The factory player installed in Windows (7/8/10) has never been reliable and has wide functionality, so the error “When playing a file Windows Player Media error occurred" is considered normal. Sometimes, in this way, only one specific file of a certain extension does not open, more large-scale failures are less common. A similar problem with the classic player can also be considered similar - "Windows Media Player cannot play the file." Let's take a look at the reasons and simple solution these failures.

Causes of problems with the player

There are few reasons for errors when playing files. The main one is considered lack of codecs to support a specific format that you haven't run before. Also, don't forget about:

• Files from the Internet, they may be broken, which also causes glitches.
• Do not forget about virus activity on the computer, especially after scanning, many files can “break”.
• Well, you should keep in mind the banal things - the lack of up-to-date drivers.
• Pirating the system also causes difficulties, which automatically makes it vulnerable to various failures, this rarely happens with licenses.
• And finally, we mean that the player cannot launch some formats by default.

Fixing the WMP Error

So, we will not delve into the wilds of describing the various formats that are supported by the player. We will name only the main ones - MPEG, MIDI, AVI, WMV, MKV, MOV. Perhaps you are trying to use a different kind of extension, which is causing the error. Next, check all the tips described, which will definitely fix the startup problems or the WMP error.

1. Player update. If you have Windows 7, probably the easiest and most popular will be reinstallation. Download WMPlayer from the official Microsoft resource. Run the installation, which will automatically replace the older version.
2. Visit the site of the main codec pack of the entire Runet - www.codecguide.com. Download from there latest version K-Lite Codec pack and feel free to install it. By the way, there is also a version of the pack with a built-in player from Microsoft. It will especially help with MP4 and MP3 formats.
3. Check if all drivers are present on the system. Perhaps sound firewood requires an update. This must be done at all times, and not only at the time of the tragedy. I recommend special software for this Driver Pack Solution or Driver Booster. Search their official websites and follow the instructions. After everything new is downloaded, try it.
4. Microsoft Easy Fix. Microsoft took care of its customers by releasing this program. This is a set of utilities for solving all kinds of bugs. They can be downloaded from the company's website. For each specific case, there is a utility. We will need everything that is somehow connected with video and files.
5. I also advise you to check your PC for threats and malware. Use all popular applications today (AdwCleaner, Malwarebytes) to find problems.
6. Apply other analogues: KMPlayer, Media Player Classic, VLC, etc.

If the problem persists, which is unlikely, find out the format (type) problematic file. You can do this by right-clicking on the file and in Properties view the Type. On the Internet, in any case, there will be information on your format, as well as on the necessary codecs and solutions.

And here is another useful video, where there are a couple more tips with solutions: executing commands and restarting Multimedia Components.

Conclusion

Together, all these tips should surely solve the problem with errors when playing a file through Windows Media. I want to note that in Windows 10 this problem is much less common, and if there are problems, then with the next updates they are fixed. Everything is much worse in Windows 7, pirated copies and assemblies from schoolchildren will be popular for a long time to come.

Self-instruction manual for working on a computer: quickly, easily, efficiently Gladkiy Alexey Anatolyevich

8.7. Customizing Windows Media Player "for yourself"

Despite the fact that the default settings are usually optimal for most users (especially beginners), it is often necessary to change them. In addition, before using any software product, including Windows Media Player, it is recommended to review and, if necessary, edit the settings in order to "adapt" the program to your requirements.

To switch to the player settings mode, use the main menu command Service? Options. When it is activated, a window is displayed on the screen, which is shown in Fig. 8.10.

Rice. 8.10. Setting up Windows Media Player

As you can see in this figure, the settings window includes several tabs: player, Copy music, Devices, Performance, Media Library, File types, Net, etc. Depending on the purpose and functionality, similar parameters are grouped on them. In this book, we will look at the most popular of them.

8.7.1. Configuring General Options

Configuring General Options Windows work Media Player is carried on the tab player(see figure 8.10).

Using the parameter Check for updates selection of the appropriate test mode Windows updates media player. The set value determines the period of time between updates − once a day, once a week or once a month.

