Graphics Driver Issues: Faulty or outdated graphics drivers can interfere with video decoding, causing playback errors, lag, or crashes.
Quick Methods to Fix Video Playing Errors on Windows
Irrespective of the reasons why your video files won’t play, there are several methods available that you can try to fix the videos not playing on Windows. In this part of the article, we’ll outline various fixes for video repair that you can try to make your video files playable again.
Method 01: Try a Different Media Player
Before you proceed with advanced methods to fix Windows video playback issues, try changing your media player. Sometimes the problem lies with your video player, which makes it incompatible with your video file’s format and prevents it from playing videos properly.
Windows comes with built-in players such as Windows Media Player and the Movies & TV app, but these may not support all formats. In such cases, you can use third-party players like VLC Media Player, MPC-HC, or PotPlayer, which are known for their wide format compatibility.
Method 02: Update Your Media Player
Media player updates often include bug fixes, performance improvements, security patches, and support for newer video and audio formats. Keeping your video player updated ensures smooth and uninterrupted video playback. Built-in media apps on Windows PC update automatically through OS Update or the Microsoft Store. Additionally, third-party video players can be updated by downloading the latest version from their official websites:
To manually update your media player:
- Firstly, open the media player app you need to update.
- Go to the Help or Settings menu.
- Locate and click on the “Check for Updates” option.
- If any update is available, install it on your computer.
Method 03: Check and Update Graphics Drivers
Graphics drivers play a crucial role in video playback. If drivers are outdated or corrupted, it results in Windows video playback issues. Updating graphics drivers ensures better compatibility with video decoding and hardware acceleration. Follow the below steps to update graphics drivers on Windows:
- Press the Windows + X keys and select Device Manager.
- Expand the Display adapters section to see your graphics card(s).
- Right-click on your graphics card and choose Update Driver Software.
- Choose Search automatically for updated driver software to let Windows find the latest version.
- Go through the on-screen instructions to install the updated driver on your PC.
Alternatively, you can install the latest driver updates on your PC directly from the manufacturer’s site (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel).
Method 04: Try Third-Party Video Repair Software
If the Windows media player not playing video issues keeps existing even after the aforementioned methods, then the problem may be with your video file itself. Tools like Stellar Repair for Video are especially designed to fix video files corrupt or damaged due to several reasons, including improper downloads, sudden system shutdowns, virus infections, or software crashes. Whether your videos display a black screen, have missing audio, or show errors while playing, this all-in-one video repair software is the perfect choice.
The Stellar Repair for Video software supports repairing video files of different file formats, including MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, and more. It allows you to repair videos saved on hard drives, SSDs, memory cards, and other internal and external storage devices. The preview feature of this software lets you preview the repaired files before saving them on your PC.
Here’s how to repair your video files using this amazing video repair software:
Step 1: Download and install the Stellar Repair for Video software from its official website on your Windows computer.
Step 2: Launch the software and from the homepage, select Add Videos and upload the video file(s) you need to repair.
Step 3: Once the files are added, click Repair and wait till the software analyses the corrupted files and fixes the issues.
Step 4: After the repair process is complete, click Save Repaired Files to save repaired videos at a safe location on your computer.
Note: It is recommended to save the repaired files in a different folder from the original corrupted files to avoid accidental overwriting.
Wrapping Up
Having videos that won’t play on Windows can be frustrating, but they can be easily repaired. Most playback issues are caused by unsupported formats, missing codecs, outdated software, or corrupt files. In such cases, you can start with basic fixes such as trying a different media player, updating Windows and drivers, installing necessary codecs, etc., to make the video files playable again. Moreover, if the manual methods seem complex, you can use third-party video repair software such as Stellar Repair for Video to fix it. Whether for entertainment, learning, or work, ensuring videos play correctly is an important part of making the most of modern technology.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why is Windows Media Player not playing video files on my PC?
There are several reasons, such as unsupported formats, missing codecs, outdated software, corrupted files, video player issues, etc., why videos may fail to play.
How do I fix videos not playing on Windows 10/11?
You can run the video troubleshooter, update graphics drivers, install codecs, update or change your media player, or repair corrupted files.
How do I fix online video playback problems in browsers?
Clear cache and cookies, disable conflicting extensions, or update your browser to fix video playbacks. You can also use third-party online video repair tools that let you fix corrupted or damaged videos directly from your web browser.
