It can be very frustrating when you have a video file that simply won’t play on your computer. You may have tried several media players, but nothing seems to work. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to get unplayable videos to play on your computer.
Let’s find out about some of them.
1. Convert the Video to a Different Format
One major step in getting unplayable videos to play on your computer is to try converting the video to a different format. There are several free video conversion tools available online that can be used to convert the video to a format that your media player can handle. Popular free tools include Handbrake and Any Video Converter.
Sometimes, the video could be in a .dat format. In this case, following the instructions on https://setapp.com/how-to/how-to-open-dat-files-on-mac that can help you in converting the video to a playable format.
When converting the video, it’s important to select a format that is compatible with your media player. Some popular video formats that are widely compatible include MP4, AVI, and WMV.
2. Install the Required Codecs
One of the most common reasons for video files not playing is that the required codecs are not installed on your computer. Codecs are essentially small pieces of software that allow your media player to decode the video and audio data within a file.
Without the required codecs, your media player won’t be able to play the file. The good news is that you can easily install the required codecs on your computer. There are many free codec packs available online that can be downloaded and installed with just a few clicks.
Two popular codec packs are K-Lite Codec Pack and CCCP.
3. Repair the Video File
Sometimes video files can become corrupt, which can prevent them from playing properly. If you suspect that your video file is corrupt, there are some tools available that can help you repair it. One popular tool is VLC Media Player, which includes a built-in video repair function.
You can repair the file in VLC. Just open the file then navigate to the “Tools” menu and click on “Preferences”. In the “Input & Codecs” tab, scroll down to the “Damaged or incomplete AVI file” section, and select “Always fix”. Then, click “Save” and try playing the file again.
4. Use a Different Media Player
If none of the above solutions work, it may be time to try a different media player. There are many free media players available online that can be used to play a wide variety of video files. Some popular options include VLC Media Player, Media Player Classic, and PotPlayer.
When selecting a media player, it’s important to choose one that is compatible with the file format of your video. Some media players are better suited for certain formats than others, so it may take some trial and error to find the right one.
Conclusion
If you’re struggling to play an unplayable video on your computer, there are several things you can do to fix the issue. They include installing the required codecs, converting the video to a different format, repairing the video file, and updating your media player.
Using a different media player is also a potential solution. With a bit of patience and experimentation, you should be able to get your video file playing in no time.
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