Windows 10 Missing Codec



Windows Media Player includes some of the most popular codecs, like MP3, Windows Media Audio, and Windows Media Video. However, it doesn't include the codecs required for Blu‑ray Disc files, FLAC files, or FLV files. If something isn’t working in Windows Media Player, you might not have the right codec on your PC. The easiest way to fix this problem is to go online and search for the codec you need.

Note: Not all Windows Media Player playback problems involve codecs. If your problem is codec-related, you'll probably receive a message like 'A codec is required to play this file' or 'Windows Media Player encountered an error.' In this situation, follow the steps to learn more about the missing codecs. If it turns out that it's not a codec issue, see Troubleshoot audio problems in Windows Media Center for help with audio problems and general playback issues.

Here are answers to some common questions about codecs.

What's a codec?

However, as KP4SX points out, if your PC is running Windows 10, it is highly possible an automatic update to Windows 10 was downloaded and installed on your PC (most likely unbeknownst to you). There have been too many tears shed over Windows 10 updates doing terrible things to comm ports and other devices in PCs, especially owned and operated. A codec compresses or decompresses media files such as songs or videos. Windows Media Player and other apps use codecs to play and create media files. A codec can consist of two parts: an encoder that compresses the media file (encoding) and a decoder that decompresses the file (decoding). AVI file is a popularly used format for both audio and video. One of the errors this format faces is the missing codec 0xc00d5212 on Windows. This error prevents users from properly playing media files with Windows Media Player. The error message usually appears like this.

A codec compresses or decompresses media files such as songs or videos. Windows Media Player and other apps use codecs to play and create media files.

A codec can consist of two parts: an encoder that compresses the media file (encoding) and a decoder that decompresses the file (decoding). Some codecs include both parts, and other codecs only include one of them.

How can I find out which codecs are installed on my PC?

  1. On the Help menu in Windows Media Player, select About Windows Media Player. If you don't see the Help menu, select Organize > Layout > Show menu bar.

  2. In the About Windows Media Player dialog box, select Technical Support Information. Your web browser will open a page that includes a lot of detailed info about the related binary files, codecs, filters, plug-ins, and services installed on your PC. This info should help you troubleshoot problems.

Which codecs are included with the Player?

There are hundreds of audio and video codecs in use today. Some have been created by Microsoft, but the vast majority of codecs were created by other companies, organizations, and individuals. By default, the Windows operating system and the Player include a number of the most popular codecs, such as Windows Media Audio, Windows Media Video, and MP3.

However, there might be times when you want to play content that was compressed by using a codec that Windows or the Player doesn't include by default. In many cases, you can download the necessary codec from the web for free or for a fee. And, in some cases, the Player can automatically use the codecs installed by other digital media playback and creation programs on your computer.

Windows

Why do I get a message that says my computer is missing a codec?

In this situation, you're probably trying to play, burn, or sync a file that was compressed by using a codec that Windows or the Player doesn't include by default.

How do I find a codec?

If you know the name of the codec or its ID (known as a FourCC identifierfor video codecs or a WaveFormat identifierfor audio codecs), try searching the internet for it. You can often go to a codec manufacturer's website to download the most recent version of a codec. If you don't know the missing codec's name or ID, see How do I tell which codec was used to compress a file and what format a file is in?

Warning:

  • Use caution when installing codecs that you find on the internet, particularly some of the free codec packs that claim to include codecs from a wide variety of companies or organizations. There are known compatibility issues with some of the components in these codec packs, and these can trigger serious playback problems in Windows Media Player and other players, cause system corruption, and make it difficult for Microsoft Support to diagnose and troubleshoot playback issues.

  • Therefore, we strongly discourage you from installing these codec packs and recommend that you remove them if you have installed them and are having problems with the Player. Install codecs, filters, and plug-ins only from trusted sources, such as the provider's official website. Even then, use caution: some codec providers offer minimal customer support. Before installing any digital media components, set up a system restore point. This lets you return to your original system configuration, if necessary.

How do I tell which codec was used to compress a file and what format a file is in?

There isn't a way to determine with absolute certainty the codec used to compress a file, but the following are your best options:

  • To determine what codec was used with a specific file, play the file in the Player, if possible. While the file is playing, right-click the file in the library, and then select Properties. On the File tab, look at the Audio codec and Video codec sections.

  • Use a non-Microsoft codec identification tool. To find one, search for 'codec identification tool' on the web. You'll find several tools as well as useful related info.