It often happens that a video file does not play due to the lack of a codec necessary for it in this computer. You can turn on the mode in which in such situations the required codec will be automatically downloaded from the Internet - for this you need to check the box Automatically download codecs.

If this mode is disabled, then the codec will be loaded only after a positive response to the request issued by the program. By default, the Automatically download codecs checkbox installed.

If the checkbox is checked Launch the player from the Media Guide site, then when you start the player in the taskbar, the section Media Guide(provided you have an internet connection). If this box is unchecked (or there is no active Internet connection), then the section Playback(see fig. 8.1).

In cover mode, display on top of all windows- if this box is checked, then Windows window Media Player operating in cover mode will always be displayed in the foreground (i.e., on top of other application windows). If the checkbox is checked Show docked window in cover mode, then a small docked window will be displayed in cover mode at the bottom right of the screen (we already talked about this above).

With the checkbox checked Allow splash screen on playback the process of playing multimedia files will be accompanied by a screen saver in accordance with the screen settings. Note that when playing video files, turning on this mode doesn't make sense.

Add music files to library on playback– when this box is checked, playable files will be automatically added to the media library. IN this case checkbox becomes available Include files from removable media and shared network folder ; if it is set, then the media library will also automatically add files that are played not only with hard drive, but also from removable media, as well as from a network folder.

8.7.2. Setting copy options

Copy settings are configured on the tab Copy music, whose contents are shown in 8.11.

Rice. 8.11. Setting copy options

In field Folder for copying music displays the path to the directory where the music files will be copied in the Rip from CD. To change the value of this parameter, click the button Change- this will display the window Folder overview, in which, according to the usual Windows rules, you need to select the desired path. Under button File name You can set the music file name format. The necessary actions are performed in the window that is displayed when this button is pressed (Fig. 8.12).

Rice. 8.12. File name format setting

In particular, by selecting the appropriate checkboxes, you can specify the information to include in the file name ( track number, Executor etc.), as well as in the drop-down list, select the type of separator between them. Buttons Up And Down determines the order of the elements of the file name. For example, you can specify the following music file name formats: 01-Song-Performer. WMA, or Artist_Album_Song_01.WMA, etc. (in this case 01 is the track number).

In field File format(see Figure 8.11) contains a list of music file formats that can copy tracks from a CD.

If the checkbox is checked Music with copy protection, the reproduction of licensed music copied to this computer from a Windows Media Format CD will not be available on other computers. This mechanism is designed to prevent infringement of the copyright of performers and combat the illegal distribution of musical works.

Using the slider Music copy quality you can specify optimal degree compression of music files when you copy them in Windows Media format from a CD to a computer. The more compressed a music file is, the less hard disk space it requires, but the sound quality deteriorates accordingly.

8.7.3. Setting the devices used for playback and copying

As you know, playback and copying of files is impossible without the use of appropriate devices: a CD or DVD drive, speakers or headphones, etc. The parameters of the devices used are configured on the tab Devices, the content of which is shown in Fig. 8.13.

Rice. 8.13. Configuring device settings

On this tab in the field Devices displays a list of devices in use (CD or DVD drives, portable devices, etc.) connected to the computer. To view and edit the parameters of a device, select it with the cursor and press the button Properties.

Button Refresh is designed to update the list of devices - when you click on it, the computer searches for new devices.

8.7.4. Adjusting performance settings

Windows Media Player speed settings are made on the tab Performance, which is shown in Fig. 8.14.

Rice. 8.14. Adjusting performance settings

With switch Connection speed you can specify the optimal modem (Internet connection) speed. At set value Detect connection speed (recommended) Windows Media Player automatically determines the current connection speed (this mode is offered by default). If the value is chosen The connection speed is, a field opens for editing, in which the appropriate modem speed is selected from the drop-down list.

Switch position Network buffering determines the desired buffering method. Possible values:

Buffer for… sec.– when this value is selected, in the field that opens, use the counter buttons or use the keyboard to specify the required buffering time in seconds. It should be noted that the maximum possible value is 60 seconds.

With button Additionally switches to setup mode additional options video acceleration. When you click this button, a window opens on the screen in which you can set up digital video acceleration, mix settings, etc. The default values ​​of the parameters of this window depend on the position of the slider Video acceleration.

