How to Play and Troubleshoot MP4 Videos on a PC: Full Guide

To play an MP4 File on your PC, you are required to have a media player that supports it. If you are using Windows Media Player version 12 or above, it will be able to play your MP4 Video, but if you have version 11 or below, you will have to install a codec or use a 3rd party media player, such as VLC or QuickTime. This wikiHow article teaches you how to play MP4 videos on your Windows PC, with troubleshooting steps for when MP4 videos won’t play.

Quick Guide: Playing MP4s on PC

Double-click an MP4 file to open it with your default media player. To choose a specific media player, right-click the MP4 file and select Open with . Then click a third-party video player you have installed (i.e., VLC Media Player, or QuickTime Player).

Section 1 of 4:

Using Default Media Players

Download Article

1
Acquire the video. Download your MP4 file from a trusted site, retrieve it from a USB drive, or simply open it from your computer’s hard drive. It is important that you know the filename that it is saved as and the location where it is saved. Click “File,” then “Open,” and then select the MP4 File from your File Browser.
- There are many websites and applications that allow you to download videos from YouTube in whatever format you want.
After you have located the video in your OS (Operating System), double-click the icon to play the MP4 file. If you double-click the video, your default media player will activate and play your video.

Section 2 of 4:

Using Third-Party Media Players

Download Article

1
Download a media player from a trusted site. Third-party media players often have features that Windows Media Player doesn’t have. There are plenty of free and paid media players you can download online.
- It's always recommended to use the bundled media playback software that ships along with your operating system, but, because they ship free with your operating system, they may not play all the file formats effectively.
- There are both free and paid applications available. Some free software, like VLC Media Player , RealPlayer , and QuickTime Player . They support playback of nearly all video and audio file formats.
- More advanced users can also use video editing software to play and edit videos. Windows includes a basic video editor called Clipchamp. You can download something more professional, like Adobe Premiere Pro, or a free alternative, like OpenShot .
2
Open an MP4 file in a third-party player. Use the following steps to open a video file in the media player of your choice:
- Right-click the video file.
- Click Open with .
- Click the media player you want to use to play the video.

Section 3 of 4:

Changing the Default Media Player

Download Article

1

Open the Windows Settings menu. To do so, click the Windows Start menu and click the Gear/Settings menu.
2

Click Apps . On Windows 11, it’s in the menu bar to the left. On Windows 10, it’s next to an icon that resembles a bullet list.
3

Click Default apps . This menu allows you to set applications by file type.
4

Click Choose defaults by file type . It’s at the bottom of the menu. You may have to scroll down. On Windows 10, it says Choose default applications by file type .
5
Click the application below “.mp4.” You’ll need to scroll down to find it. The current default media player should be listed below .”mp4.” Click it to change the default media player.
- If no media player is set, click + Choose default below “.mp4.”
6

Select the media player you want to use. You can select any media player that supports MP4 video that you have installed on your computer.
7

Click Set default . This sets the media player you selected as the default media player for MP4 videos. Whenever you double-click an MP4 video, it will play in the media player you selected.

Section 4 of 4:

Troubleshooting

Download Article

1

Restart your computer. There may be a minor glitch with Windows, or your computer’s memory may be full. Restarting your computer can fix minor glitches as well as clear your computer’s memory so that you have more resources to play video files.
2

Update your media player to the latest version. If your media player is outdated, it may not support certain video files or codecs. If you are using Windows Media Player, you’ll need to update Windows itself in order to update Windows Media Player. If you are using a third-party media player, you can find updates on the official website for the media player you are using.
3

Install the proper codec. Windows Media Player already has support for the most commonly used codecs. However, if the video you are trying to watch uses an HEVC (H.265), MPEG-2, VP9, AV1, OGG, Vorbis, or Theora codec, you will need to download the proper codec from the Microsoft Store. ^{[1]
X
Trustworthy Source
Microsoft Support
Technical support and product information from Microsoft.
Go to source}
4

Try a different media player. If an MP4 file isn’t playing in the video player of your choice, you can try a different media player. There are a variety of third-party media players you can download from online.
5

Repair or replace the video file. The video file may be corrupt or broken. If the video file won’t play in any media player, it may be a bad MP4 file. There are programs you can download to repair video files. You may have more luck deleting the file and downloading it again. Try downloading it from a different source.
6
Run a Windows troubleshooter. If you are experiencing problems with Windows that are interfering with video playback, you can use a built-in Windows troubleshooter to try to fix the problem. Use the following steps to do so:
- Click the Windows Start menu.
- Type “Troubleshoot.”
- Click Troubleshoot settings .
- Click Other troubleshooters .
- Click Run next to “Video Playback.”

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Question

Can Windows Media Player play mp4 videos?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

The latest Windows Media Player (Version 12) can play MP4 videos natively. Windows Media Player Version 11 and lower does not support MP4 videos, but it is possible to install an MP4 Video Codec that will allow you to play these files.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 4 Helpful 5

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Video

Tips

Make sure the file has an extension of .mp4 .

Thanks
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
If you're running a Mac, then the default player is QuickTime Player. You can also download VLC Player for macOS on your Mac.

Thanks
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Choose media players that give the CPU less data to process so it can just focus on the video.

Thanks
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Warnings

Installing a third-party media player is unapproved and can be harmful to your computer. Some carry spyware and malware.

Thanks
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

[1]

Trustworthy Source

Go to source

Log in

How to Play and Troubleshoot MP4 Videos on a PC: Full Guide

Quick Guide: Playing MP4s on PC

Steps

Using Default Media Players

Using Third-Party Media Players

Changing the Default Media Player

Troubleshooting

Community Q&A

Video

Tips

Warnings

You Might Also Like

References

About This Article

Is this article up to date?

Quizzes

You Might Also Like

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Featured Articles

Featured Articles

Watch Articles

Trending Articles

Quizzes

Explore Categories