You might be able to tell the format of a file by looking at the file name extension (such as .wma, .wmv, .mp3, or .avi). However, there are limits to this approach. Many programs create files with custom file extensions. And it's possible for anyone to rename a file without changing the file's format. A file with an .mpg or .dvr-ms extension, for example, is usually just an AVI file that's been compressed by using some version of an MPEG video codec.

What's a DVD decoder?

A DVD decoder is another name for an MPEG-2 decoder. The content on DVD-Video discs is encoded in the MPEG-2 format, as is the content in DVR-MS files (Microsoft Recorded TV Shows) and some AVI files. To play these items in the Player, you need to have a compatible DVD decoder installed on your computer.

If your computer has a DVD drive, it probably already has a DVD decoder installed on it. However, if you receive an error message that indicates that you're missing a compatible DVD decoder, select the Web Help button in the error message dialog box to determine how to obtain one.

Why can't I play a file at work that I can play at home?

Missing

This might happen if your computer at work doesn't have the same codecs installed on it that your computer at home does.

For example, if you're trying to play a DVD-Video disc or a DVR-MS file on your computer at work, and that computer doesn't have a DVD decoder installed on it, you won't be able to play that item until you install a compatible DVD decoder on your work computer.

Be aware that your system administrator at work might use Group Policy to prevent you from installing new codecs.

I installed a missing codec, but I still can't play the file. Why?

Codecs can be written for 32-bit or 64-bit operating systems. If you're running a 64-bit version of Windows, you need to install 64-bit codecs. For example, if you install a 32-bit codec on a 64-bit operating system, the Player might not be able to play any files that require that codec.

Note that many older codecs are only available in 32-bit versions. If the codec provider does not specify whether its codec is 32-bit or 64-bit, the codec is likely 32-bit. For more information, contact the codec provider.

Windows Media Player alternative

You might want to try the Microsoft Movies & TV app as an alternative to Windows Media Player. To get this, enter Microsoft Store in the search box on the taskbar, search for Movies & TV, and scroll down to the Apps section of the search results.

AVI files are one of the most popular digital media in our life whether you are watching movies or downloading short videos. In most cases, AVI files can be played smoothly on most media players with ease. However, things don’t go in the same way all the time. Some users may complain that their media players failed to play the AVI files correctly, even though with the help of the default media player for Windows -- Windows Media Player, especially on Windows 10. This is a really annoying problem which may frequently happen in our life. In order to figure out the solutions for the issue, please take some time in reading through the whole post below.

Download Missing Codec

Windows 10 Missing Codec

Part 1: Why Windows Media Player in Windows 10 Won't Play AVI Files

Why the AVI players for Windows 10 can’t don’t support the AVI playback? Are there any additional causes related to the AVI files or the media players? Generally speaking, the reason for the failure of AVI files on media players mainly fall to the following parts.

Reason 1. AVI codec issue. Within the AVI files, there is a lot of audio and video codec required. Many of that codec are encoded with DX50 or MP4V. Sometimes, due to the update of the media player, some required AVI codec may be missing which result in the failure of playing AVI files correctly. Or, some media players don’t contain the AVI codec at all so that they are not compatible with AVI files.

Reason 2. The AVI files have been damaged. Another main reason should lie in that the AVI files have been corrupted or damaged while transferring from one device to another. Or, the AVI files have been invaded by some virus over the Internet and some audio or video information have been lost.

In summary, the reasons why Windows Media Player in Windows 10 won’t play AVI files are divided into the above two aspects. In order to fix the issue exactly, you should follow the required steps below.

Part 2: How to Play AVI Files with Windows Media Player in Windows 10

In order to play the AVI files with Windows Media Player, you should carry out the steps by referring to the following steps.

Step 1: Check whether the AVI files you have owned are all in good conditions which are protected well and are not damaged. The simple thing you can do is to change another media player to play the AVI files instead of Windows Media Player. If the other media players still fail to play AVI files, it would be quite possible that the AVI files have been broken.

Step 2: Check the version or the hardware settings of Windows Media Player in Windows 10. You must make sure the current Windows Media Player version has been well set and it can run smoothly. Prevent Windows Media Player from being invaded by the virus over the Internet.

Step 3: Install the missing codec in Windows Media Player. Just as mentioned above, the AVI files have contained a lot of audio and video codec. In order to play and encode the codec correctly, the Windows Media Player must contain the AVI codec. It is quite easy to give a solution. What you need to do is to download the missing AVI codec for Windows Media Player. There are a lot of codec packages for you to choose from. Here I will introduce you to download K-Lite Codec Pack which contains all the codec for audio and video files. After downloading the K-Lite codec, you only need to install it immediately on your computer. Then just restart your computer and Windows Media Player, and play the AVI files one more time.