8.7.5. Set media library options

About what is the media library in Windows program Media Player and what it is for, we have already said above. However, this element of the player can be configured - the Media Library tab is intended for this (Fig. 8.15).

Rice. 8.15. Media Library tab

If this tab is checked Add purchased music to my library, media files downloaded from the Internet are automatically placed in the media library. This setting is enabled by default.

You can also enable the setting, in which objects deleted from the media library will be automatically deleted from the computer - for this you need to check the box Delete item from computer when deleting from media library.

8.7.6. Customization of visual images

We have already mentioned above that Windows Media Player has the ability to use visual images when playing music files. In the program settings mode, on the tab Plugins(fig. 8.16) you can add, change or delete visual images.

Rice. 8.16. Customization of visual images

Here in the field Category you need to select the position with a mouse click visual images– as a result, a list of the collections of visual images available in the program will be displayed on the right. The information field immediately below this list displays short description the collection of the visualization on which the cursor is positioned in the list.

You can add a new visual image or collection to the list using the button Add. The path to the visual image file (collection) is indicated in the window that is displayed when this button is pressed.

To remove a visual image or collection from the list, select the corresponding position with the cursor and press the button Delete. Remember that you can only delete visuals and collections that were created using the button Add. Otherwise the button Delete not available.

Switching to the mode of editing the properties of the current visual image (collection) is carried out using the button Properties. When this button is pressed, a window will appear on the screen. Properties, in which the screen size and off-screen buffer size are selected from the corresponding drop-down lists. When choosing the desired screen size, keep in mind that stretching the image to Full Screen may in some cases distort the given image. When choosing the required off-screen buffer size, keep in mind that the larger the screen buffer, the more computer resources are required for high-quality image reproduction. In general, without special need to change these parameters is not worth it.

8.7.7. Selecting the file types that the player opens by default

You can define the media files that Windows Media Player will open by default (i.e. when launched by double-clicking) by default. To do this, open the tab File types(Fig. 8.17).

Rice. 8.17. Selecting file types

On this tab in the field File types a list of media file types is displayed, and below it is an information field Description, which provides a brief description of the file type on which the cursor is positioned in the list.

To select the required file type, check the box. By default, some checkboxes are grayed out - this indicates that Windows Media Player will be able to play only part of the files. this format. To give the player full access to these files, you should click on this checkbox - as a result, it will take on its normal form.

By pressing the button Choose all All file types will be selected in this list.

8.7.8. Network setup

If you intend to use the player in local network, you can view and, if necessary, edit the contents of the tab Net(Fig. 8.18). This defines the protocol and proxy settings that will be used by the player when receiving multimedia files.

Rice. 8.18. Configuring network settings

In the dedicated area Protocols by selecting the appropriate checkboxes, the Internet protocols that will be used to receive streaming media are specified. All checkboxes are checked by default: multicast, UDP, TCP And NTTR. When checking the box Ports in the field to the right to get data specifies the port through which the streaming content is directed. The use of this mode makes sense only when using the protocol UDP, so if the checkbox UDP removed, parameter Ports for receiving data becomes unavailable. In the dedicated area Setting up a proxy server parameters of interaction of each protocol with a proxy server are defined. When you press a button Setting window is displayed Protocol setting, which configures the proxy server for the current protocol. The default settings in this window depend on the selected protocol. For example, for the HTTP protocol in this window, the mode is set to Web browser proxy settings, in which the player uses the same settings as the Internet browser to access the Internet.

From the book Programs and Windows files author Klimov A

From the book Folk Tips and Tricks author Klimov A

From book Windows Registry author Klimov Alexander

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From the author's book

From the author's book

4.1. Windows Explorer As we noted above, windows explorer(Fig. 4.1) developed by Microsoft and is delivered to users along with the operating system. We have already met briefly with it above - in the chapter "First Acquaintance with Windows". Rice. 4.1. Windows ExplorerHowever

From the author's book

8.1. General Windows description Media Player Is the Start command used to launch the media player? All programs? Windows Media Player. When activated, the window shown in Fig. 8.1. Rice. 8.1. Windows Media Player This is a view of the player that

From the author's book

8.6. Service Windows features Media Player The commands included in the Tools menu are designed to access service functions player. Let's consider the most demanded of them. Load command? Visualizations allows you to switch to download mode from the Internet

If Windows Media Player is not running on your computer, you can use another media player instead. But leaving a built-in program in an idle state is also wrong, so let's see how we can fix the error.

