If you have downloaded an MKV file, opening information technology using an before version of Windows Media Player 10 might not work. This is considering the previous versions of Windows Media Role player did not support MKV files.

Even if you take a new version of Windows Media Player, there's no guarantee that you withal won't be encountering bug. Your file may load but you may only hear the sound and the video will not be visible.

In this postal service, permit's look at how you tin use Windows Media Player to play MKV files. We'll also talk about some alternatives for playing MKV files in Windows.

It'due south worth noting that MKV (Matroska Video) files are a container format for multimedia and not any kind of compression format. They are basically future-proof because they tin can contain video, sound and subtitles in a single file with a mix of encodings (H.264, H.265, MP3, AAC, etc).

Convert The File To a Format Supported By Your Version Of Windows Media Role player

If a program can't play your MKV file, one fix is to make the file playable by converting information technology. And so in this case, going with an acceptable format for Windows Media Thespian is the straightforward solution.

The file you're looking for comes with the extension .wmv. It stands for Windows Media Video and it's a video file that uses Microsoft'southward ASF (Advanced Systems Format) as the basis.

And then what you need to practise is find a reliable converter that will catechumen your MKV file to WMV. Wondershare UniConverter is a tool you can utilise for this.

  • To begin, open the programme and choose Add Files.
  • Get to Convert all files to: and select WMV as the output format.
  • This tool is just i of many tools that tin can catechumen your MKV files to WMV files. You can also choose AVS Media Converter, Handbrake, and more. All three of these tools are malware and spyware free.

Use Alternative Media Players

Windows Media Player is a great congenital-in program for playing media. However, if it can't play your MKV file, a quick fix is to employ other media players.

The best pick that nosotros recommend is to employ VLC Media Player. If you prefer another media role player, you can check out the listing on the Matroska website. Other great media players they recommend include MPC-HC and BS.thespian.

VLC Media Player

VLC is a costless open-source multimedia player that can play almost every multimedia file format.

It too comes with a lineup of tools that can improve your viewing feel. This includes a menu for Media, Playback, and Video.

  • The first pace to using VLC media player is to download and install the program.
  • And then select your MKV file. Right-click on it and choose Open with.
  • From the option, choose VLC media player.
  • You lot can also launch the media player. And then go to Media and select Open File from the drop-down menu.

Install a CODEC

The last option if you really want to play MKV files using only a media player like Windows Media Actor is to download a CODEC. A CODEC, which is brusque for compression/decompression, is used to give a programme the ability to play a file format that it doesn't support natively.

The main affair with CODEC "packs" is that they are unremarkably from shady websites and will install a bunch of crapware onto your arrangement. The safest place to go the CODEC we demand in this case is Ninite.

This is a safe website where yous tin can download a lot of free software for Windows without any bundled software included. Y'all can select whatsoever other program you lot like in addition to the CCCP option, which stands for Combined Community Codec Pack.

This is only a pack of codecs for Windows that will allow you to play pretty much whatsoever video format, including MKV. Using one of the three methods above, you should exist able to play your MKV file on Windows without whatever bug.