Step 4: Convert the AVI files to other Windows Media Player compatible video formats. Another way to play the AVI files on Windows 10 is to convert the AVI files to other more common and popular video format, for example MP4 and so on. Here you can try Leawo Video Converter to take you there. As one of the Top video converters, Leawo Video Converter can easily convert AVI to MP4 without any original quality losses. Once the AVI has been converted to MP4 video format, then try to play the converted AVI files with WMP again.

Part 3: 3 Best AVI Player Tools for Windows 10 Users

Windows 10 Movies And Tv Missing Codec

How to play AVI files on Windows 10? The answers are now quite obvious by referring to the above solutions. Besides, you can find an easier way to solve the problem on how to play AVI files on Windows Media Player 10. That is to turn to other AVI players on Windows 10 which can provide the perfect playback solutions. Next, the following 3 best AVI players for Windows 10 are good for you.

No. 1 Leawo Blu-ray Player

As one of the most comprehensive and excellent media player on Windows 10, Leawo Blu-ray Player has outweighed a lot of multimedia players nowadays. It can easily play all kinds of videos in various digital formats, including AVI, FLV, WMV, MPEG, MOV, MKV and so on. As well, the physical discs can be perfectly played on the player, ranging from HD Blu-ray discs to common DVD discs no matter they have been protected by regions codes or not. The simple and intuitive interface makes Leawo Blu-ray Player quite easy to be handled with. You only need to insert the digital files to the program and then you can immediately play them.

No. 2 MPlayer X

Secondly, MPlayer X can be another good option for you. In comparison with other AVI players, MPlayer X is much more professional in the internal construction which has adopted FFmpeg and MPlayer projects. The MPlayer is an open-source project which offers comprehensive playback solutions for all kinds of digital video files. You can easily obtain the bookmark feature within MPlayer X which can be quite useful for you to remember the last stop. Also, MPlayer X is compatible with all kinds of subtitle formats, and you can easily add SRT files to a movie for both Mac and Windows operating systems.

No. 3 Plex

Compared to the above AVI media players, Plex is not so popular. However, as a free AVI player, Plex is really worth trying. Plex is able to play all kinds of digital file formats. What’s worth mentioning is the Plex Media Center which can be compatible with Mac, Windows, Android, Amazon TV to present the comprehensive playback solutions. Plex enables users to stream the videos and audios to the iOS devices as well as sorting out the videos to TV shows and films. You can also obtain the bookmark feature from Plex. As a newer media player, Plex is quite easy to be used.

Part 4: How to Play AVI Files on Windows 10

As one of the Windows Media Player alternatives, Leawo Blu-ray Player is the one that you should not miss to play AVI files. It will not present any stuttering or buffering issues during the playback. You can easily obtain clear and superior audio and picture effects. What’s more, you can be able to enjoy the various audio and video settings within Leawo Blu-ray Player. The playing process would be specified in the following steps.

Missing Codec Windows 10 0xc00d5212

Step 1: Download Leawo Blu-ray Player and install it.

Step 2: Open the program and enter the main interface. Import the AVI file on the computer by clicking the “Open File” button on the home interface. Or, you can simply drag the AVI file to the player directly. When you have imported the AVI file, then you can see it on the playlist.

Step 3: Set subtitles. After loading the AVI file, it will be played automatically. During the playback, you can move the mouse to the title area. Then you could see 4 icons. The first icon is for subtitles settings, the second and the third icon is for video and audio parameters respectively.

Windows 10 Missing Mp3 Codec

Step 4: Set video and audio parameters. Click the second icon and the third icon in the title area to set video parameters and audio parameters respectively. The editing features of Leawo Blu-ray Player could allow you to obtain a customized video and will give you more special watching experience.

Windows 10 Missing Codec 0xc00d5212

Part 5: Conclusion

How To Find Missing Codec

Without any doubts, Windows Media Player is a simple and powerful media players for the majority of videos. Sometimes, due to the damage of the AVI files or the missing AVI codec within it, Windows Media Player is not able to play AVI files correctly. You can try to download and install the required AVI codec or convert the AVI format to other WMP compatible formats so that the AVI files can be played smoothly. Besides, you can only take a try on another WMP alternative player --- Leawo Blu-ray Player.