Computer Could Not Play a Video? Fix Video Not Playing Here

"I'm not exactly sure what's wrong with my computer, because I tried playing a video and nothing happened. And this is a new problem for me so I don't what where the fault lies. Can anyone help?"

Part 1: Errors Showing You Could Not Play Videos

For one reason or the other, sometimes, videos just won't play on your computer. It is an issue that besets any computer user, regardless of whether it's a Windows or Mac-powered computer. And it matters little whether the video is stored on your computer or whether you're streaming it from an online platform; it still won't play.

The problems could stem from many sources, and you'll find out the most common and persistent sources below. These are the most likely reasons you may be encountering video playback problems, so pay attention to them.

Broken or Corrupted MP4 Files

As you are aware, video files can get corrupted just like any other digital file. MP4 files usually get corrupted due to sudden power outage, a virus infection, and even when you're downloading the file. You can't play the video until you fix it.

QuickTime Errors

The QuickTime Error 23132 occurs due to corrupt Windows Registry, incomplete installation of the application, or a virus infection. As a result, QuickTime may not be able to read the media file properly, so you can't play it the way it should be played.

Another QuickTime error is Error 2048. Similar to Error 23132, the Error 2048 error is brought on by an inappropriate codec, outdated media player, technical fault in firmware, or a virus infection. Other QuickTime errors like Error 2010, 2046, and 2041 could all be reasons why you can't play videos on your computer.

Syncing or Lagging Issues

Sometimes, videos could be out-of-sync, meaning the audio lags behind. It is always annoying when that happens because it ruins the experience for you.

audio delay

Video Codec

When your computer does not have the appropriate video codec, playing a video might prove difficult. The computer uses codec files to encode and decode digital data.

Error 0xc00d36c4

This error mostly occurs when you transfer video files from your phone or a DVD to a USB drive. Your media player might not support the video format or the supporting codec is missing. In this case, the video cannot be played.

error 0xc00d36c4

Part 2: Different Solutions While You Could Not Play Videos

Whether the videos you are trying to play are online or offline, there are solutions available for any errors that prevent you from playing them. As mentioned above, there are different reasons as to why the videos on your computer might not play. Nonetheless, there is a fix even for the most damaged video file on your computer. Here are some possible solutions to the problem:

Solution 1: Convert Videos to Compatible Formats

In a situation where the video you are trying to play is in a format that is not supported by any of your media players, it just means you have to change that format into a compatible format. In some cases, the video might play but there won't be any sound; it could also play but you'll only hear the sound and no pictures.

Use this solution in situations where you are experiencing Error 0xc00d36c4. Converting the video to your media player's supported video format will fix the error and have your video playing seamlessly.

Solution 2: Use Software to Fix Video That Won't play

If your video is not playing on your computer, then you do not need to worry about that. There can be several reasons for the problem. The most usual one is that your video may need repair. We care for you, and that is why going to introduce you to Wondershare Repairit Online to fix your problem. This tool is the latest one and takes less time. It does not require lengthy formalities and is ready to serve you anytime. You do not have to download the software or sign up for it. Wondershare Repairit Online Tool will save you from all this.

Wondershare Repairit Online

  • Repair damaged videos with all levels of corruption, such as video not playing, video no sound, out-of-sync video or audio, playback errors, header corruption, flickering video, missing video codec, etc.

  • It supports customers repair 150 videos per month and supports each video of 3GB online.

  • Repair critically damaged or corrupted videos available on SD cards, phones, cameras, USB flash drives, and more, as well as incomplete photo parts.

  • The online version support various video formats: MOV/MP4/M2TS/MKV/MTS/3GP/AVI/FLV/MXF/M4V.

  • Security enough: videos are transferred via a 2048-bit encrypted connection and deleted after 3 hours.

  • It fixes videos online without damaging the original quality or integrity.

The following are the steps that you have to perform in order to take help from the Wondershare Repairit Online Tool.

