What is Windows Media Player?
Windows Media Player is a video player that is part of the default Windows applications. This tool allows running multimedia files of various formats and installing codecs to expand its compatibility with respect to audio and video file extensions. For this reason it is important to download or update Windows Media Player to the latest version.
Sometimes Windows users can't view or play their videos from Windows because Media Player doesn't support the video format they want open on the PC. Hence, this failure becomes a headache when its cause is unknown.
Why can't I watch and play videos on my Windows PC?
There are several causes that may prevent you from watching and playing videos on your Windows PC. Next, we explain each of them and the measures to be taken in the face of this problem.
Failures of the audio and video player
Generally, we can't watch and play videos on Windows PC when the media player is defective. This component can cause problems if it is not up to date.
Inappropriate video and audio codecs
Have you ever wondered what a codec is and how you can remove or fix the codec from a video? Codecs are elements that allow you to process multimedia files. When there is a damaged codec on the PC, normal video playback may be blocked. Also, if you don't have the codecs appropriate for a specific video format, it will be impossible to view or play multimedia files on your computer.
PC performance issues
One of the causes that prevents you from watching and playing videos on your computer is due to incompatibility between the hardware and the video format you want to reproduce. Some formats require high performance from your computer, and if your computer has outdated components, watching a video may be difficult.
GPU incompatibility
Un GPU related technical problem it could be another reason why you can't watch videos on your computer. In this sense, if your GPU doesn't support the video encoding you are trying to open, you may have some drawbacks.
Driver obsoleti
driver obsolete or drivers can also cause problems when watching and playing videos. If these components are not up to date, they will not allow your hardware to output correctly, be it the CPU or GPU. Which is why, it is essential to update your Windows PC drivers.
Activating Flash Player
Some web browsers use video players that need other tools to be able to play multimedia files. For this reason, you should check if your browser uses Flash Player with the reader.
What to do if you can't play videos on your Windows PC
Now that you know the possible causes that keep you from watching videos on your computer, it is necessary apply an effective solution to this error. Therefore, it is recommended that you perform the following activities.
Update your GPU driver
È necessario keep the GPU driver updated. This ensures optimum component performance when playing multimedia files.
Update your audio and video player
Likewise, we recommend that you update your audio and video player if you have an outdated application on your PC that is causing you problems.
Check the codecs
Codecs are essential for playing certain video file formats. Reason why, it is necessary review codecs to detect if they are damaged or if you need to download and install a more complete package. Fortunately, you can download and update codecs with VLC very easily.
Disable Flash Player
If you are trying to view a video from a web browser but have not been able to do so, we recommend that you check your site settings so as to disable "Flash" a due to the instability this tool may cause in the video player.
