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How to Fix Windows Media Player Cannot Play the File Error
Tested and proven solutions to help fix your media player
4 min. read
Updated onDecember 20, 2023
updated onDecember 20, 2023
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A lot of people still love touse Windows Media Playeras their go-to player, but many users reported Windows Media Player cannot play thefileerror while trying to play certainfiles.
The full error message sometimes reads:Windows Media Player cannot play the file. The player might not support the file type or might not support the codec that was used to compress the file.
While the error can be due to a variety of factors, the solutions are not far off, as we will show in the next sections of this article.
Why Windows Media Player Cannot play the file?
The major reason for Windows Media Player cannot play the file error is the lack of the required codec to play the intended file. For instance,OPUS filesmay not open because they’re not supported.
In some cases, this issue might be because you selected the wrong device to play it. Lastly, if Windows Media Player does not support the file type you want to play, you are likely to get this error.
How can I fix Windows Media Player encountered a problem while playing the file error?
1. Wrong audio device fix
Windows Media Player cannot play the fileerror can occur if you select the wrong device to play your file. The solution to this is to change the device from the app setting.
If interested, check out this guide to learn how toconvert M4A to MP3on your Windows computer.
2. Download codecs
Also, you can configure protocol settings.
The Windows Media Player can help you download the codecs automatically. However, this option might not be available on the latest versions of the app.
So, if you can’t find the Download Codecs Automatically option, you will need todownload the K-Lite codec pack.
3. Registry fix
In some cases, this problem can occur due to wrong values in the registry. The solution to this is to correct these values and restart your PC.
4. Try using a different player
This error can also occur if the file you are trying to play is encoded. In this case, the Windows Media Player simply cannot play the file, and you need to use anothermedia player for Windows 10.
It should be known that the affected media files include files that have the following extensions: .3gp, .3g2, .mp4, .mov, and .adts. Use the appropriate codec when playing these files.
Thankfully, there are various options available. So, you should not be short of quality ones to use.
With this, we can conclude this detailed guide. We believe you have the right information needed to fix it now, and you only need to follow it carefully.
If theWindows Media Player stopped workingon your PC for some reason, check our detailed guide to fix that too.
Feel free to let us know the solution that helped you solve this issue in the comments below.
More about the topics:windows 10,windows media player
Madalina Dinita
Networking & Security Specialist
Madalina has been a Windows fan ever since she got her hands on her first Windows XP computer.
She is interested in all things technology, especially emerging technologies – AI and DNA computing in particular.
Prior to joining the WindowsReport team, she worked in the corporate world for a number of years.
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Madalina Dinita
Networking & Security Specialist
Madalina is a Windows fan since forever, especially interested in AI, emerging technologies, privacy, and security.