Step 1: Inserting video

First of all, you will insert the video, which requires repair by clicking on the Add (+) option. You can browse and insert the video. After insertion, upload the video.

upload video that can not play on computer

Step 2: Process of repair

After uploading, the Wondershare Repairit Online Tool will start the repair process by itself. Once the repair is completed, it is ready to preview.

Step 3: Saving the video

After repairing the video, you can save the video at your desired location.

save repaired video to computer

Wondershare Repairit Online Tool and Desktop Version are there to help you with your corrupted videos. You can choose among these 2 according to your suitability. If your videos have a size up to 3GB are in the format of the supported range, then you can pick Online Tool for it. It will also save you time and prevent you from the downloading process. In other cases, go for the Desktop version as it offers more formats.

Wondershare Repairit for Desktop is the industry standard of video repair software. As a professional video repair tool, it can effortlessly repair and recover any video no matter the extent of the damage or the file size. It is available on multiple operating systems, and also supports 15+ major video formats such as MOV, M2TS, MP4, 3GP, FLV, MTS, and AVI.

  • Repair damaged videos with all levels of corruption, such as video not playing, video no sound, out-of-sync video or audio, playback errors, header corruption, flickering video, missing video codec, etc.

  • Repair videos of diverse formats, including MOV, MP4, M2TS, MKV, MTS, 3GP, AVI, FLV, MXF, KLV, INSV, M4V, WMV, MPEG, ASF, etc.

  • Repair damaged or corrupted videos caused by video compression, system crash, video format change, etc.

  • Repair critically damaged or corrupted videos available on SD cards, mobile phones, cameras, USB flash drives, etc.

  • Repairit has a quick and advanced scanning mode. You can use either depending on the level of corruption the video file has undergone.

  • No limit to the number and size of the repairable videos.

  • Support Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP and macOS 10.10 ~ macOS 13

Wondershare Video Repair software can be used to fix blurry videos, videos with a black screen, videos with a flickering issue, videos that lose their quality after export, videos that got corrupted while editing, videos with error codes, etc.

The tool comes with 2 repair modes: The Quick Repair mode, and the Advanced Repair mode.

Follow the following steps to have your video repaired in Quick repair mode:

Step 1: Add the Damaged or Corrupted Video File

Adding a file to Wondershare Video Repair's home screen is as easy as it gets. Just launch the software and click on the Add button from the Add Corrupted Video window; you can also drag and drop the video file you wish to repair from its location onto Wondershare's first interface. They serve the same purpose. Do not concern yourself about the size of the video file, Wondershare Video Repair can handle it.

add your corrupted video files

Step 2: Repair the Corrupted Video or Videos

Now, go on and click on the Repair button to begin the repair process. The repair will be completed within a short time, but it might take longer if the video is large. A window will open up once the video has been repaired, and you'll be asked if you want to preview or just save the video. Click Ok if you're going for the latter.

Note: You can add multiple damaged videos at the same time.

repairing corrupted file

Step 3: Preview the Repaired Video

As the repair process is completed, Wondershare will allow you to preview and save the repaired video. It is a chance to confirm if the repair was successful or if the video still needs further attention. Click the Play button to see the preview. Go ahead and click Save if you are satisfied with the repair.

preview and save your corrupted videos

Step 4: Add sample video via Advanced Mode

If you are not content with the results of the repair, or Quick repair mode wasn't able to completely repair the damaged video, try the more powerful feature to fix the video. Click Preview failed? Try Advanced Repair to use the second repair mode of Wondershare – Advanced Repair Mode. As the name implies, this mode is more advanced and is thus considerably more powerful.

The new window will show you a folder icon. Click it, then locate where the sample video is on your system and upload it to Wondershare Video Repair. Add the sample video which must be in the same format as the damaged video. Also, the sample video should be from the same device as the corrupted video.

