When you play a video with Windows Media Player or other video players, you might get the error message like “A codec is required to play this file” “Video codec not supported” “Window Media Player cannot play this file because the required video codec is not installed on your computer”.
How to fix to play this video you need a codec? Here are 4 methods for you.
- Select Download codecs automatically
- Download the K-Lite Codec Pack
- Use another video player
- Change video format with MiniTool Video Converter
Method 1. Select Download Codecs Automatically
You can fix this error by installing missing codecs for Windows Media Player 11. Here’s how:
Step 1. Open Windows Media Player.
Step 2. Right-click on Library and head to Tools > Options.
Step 3. In the Player tab, check the Download codecs automatically option and click OK.
Step 4. Then open your video with Windows Media Player. Then a prompt will appear, click Install to install the missing codec.
Method 2. Download the K-Lite Codec Pack
Another method is to install the K-Lite Codec Pack. It has all the necessary codecs for Windows Media Player. The steps are:
Step 1. Download K-Lite Codec Pack from the website.
Step 2. Open it and follow the on-screen wizards to finish the installation.
Step 3. Then play the video in Windows Media Player and check if the error has been fixed.
Method 3. Use Another Video Player
If you don’t want to install a new codec to play the video, you can use another video player like VLC media player, PotPlayer, etc.
To learn more about video players for Windows, see this post: 10 Best Media Players for Windows 10 That You Should Try.
Method 4. Change Video Format
If the above methods cannot resolve the problem of video codec not supported, converting the video to a common video format is a good option. MiniTool Video Converter is a free video converter for Windows. It can be used to convert videos in various formats, record computer screens, and download YouTube videos.
Here’s how to fix video codec not supported error and there is no need to install a new codec.
Step 1. Download and install MiniTool Video Converter.
MiniTool Video ConverterClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Step 2. Open the software and click Add Files to import the video file.
Step 3. Click the diagonal icon to display the output format window. Then switch to the Video tab and select the wanted format and quality.
Step 4. Click on Convert to start the conversion.
Step 5. Once done, you can find the converted file in the Converted section.
Tip: How to Repair Corrupted Videos
If you can’t play the video after converting it, then the video might be corrupted. To repair the damaged video, you can use MiniTool Video Repair. It’s free and clean. It can fix corrupted, broken, choppy videos in MP4, MOV, M4V, F4V.
MiniTool Video RepairClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
To learn more: Free Video Repair Tools to Fix Corrupt MP4 & Other Videos
Conclusion
Now, you’ve learned how to fix to play this video you need a new codec. Have a try!