Registering the Jscript.dll and Vbscript.dll libraries

If at Windows startup Media, a message like " internal application ran an error", register Jscript.dll and Vbscript.dll to resolve the crash.

After registering the libraries, the problem with launching the built-in media player should disappear. If the error still appears, reinstall Windows Media or use a special utility.

Reinstalling the player

Windows Media is a system component and cannot be manually removed or installed. However, there is still a way to reinstall the player.

In the warning window that appears, click "OK". Then click OK and wait for the system to apply the changes. After saving the configuration, click "Close" and restart your computer.

At the next start, you must repeat the operation described above, with one change - the checkmark next to the "Windows Media" item must be put back.

In such a simple way you can reinstall Windows component. If it doesn't bring positive result, use the utility from Microsoft.

Using the Fix WMP Utility

The sole purpose of this little utility is to re-register dynamic-link libraries that belong to the built-in player. The program was developed for the "seven", but for more later versions works too.

To resolve the Windows Media error, run the Fix WMP Utility and click Run Utility. Upon completion of the re-registration procedure, a corresponding message will appear on the screen.

If you cannot restore the built-in player, use free analogues– for example, install KMPlayer.

If you have been using the operating room for a long time Windows system, then this is probably not the first time you have encountered a problem when Windows Media Player does not play music or video files. The most common message "Windows Media Player cannot play the file" occurs when you reinstall your system or upgrade to a different version. How to make the player work again - I will tell you about this later in this article.

The error in Windows Media can have various causes:

• The file you are trying to play is corrupted.
• The file is not supported by Windows Media Player. For example, VIV files cannot be opened by the player, it does not understand them. Therefore, a similar error will occur.
• Your operating system does not have the correct codec required to play this video format.
• The file is not on disk. This sometimes happens, for example, when a shortcut to a file is on the desktop, but the file itself has been deleted before.
• The player does not support this codec, which is required to play a music or video file.

Among all the reasons listed, the most common error is “Player Windows Media the file cannot be played" occurs due to the lack of a particular codec. In order not to install various codec packs and other software blindly, you need to know which formats the player supports. Perhaps you are just trying to play an unsupported file format.

Formats and files supported by Windows Media

The player supports the following formats:

• MPE, MPG, M3U, MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group), MPV2, MPA, MP3, M1V.
• The following formats: WAV, WAX, WM, ASF, ASX, WMV, WMA.
• MIDI formats (musical instrument digital interface) RMI, MIDI, MID.
• The UNIX formats are SND and AU.

The player does not support AVI files that were created with MPEG4v3. These files are only supported in the ASF streaming format. There is only one way to play a file, and that is to re-encode it into one of the supported formats. This can be done using the Windows Media Encoder.

Fixing a player error when playing a video

To make sure the file is not damaged, try playing another file with the same extension. If other files are played, then the file that causes the error is corrupted. If other files are also causing the "Windows Media Player can't play the file" error, try reinstalling the player.

If the reinstallation does not work, you will need to install a special codec pack. To do this, go to https://www.codecguide.com/download_kl.htm and select the required package from the list. It is best to download the most complete codec pack (Full), it weighs about 56 MB. To do this, scroll home page to the very bottom and select the link "Download Full".

In the next window, select one of the links "Mirror 1" or "Mirror 2" and download the package, and then install it on your PC.

Choose one of the links to download the codec pack

If you do not want to do this manually, you can set the player in the settings so that it automatically downloads all the necessary codecs from the Internet. To do this, launch the player, usually it is located in the Start menu, in the All Programs list.

Windows Media Player in the start menu programs list

What is a codec?

