Windows Media Player is a player that was originally wired into the Windows operating system, that is, you can use it without downloading. It is used to play audio, video and photos. It is equipped with smart navigation, a virtual storage - library, is easily able to synchronize with external devices and is indispensable when using a local network. It is also able to open files of almost all known formats, but still there is often an error when Windows Media Player cannot play the file. How to fix this problem is described in this article.
Why gives an error
As you may have noticed, all files have their own specific format, in other words, a kind of compression. The error appears because the player simply cannot read the format of the requested file. Compression algorithms are constantly being improved, and often players do not keep up with them, thereby causing data reading problems. In order to eliminate this error, you need to update your player by downloading new codecs for it. Thus, teaching him to read previously unknown formats.
Download codecs
Often an error when Windows Media Player cannot play the file may be caused by the fact that you are launching a file with a format unknown to the player. Usually these are MOV, DVD VOB, MKV formats, and you can solve the problem by downloading a codec pack, for example, K-Lite Codec Pack. After downloading, you will need to install it on your computer, and more formats for playing files will become available to you. Also with these codecs in the pack - Media Classic. It has a simplified style and interface, more convenient and easy to use. You can play or stop the video sequence just by pressing the Spacebar. When choosing codecs, you should consider whether it supports the formats you need, information about this can be found in its description.
Player replacement
Unfortunately, when Windows Media Player cannot play the file, but the codecs do not help, you have to resort to finding a new player. At the moment, on the Internet you can find many players that even surpass the standard, for example: GOM Player, KM Player, Media Player Classic - Home Cinema, SMPlayer, VLC. In them you can be sure that you will not have a rassinhrona of sound from video, brakes, friezes and other unpleasant bugs. It also has codecs that can open wider formats. After installing such a player, you will not need to worry about whether this or that file is suitable for you.
Conclusion
We hope you found this article helpful in resolving errors when Windows Media Player cannot play a file. Remember, if you still decided to download the codecs or completely replace the player, then you need to download it only on the official website, since on third-party resources you can infect your computer and further aggravate the situation. Also, when installing a new player, you need to make sure that it is suitable for your device. You can find out this information on the player’s manufacturer’s website.