How to Find and Install Codecs for Windows Media Player to Solve Playback Failures?

If you want to install a particular codec for playing a file on Windows Media Player, you need first know the exactly missing codec, which usually requires the help of third-party detector software (MediaInfo, VideoInspector, and Codec Installer are good options. They can read the video information, check the video/audio codec, and even direct you to the sources where you can download the missing codec). Meanwhile, here is a way you may also give a try without asking for help from these tools:

Step 1. Add the video in the video library of Windows Media Player, under the Videos section, right click on the video, select Properties. You should see the video/audio codec on the new Properties dialog. However, if there is no specified codec information, you still need to switch to a third-party tool that can supply the file information.  

Step 2. To make sure that the problem is due to the missing codec, you may further check whether Windows Media Player includes the video or audio codec the file uses. For this, click on Help on the top menu bar of Windows Media Player, select About Windows Media Player, then Technical Support Information.

Scroll down to the Video codecs section and Audio codecs section. If the video codec or audio codec you have checked in step 1 isn’t included therein, just download the corresponding codec from a reliable source and install it on your computer to see whether the problem goes away.  

Due to different scenarios, the way above to check out the missing codec would not always workable. Therefore, by comparison, we strongly recommend that you update the Windows Media Player codec packs or install an all-round codec pack that contains most codecs, as the parts below show.

Updating codecs in Windows Media Player should be the first thing you need to do when faced with the missing codecs for Windows Media Player. For the update, here is the detailed procedure:

Step 1. Open Windows Media Player, click Tools > Options on the top menu bar. If the menu bar isn’t displayed, right click on the top blank area, select Show menu bar.

Step 2. Check the Once a day option under Automatic updates, then click Apply to update Windows Media Player codecs and other assemblies.

Beyond that, you may manually update Windows Media Player for the latest version and related components: Go to Help > Check for Updates on the top menu bar.

Installing an additional codec pack is the most efficient way to add support for multiple types of files since a mighty codec pack can package all common and even some rare codecs into one. Besides tackling your current playback failure caused by codec, it can further enable you to play more files Windows Media Player doesn’t natively support. K-Lite Codec Pack is a dependable & powerful option for Windows. You can give it a try.

Step 1. Go to the official download page: http://codecguide.com/download_kl.htm

Step 2. The basic version should be enough for Windows Media Player. Click on Download Basic, then choose a download server.

Step 3. Wait while the download completes. Follow the instruction to install it on your computer.   

Tips. You need to take some efforts for the whole set-up of K-Lite Codec Pack. It is noteworthy that on the File association setup dialog, you’d better choose Windows Media Player for creating file associations and choose all the file extensions that you want to play with Windows Media Player on the next setup dialog.

Additionally, we have sorted out some other good codec packs, if you think K-Lite Codec Pack isn’t the most fitting one for you:

1. Media Player Codec Pack: https://www.mediaplayercodecpack.com/

2. Shark007: https://shark007.net/x64components1.html

3. X Codec Pack: https://www.xcodecpack.com/

To learn the detailed information and their highlights, check out this review>>The 5 Best Codec Packs for Windows.