When the sample video is uploaded, click on Repair to start the Advanced Repair process on the video and then click on Yes or No afterward to either save the repaired file or not.

add a sample video to repair corrupted files

Step 5: Save the Repaired Video

Advanced repair is complete and the video successfully repaired. You can either save the repaired video by clicking on Save and choosing a path to save it on your computer or on New Folder to create one on your computer and save it in it. Always save the repaired videos in locations different from where the damaged videos are saved to avoid overwriting.

save videos

Solution 3: Install Missing Plug-ins

You should know a missing plug-in or a wrong one can be the reason why you are unable to play videos. Plug-ins such as Adobe Flash and Silverlight are what enable video playback on computers and web browsers.

install plug in adobe flash

In a scenario where you are trying to play a video created using an iOS device and you are faced with compatibility issues, the solution is quite simple: Download and install the individual plug-in from the Apple store but that's meant for Windows. Just make sure the plug-in is meant for Windows.

Solution 4: Install Compatible Media Player

All the different media players out there have specific video formats they support i.e. they can only read files of the supported format. Only a handful of media players support all the major formats, and VLC Media Player is at the top of the list.

GOM Media Player is also great. It's equipped with a feature that can find missing codecs in videos and also play some broken files. There are a lot of media players with amazing features, so you only need to choose the one best suited to your needs.

Download the media players from their official websites or other trusted third-party websites to avoid infecting your computer with a virus, trojan, malware, or any other malicious software. You will be surprised at the extent people can go just to disguise viruses as legitimate software. Be careful and always watch out for these crooks.

Solution 5: Update Drivers

If you are having an outdated video driver, certain videos may not be able on your computer. For one, you will find it impossible to play videos stored on SD cards and optical drives. They may also cause a hardware failure on your computer. At this point, updating your Windows is the best and easiest way to get all the drivers you need.

update driver

Updating your display driver to the latest version can resolve the buggy videos problem and QuickTime errors. It can help play broken MP4 files too so keeping that driver, in particular, updated is imperative. But you should be careful because downloading and installing the wrong driver can permanently damage your computer.

Solution 6: Stable Internet Connection

If you enjoy using your computer to watch videos online, you've probably experienced difficulties while trying to stream videos from any of the endless platforms online-like YouTube. It could be that the video is not available in your country or it has been made private or it has been taken down for one reason or the other. However, if the video loads but is not playing smoothly, you should check your internet connection. Perhaps the fault lies there.

Part 3: How Can You Play Videos on Computer More Smoothly

People have become so accustomed to videos that any form of disruption while playing a favorite movie or tv show or watching a clip is always a recipe for frustration. A lot of people even get angry when they are unable to play videos on their computers or stream them online. The solution lies here, but first, here some of the common formats of video files that media players use:

AVI format: Audio Video Interleave (.avi) was developed by Microsoft. It can contain both audio and its multiple codecs support makes it a great option for internet users.

MP4 format (.mp4): It was created by Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG) as a multimedia container and it can be streamed online too.

Flash Video Format (.flv): Suitable for the web because it is supported by most browsers, supports progressive and streaming download. Its availability of flash player cross-platform makes it very popular.

3GP (.3GP): A multimedia container designed to convey data between the internet and 3G phones.

QuickTime Format (.mov): The format can store subtitles in different languages and effects. The video quality determines the file size, of course.

WMV: Windows Media Video was designed by Microsoft for web streaming apps. Its size shrinks after compression, which results in poor video quality.

There is a vast option of media players out there and sometimes, we tend to misuse or under-utilize them. Knowing the supported formats of the media players we have installed on our computer can save us unnecessary headaches. The most common player is the VLC Media Player due to its wide range of supported video formats and ease of use. Here are some workable tips that can help you play videos smoothly on your computer:

  • Update your operating system to the latest version to ensure you have all the necessary programs required to play a video.
  • Ensure you have a stable internet connection while streaming videos on YouTube or any other popular streaming platform.
  • Only download content from trusted websites to avoid infecting your computer with a virus, and try not to interfere with the download process.
  • When setting up an application, be patient and let it finish installing properly as it may result in some sort of error later.
  • Know the supported formats of the media players installed on your computer. This will help you play videos more smoothly on your computer.

Closing Words

It is normal to experience difficulties while playing a video on your computer. The key is learning how to fix the issues this article has provided. Wondershare Video Repair is a professional and efficient tool that can be used to repair videos with excellent results.