How to Change Windows Media Player Codec

Codecs let you play different types of files with Windows Media Player.

Many audio and video files are compressed to take up less space on your computer's hard drive. While that compression saves room, it also causes problems with playback software such as Windows Media Player. To play a compressed audio or video file you also need the correct type of codec (compression/decompression) file. Windows Media Player includes an option to automatically search for and change the correct type of codec for whatever file you need to play.

Instructions

1. Open Windows Media Player and click the arrow button located underneath the "Library" icon. Scroll down and click "More Options."

2. Navigate to the tab labeled "Player" and locate the "Automatic Updates" heading. Click the check box named "Download codecs automatically."

3. Click "Apply" and "OK." Select the "Library" link at the left end of the window. Scroll down to the specific audio or video file that needs the new codec.

4. Double-click the file's name and wait for the new codec to download to your computer. Double-click the file name again to play the file.

Tips & Warnings

• In Windows Media Player 10 you need to open the "Tools" menu and select "Options" instead of clicking the arrow icon below the "Library" tab.

• Windows Media Player can also automatically search for updated codecs at a regular schedule. Return to the "More Options" tab and navigate to the "Player" tab again. Select the radio button that corresponds to how frequently Windows Media Player should download new updates, such as "Once a Day" or "Once a Week." Click "OK."

• Windows Media Player may not always be able to automatically download the necessary codec for any given type of file. Navigate to a codec website such as "Free-Codecs," "Codec Guide" or "Movie Codec" if Media Player can't locate the right codec. Click the link for the type of codec you need, such as for WMA or MPEG files. Double-click the codec installation file and follow the on-screen installation instructions.

• Always scan any codec file downloaded from a source other than Microsoft with your anti-virus and anti-spyware tool before running the installation procedure.

References

• Microsoft: Using Codecs

Resources

• Microsoft: Windows Media Player Solution Center
• Free-Codecs: Windows Media Player
• Codec Guide: K-Lite Codec Pack
• Movie Codec: Download Video Codecs