How to Fix Videos That Won’t Play on Windows? [Quick Methods]

 

Watching videos is a great source of entertainment. Ever wondered what if your video files get corrupted or won’t play on your device? Such a situation is quite common and can happen to anyone at any time. If you ever experience such an issue, don’t lose hope. Fortunately, the good news is that there are several video repair workarounds available that you can apply to repair corrupted video files.

In this guide, we will explore different causes for your corrupt/damaged videos and offer step-by-step solutions on how to fix videos that won’t play on Windows PCs. Just go with these workarounds to make your videos playable again.

Why Videos Won’t Play on Windows?

Before jumping into fixes to make your videos playable again, try to find the exact reason for the problem. Here are some common reasons why videos sometimes don’t play on Windows devices:

 

•       Corrupt or unsupported video files
•       Missing or outdated video codecs
•       Outdated media player software
•       Corrupted system files
•       Hardware acceleration issues
•       Outdated graphics drivers
•       Malware or third-party software conflicts

Quick Fixes to Make Videos Playable Again

Knowing the exact cause of your corrupt video can help you choose the most effective video repair fixes. Here are some easy methods that you can try to make your videos playable again:

Method 01: Restart Your Computer

This method seems obvious, but sometimes a simple reboot can help you fix many technical glitches, including video playback problems. Restarting removes temporary files and resets your device processes that might be causing playback errors.

Method 02: Try a Different Media Player

Sometimes, it’s your video player which prevents you from playing the video files. If your default media player doesn’t support all video formats, changing the media player can help you. Here are some third-party players that you can try: 

•       VLC Media Player: The all-in-one VLC player not only allows you to play video files, but also to repair them in several ways. It also supports almost all video file types without needing additional codecs.
•       PotPlayer or KMPlayer: They support a wide range of formats with features like subtitle support and 3D playback.

Method 03: Install or Update Video Codecs

Codecs are required to decode video files. If your video player has improper or outdated codecs, your video won’t play properly. In such cases, you can follow the below steps to update codecs:

•       Firstly, download the K-Lite Codec Pack from a trusted source.
•       Install the pack and then restart your computer.
•       Once done, try playing the video again.

Note: VLC Media Player includes built-in codecs. If you are using VLC, it can bypass this issue altogether.

Method 04: Update Your Media Player

Updating the Windows Media Player or the third-party tool installed on your device can fix several minor issues. To update Windows Media Player, you need to:

•       Press the Windows + I keys to launch the Settings app.
•       Now, go to Update & Security > Windows Update and check if any updates are pending.
•       If yes, click the Download button to download them on your device.

Alternatively, open Windows Media Player > Help > Check for Updates.

Method 05: Update Graphics Driver

An outdated or corrupt graphics driver is also one of the main reasons why videos won’t play on your Windows device. To update these drivers manually, you need to:

•       Right-click the Start button located at the bottom-left corner, then select Device Manager.
•       Now, expand Display adapters and right-click on your media driver.
•       Right-click on your graphics driver and select Update driver.

•       Choose Search automatically for updated driver software.

 What if the Above Video Repair Methods Fail?

Instances may occur when the above video repair fixes fail to make your videos playable. In such cases, you can install a third-party video repair software on your Windows device to fix the playback errors. Tools like Stellar Repair for Video can help you get rid of video corruption and numerous video playback errors in very simple steps. You just need to download and install the tool on your Windows device and then follow the steps to fix your corrupt/damaged videos.

Key Features of Stellar Repair for Video Tool:

•       Fix audio and video out of sync problem, video plays but no audio issues, video won’t play, etc.
•       Fix overexposed, grainy, blurry, and pixelated problems in videos.
•       Allows you to repair damaged video files of several file formats, including MP4, AVI, MOV, M4V, MKV, etc.
•       Can repair video files stored on various storage devices, such as digital cameras, drones, SD cards, hard disks, USBs, etc.

Here’s how to fix videos that won’t play on Windows using the Stellar Video Repair software:

Step 1: Download or install the Stellar Repair for Video software on your Windows device. Launch the software and from the homepage, click the Add Videos button to upload the video you need to repair.

Step 2: Now, click on Repair to initiate the repair process.

Step 3: Once it completes, preview the repaired video file and click the Save Repaired Files button to save the repaired video file at a desired location on your device.

Conclusion

Unexpected video playback problems on your Windows devices can occur due to several reasons, ranging from minor software glitches to more complex system-level errors. Irrespective of these causes, there are several video repair fixes that you can try to make your videos playable again. Start with simple fixes like switching the media player, updating codecs, or restarting your PC. If the issue keeps existing, you can use the third-party Stellar repair for video to fix all video-related errors and make your video playable again.