There is 9 way to Fix Windows Media Player Cannot Play The File. how to Fix Windows Media Player,
Microsoft hasn’t updated Windows Media Player in a long time, but it’s still present in Windows 10 and is as fast, fluid, and fast as ever. However, it is not without its problems. Sometimes, when you try to play an audio or video file, you may receive the error message “Windows Media Player cannot play the file.”
This typically occurs when Windows Media Player does not have the codecs required to decode certain types of media files. Several other reasons, such as outdated codecs and outdated hardware drivers, can also cause problems. The troubleshooting tips below will help you fix the Windows Media Player cannot play file error.
1. Download Codecs Automatically
Windows Media Player supports a wide variety of audio and video formats, but you end up with a file that is not supported. You can fix this by configuring the program to automatically download the appropriate codecs.
1. Open the Tools menu in Windows Media Player – press Ctrl + M if you don’t see the menu bar. Then select “Options”.
2. In the “Options” dialog box, select the “Player” tab and select the “Load codecs automatically” check box.
Note. If you cannot find “Load codecs automatically” in the “Player” tab, please skip to the next fix.
3. Select Apply and OK to save your changes.
Try to play the media file that is causing the Windows Media Player cannot play file error.
2. Install Codecs Separately
If enabling automatic download of codecs did not help (or if you could not find it in the Windows Media Player options list), you need to install the required media codecs manually.
The best way to do this is to install the K-Lite Codec Pack. It is completely free and adds codecs for most audio and video formats. It will also update all outdated media decoders on your computer.
1. Download the K-Lite Codec Pack. There are four versions: basic, standard, full, and mega. The basic or standard version should be good enough.
2. Run the K-Lite Codec Pack installer.
3. Keep the default values ​​when proceeding to the K-Lite codec setup. However, when you are greeted with the Installation Settings screen, set Windows Media Player as your preferred video player and preferred audio player.
After the installation of the K-Lite Codec Pack is complete, restart your computer and try to play the file. Most likely, it should open without the error message “Windows Media Player cannot play the file.”
If you are having trouble installing the K-Lite Codec Pack, try the Community Composite Codec Pack or the Media Player Codec Pack instead.
3. Set Correct Audio Device
Sometimes you will see the error “Windows Media Player cannot play the file” if Windows Media Player is using the wrong sound output device. You can eliminate this by going to WMP Options.
1. Open the Tools menu in Windows Media Player. Then select “Options”.
2. Click on the “Devices” tab.
3. In the “Devices” section, select “Speakers” and click the “Properties” button.
4. Select the same playback device as the one you see when you select the speaker icon on the taskbar.
5. Click “Apply” and “OK” to save changes.
Try playing an audio or video file and see if that helps.
4. Update Audio and Video Drivers
Outdated audio and video drivers can create all sorts of problems when playing music and video files in Windows Media Player and other media players in general. If you keep getting the error “Windows Media Player cannot play the file”, try updating them.
Update audio drivers
1. Right-click the Start menu and select Device Manager.
2. Expand the Sound, video and game controllers section.
3. Right-click the audio device and select Update Driver Software.
4. Select the Automatically Search for Drivers option to download and install the latest audio drivers.
5. Update any other audio devices in the expanded section.
Update video drivers
1. Expand the Display Adapters section in Device Manager.
2. Right-click the video device and select Update Driver Software.
3. Select the “Automatically search for drivers” option to download and install the latest video drivers.
4. Repeat these steps for any other video devices under Display Adapters.
Tip: If Device Manager is unable to update your audio or video drivers, use the Driver Update Tool to do so.
5. Update Windows 10
The latest Windows updates not only contain improved features but also help fix software-related issues that are preventing your computer from working properly. If you haven’t updated Windows 10 for a long time, try it now.
1. Open the “Start” menu and select “Settings”.
2. Select “Update & Security” and go to the “Windows Update” tab.
3. Select Check for Updates.
If you see any updates, select Download and Install or Install Now. Alternatively, select View Additional Updates (if you see this option) and apply any available audio and video device updates listed.
6. Disable/Enable WMP
Still having problems with the Windows Media Player cannot play file error? Try reinstalling Windows Media Player. Since the program is a built-in component of Windows 10, you must use the Windows Features pane to remove and add it back.
1. Open the Start menu, type “Turn Windows features on or off” and select “Open.”
2. Scroll down and expand Media Features.
3. Uncheck the box next to Windows Media Player and click OK to uninstall Windows Media Player.
4. Restart your computer.
5. Open the Windows Features window again, check the box next to Windows Media Player, and click OK to reinstall Windows Media Player.
7. Check Windows Registry
The Windows registry contains a set of specific entries that are often used by Windows Media Player to play audio and video files. Check that the values ​​in these entries are correct. We recommend that you back up your Windows registry before proceeding.
1. Press Windows + R to open the Run window. Then type Regedit and click OK.
2. Copy and paste the following path into the address bar at the top of the Registry Editor window:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT CLSID {da4e3da0-d07d-11d0-bd50-00a0c911ce86} Instance {083863F1-70DE-11d0-BD40-00A0C911CE86}
3. Press Enter.
4. Make sure the {083863F1-70DE-11d0-BD40-00A0C911CE86} folder is selected in the left navigation pane.
5. Verify that the following registry entries contain the values ​​listed below:
- CLSID – {083863F1-70DE-11d0-BD40-00A0C911CE86}
- FriendlyName – DirectShow Filters
- Merit – 00600000
If you see a different value in the registry entry, you must change it. To do this, right-click on the entry, select “Modify”, change the values ​​as shown above, and select “OK”.
8. Use a Different Media Player
The audio or video format you are trying to play may be completely incompatible with Windows Media Player. Try using an alternative media player for the file types that are causing the “Windows Media Player cannot play file” error. Options include the built-in Movies & TV app in Windows 10, Media Player Classic (which comes with the K-Lite codec pack), and the VLC media player.
9. Reset Windows 10
Are you getting the error “Windows Media Player cannot play the file” almost all the time? You can try resetting Windows 10 to factory default settings. Doing so can fix any corrupted settings or other underlying issues that prevent Windows Media Player from working properly.
To initiate an operating system reset, go to Start> Settings> Update & Recovery> Recovery. You can keep your data intact during the reset procedure, but remember to back up your data beforehand.
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There are 9 way to Fix Windows Media Player Cannot Play the File
There are 9 way to Fix Windows Media Player Cannot Play the File.
how to Fix Windows Media Player
Microsoft hasn’t updated Windows Media Player in a long time, but it’s still present in Windows 10 and is as fast, fluid, and fast as ever. However, it is not without its problems. Sometimes, when you try to play an audio or video file, you may receive the error message “Windows Media Player cannot play the file.”
This typically occurs when Windows Media Player does not have the codecs required to decode certain types of media files. Several other reasons, such as outdated codecs and outdated hardware drivers, can also cause problems. The troubleshooting tips below will help you fix the Windows Media Player cannot play file error.
Microsoft hasn’t updated Windows Media Player in a long time, but it’s still present in Windows 10 and is as fast, fluid, and fast as ever. However, it is not without its problems. Sometimes, when you try to play an audio or video file, you may receive the error message “Windows Media Player cannot play the file.”
This typically occurs when Windows Media Player does not have the codecs required to decode certain types of media files. Several other reasons, such as outdated codecs and outdated hardware drivers, can also cause problems. The troubleshooting tips below will help you fix the Windows Media Player cannot play file error.