Codec packs add additional codec support to Windows. Apps like Media Player will then be able to play media files encoded in these formats. The following codecs packs are available: MPEG-2 Video Extension. Adds support for the MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 video formats.

Because Microsoft Windows operating systems provide only an MPEG-1 video decoder, Windows Media Player cannot play MPEG-2 program streams without an additional MPEG-2 video decoder (also known as a DVD decoder pack) installed.

In step 1, make sure that Windows Media Player supports the format of the file that you are trying to play. If Windows Media Player does not support that format, do not perform the steps after step 1. Instead, contact the distributor of that file to see whether a viewer for the file is available.

Summary. This article describes the file formats that Microsoft Windows Media Player supports. More Information. Windows Media Player supports the following file formats: Windows Media Player 6.0. Windows Media formats. File name extensions: .asf, .asx, .avi, .wav, .wma, .wax, .wm, .wmv, .wvx. RealAudio and RealVideo (version 4.0 or earlier)

This error is associated with Windows Media Player and usually occurs when there's an issue with the media file you're trying to play or with the Windows Media Player itself. To resolve this, Update Windows Media Player: Get the latest version of Windows Media player by updating windows.

You can watch videos on the Internet (such as the library of ARD or ZDF) by using Windows Media Player, you might need a small browser add-on program for it. To do this, follow these steps: more in the following parts of this series.

This article lists resources that you can use to troubleshoot issues with Microsoft Windows Media Player 11 for Windows Vista, Windows Media Player 11 for Windows XP, Windows Media Player 10, and earlier versions of Windows Media Player.

If you're getting an error message that says an additional plug-in is required to play back Windows Media in your presentation, you likely need to download a plug-in like Flip4Mac or Switch before you can play some Windows Media files. Read this page to see which plug-in supports your version of Mac OS X.

After your system is restored to the earlier configuration, check to see whether Windows Media Player runs correctly again. For advanced video features like 4K, you might also want to try Microsoft Movies & TV.

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.