The codec is special program, which can convert signals and data. In order to transmit or encrypt any stream or amount of data, it is encoded using a codec, and for playback or conversion, it is decoded. Most often, codecs are involved in the field of digital video and sound.

When converting data in the codec, 2 types of compression can be used - lossless and lossy. Almost all audio and video codecs use a lossy compression method. This makes it possible to reduce the size of the final file, which is a positive thing for storing this data. But still, this method leads to a loss of quality during playback. Audio codecs have a good property - they can be configured in such a way that the loss of quality is practically not recognized by human hearing. This is what you need to know to fix "Windows Media Player can't play the file."

If loss of quality is unacceptable, another compression method is used - lossless. This can be used in cases where subsequent editing of the file is planned, otherwise the lossy quality of the primary file will deteriorate significantly with each save.

If we talk about codecs in simple terms, then these are intermediary programs between us and a computer. If you're facing the problem that Windows Media Player won't play files, the first thing to try is installing the codec pack.

Crashes and failures in the regular Windows media player are not uncommon. To understand why Media Player does not work, you need to understand the causes of the program's failure. The most common reasons for failure are:

• crash operating system windows;
• Viruses.

It doesn’t matter what the reason is, it most often leads to the deletion of keys in the registry and Windows libraries. This can happen both through the fault of the user who installed incorrect or malicious software, and through the fault of a failure. operating system Windows.

As a result, we get a refusal to launch and operate the media player, which can be fixed in 3 ways. I would like to note right away that these solutions for restoring Windows Media Player are the same for various editions of Windows: Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8-8.1 and Windows 10.

litter the article with screenshots from all available Windows I think it's not worth it, because only the interface changes in the process.

3 ways to restore windows media player

Since the reasons are different, not each of the presented solutions is able to fix the performance of the media player. Therefore, follow each of the methods sequentially, checking whether the Media Player has earned or not.

Restart media components

The easiest way to solve the problem with a non-working player is, let's say, rebooting it, for this you need to perform a number of simple steps.

Go to the "Start" menu and select the "Control Panel" section

Now we are looking for the section "Programs and Features / Uninstall or change programs", go:

Go to the "Turn Windows features on or off" section

We are waiting for a few seconds to load and we see a small window in front of us in which we need to find the line “Components for working with multimedia”, our task is to uncheck this line and apply the settings. Be careful, you will be prompted to restart your computer, this must be done.

After you have applied the new settings and restarted the computer, we return once again to this menu and put the checkmark in place, which was unchecked, after that we try to start windows media player. If the problem remains, then do not despair, just move on to the next method and everything will work out.

Re-registration of system libraries

The process is quite complicated from the technical side, but in practice it is very easy to perform and thousands of users use their player in normal mode in a minute, I wish you good luck. Our task is to put things in order in the system libraries, for this we simply click the "Start" menu and right in the search bar we write the command: regsvr32 jscript.dll

Then we enter two more commands:

regsvr32 vbscript.dll

regsvr32 wmp.dll

It turned out three commands that you applied in turn, the main thing is not to miss more than one, just registered, applied and the same thing with the next and the next. And when finished, we try to turn on our not working windows media player.

As a result? Problem solved? I think that after that almost all users are happy with the player without problems, but if you are still suffering, because you have some kind of special problem, then it's time to move on to the "heavy artillery".

Automatic Media Player Recovery

At this stage, everything is incredibly simple, our task is to go to the official Microsoft support site and find there free utility, which should automatically test a number of problem cases related to the windows media player and immediately fix them.

Agree, this is very cool and incredibly simple, the main thing is that it helps. And to do this, we take action.

And now download the same program on your computer:

After you have downloaded the utility, just run it and follow the clear instructions:

For those who still doubt their abilities a little or are worried that they will make a mistake. I have already foreseen this and prepared it for you detailed video With practical examples, where I myself do every step in front of your eyes. It remains only to watch and repeat on your computer. Enjoy watching.

Watch video: Windows Media Player not working, there is a solution!

I hope we helped fix your Media Player. But the relevance of failures due to virus programs always remains, so always use an antivirus - this will increase not only windows security but also the security of your personal data.

Before choosing and installing an antivirus software we recommend that you familiarize yourself with.