# windows Media Player can't read file.



## JADEKING64 (Feb 20, 2015)

Hello i have just re-installed my computer and now it wont read my videos on my external hard drive. How can i fix this problem?:facepalm:


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## Stancestans (Apr 26, 2009)

Hi! Welcome to TFS :welcome:

If you must use Windows Media Player, then you need codecs to play videos whose formats are not supported by WMP by default. My favourite codec pack is k-lite codec pack and it comes with a very good media player called MPC-HC (Media Player Classic Home Cinema). The codec pack contains vfw (video for Windows) and directshow codecs which are usable not only by MPC, but by other video encoding/decoding and playback programs such as Windows Media Player. Alternatively you could use VLC (I personally hate it for its random crashes though); it has its own (self-contained) codec library to support playback of almost, if not all video formats. Note that VLC's codec libraries are only for use by itself, they are not available system-wide (for use by other programs). There's no harm in trying all of them out, then decide which one to use on your videos. In short, you need codecs. Check out k-lite here http://www.codecguide.com/download_kl.htm


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

As said, WMP requires you to install codecs to play DVD's and some other video files. I use the free VLC player, it will play just about any media file there is, it does not require codecs to be installed and it has never crashed on me.


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## wangxu (Oct 13, 2015)

Perhaps the video format isn’t supported by Windows Media Player. You can try to convert it to other format, and then try to play it again. There’s a free online converter that maybe helpful to you.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

There is no reason to convert a video just to play it. VLC player, plays all video formats including DVD's.


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