Home How To Guide 7 ways to Fix VLC Media Player Not Working in Windows 11

7 ways to Fix VLC Media Player Not Working in Windows 11

VLC Media Player fails to play videos? Here are several troubleshooting steps to get your VLC Media Player back on track.

Steve Ballmer

July 8, 2024

VLC Media Player, the most widely used media player on Windows, is known for its ability to handle a variety of audio and video formats. However, sometimes you may encounter issues where VLC fails to play videos. Users report, VLC Media Player Not Working, getting an error message showing “this app can’t run on your PC” while running the VLC player. There could be multiple reasons why the VLC media player not working outdated version of app, unsupported file format, and corrupt files related to VLC player are common. Whatever the reason, here are several troubleshooting steps to get your VLC Media Player back on track.

Contents

1 Fix VLC Media Player Not Working

Fix VLC Media Player Not Working

Before apply any troubleshooting steps, its always good idea to start with simple reboot. Restarting your PC can resolve temporary glitches and conflicts that may be causing VLC to malfunction.

To restart your computer:

Click on the Start menu.
Select the Power icon.
Choose Restart.

Also, Ensure that the video file you’re trying to play is not corrupt and is compatible with VLC. Try playing different video files to see if the issue persists. If a specific file is problematic, it might be damaged.

Update VLC Media Player

This is the very first thing to check, whether you’re using the latest version of VLC or Windows is updated. Developers frequently release updates to fix bugs and improve compatibility with new operating systems like Windows 11.

Open VLC Media Player and Go to Help in the menu bar.
Click on Check for Updates. If an update is available, follow the on-screen instructions to install it.

Also, check for and install the latest Windows update by following the steps below.

Press the Windows key + I to open the settings app,
Go to Windows Update then hit check for Updates button,
If new updates are pending there, allow them to download and install on your device.
Once done, reboot your PC to apply changes, and check the VLC media player not working issue resolved.

Update Graphics Drivers

Sometimes, Outdated or corrupt graphics drivers can cause playback issues in media players. Ensure that your graphics drivers are up to date.

outdated drivers of your graphics processing units could cause the VLC media player to not function properly.

Press Windows + X and select Device Manager.
Expand the Display Adapters section.
Right-click on your graphics card and select Update driver.
Choose Search automatically for updated driver software and follow the instructions.

Also, you can visit the device manufacturer’s site to download and install the latest Graphics driver update.

Reset VLC Preferences

Again incorrect settings in VLC Media player can cause playback issues. Resetting VLC preferences to their default state helps resolve these problems.

Open VLC Media Player.
Go to Tools in the menu bar.
Select Preferences. Click Reset Preferences at the bottom of the window.
Confirm your action.

Disable Hardware-Accelerated Decoding

While hardware acceleration Feature enhances video playback performance, sometimes it may cause issues on some systems. Disabling it helps a few users resolve playback problems.

Open VLC Media Player.
Go to Tools and select Preferences.
In the Preferences window, go to the Input / Codecs section.
Under Hardware-accelerated decoding, select Disable.
Save your changes and restart VLC.

Change Video Output Module

VLC allows you to change the video output module, which can help resolve compatibility issues with certain graphics hardware or drivers. If the above solutions don’t help, try to Change the Video Output Module by following the steps below.

Open VLC Media Player. Go to Tools and select Preferences.
In the Preferences window, select the Video section.
Under the Output drop-down menu, try different video output modules (e.g., DirectX, OpenGL).
Save your changes and restart VLC.

Reinstall VLC Media Player

If none of the above steps work, reinstalling VLC Media Player can help resolve any issues caused by corrupt installation files.

Press Windows + R to open the Run dialogue.
Type appwiz.cpl and press Enter to open the Programs and Features window.
Find VLC Media Player, right-click, and select Uninstall.
Follow the instructions to remove VLC from your system.
Download the latest version of VLC from the official website.
Install VLC Media Player and try playing your video again.

Use an Alternative Media Player

If VLC continues to give you trouble, consider using an alternative media player. Some popular options include:

MPC-HC (Media Player Classic – Home Cinema)
KMPlayer
PotPlayer

Each of these media players supports a wide range of video formats and can serve as a reliable backup if VLC fails.

Again, sometimes corrupt system files are the reason why Windows apps including VLC not working properly. Running SFC and DISM scans helps scan and restore missing files with the correct ones.