Why MP4 Files Not Playing and How to Fix It?
MP4 files not playing? An incredibly common issue, which, fortunately, is extremely easy to fix.
A huge number of people on the net complain that their computer doesn’t play files in MP4 format. Usually this problem arises right after installing clean Windows, but it also happens with people on used systems.
In today’s article we will tell you why MP4 files do not open and how you can fix it.
What Should You Do If MP4 Files Not Playing
Check your file
Maybe the MP4 file you are trying to play is damaged or modified in a way that your player can’t work with it. Try opening another file with the same extension and see if the situation repeats. There is a chance that the file extension was changed and it is not MP4, but BIK, 3GP or even not a media file at all.
If you can’t open other MP4 files, the problem is probably in the media player itself or the system is missing the necessary codecs. See below for more information.
Install a Codec Pack
Modern players support most media formats, however, in some cases you may need to install an additional set of codecs. You can find many versatile packs on the Internet, but we recommend you pay attention to the K-Lite Codec Pack.
The installation is semi-automatic – you shouldn’t have any issues with it. If you’re not sure about the settings, just click on “Next” a few times and “Install” at the end. MPC (Media Player Classic) and its codec pack will be installed on your PC.
Recreate playlist, reset or reinstall media player
Trying to play an MP4 file from a previously created playlist, but the player refuses to do so? Well, there could be several reasons:
- moving the file to another directory;
- changing the characters of the directory itself;
- deleting the file from the directory where it was previously located.
Go to the location of the file and open it manually (if it is still there, of course). Did the file open? Then re-add it to the playlist. If that doesn’t work, create a new playlist with the file.
Okay, the file is there, it opened manually, the directory hasn’t changed, but it’s not playing in the playlist – what should you do? Reset your media player settings or reinstall it. Using the preinstalled Windows media player? We recommend you to install a third-party player such as MPC or VLC.
