VLC doesn't play MP4 - you can do that
If the VLC player no longer plays your MP4 files, there can be several reasons. We will show you how to solve the problem in any case.
VLC does not play MP4 video - it can be because of that
- Start the VLC player and select the "Settings" under "Tools". Now click on the "Reset Settings" button below.
- If that doesn't help, switch to the "Video" tab above. Check that the Enable Video option is turned on.
- Then uninstall the VLC Player. We show you exactly how this works in this practical tip and in our video. Then download the current version of the VLC player.
- If that doesn't work either, try opening the MP4 file with another player like the pre-installed Windows Media Player. If the video does not run here either, the file may be defective.
- If you have recently installed a codec pack, this can also be the cause. If so, uninstall the codec pack again.
VLC Player does not play MP4 files - conversion helps
Even if this is only a temporary solution, you can avoid the problem: With the right software, you can convert the MP4 file. To do this, use the free "Freemake Video Converter":
- Download the program and install it.
- Click on the "Video" button at the top left and select the desired file.
- In the lower window you choose a new format like "WMV" or "AVI". It can also help if you convert the file to MP4 again.
- If you want, you can change the quality and location of the video here.
- Then use the "Convert" button to convert the file into the desired format. This process is usually very quick.
In the next practical tip, we will show you five secret functions in the VLC Player.