While playing a video or audio, if you receive a Missing Codec Error 0xc004f011, on Windows 11/10, here is how you can fix the problem. Although this problem mainly occurs when the required Codec is missing or not available or the file is corrupt, there could be other reasons as well. This guide contains all the possible solutions to troubleshoot the issue.
The entire error message says something like this:
Missing codec
Choose something else to play. This item is in a format we don’t support.
0xc004f011
Fix Missing Codec Error 0xc004f011 in Windows 11/10
To fix the Missing codec error 0xc004f011 in Windows 11/10, follow these solutions:
- Try another media player
- Download codec
- Update graphics driver
- Update the media player
- Repair corrupt file
- Delete temporary files
- Convert the file to another format.
To learn more about these solutions, continue reading.
1] Try another media player
Not all media players support all the file formats, and that could be a reason for getting the aforementioned error message. That is why we suggest you try another media player. For example, if the built-in media player is causing the issue, you can try VLC Media Player, KODI, ALLPlayer, etc.
2] Download codec
Although the built-in media player supports most of the video and audio formats, you might get this problem while playing an unknown file. It comes with MPEG-1, MPEG-2 audio, Apple Lossless Audio Codec, Waveform, 3GP, 3G2, etc., codecs. However, HEVC, VP9, AV1, etc., are not pre-installed.
That is why you need to download & install the codec. To do so, you can visit support.microsoft.com and download the codecs as per the requirements.
Read: How to check installed Codecs on Windows 11
3] Update graphics driver
If you have an outdated graphics driver, this issue may arise at times. That is why we would suggest you update the Graphics driver. For that, do the following:
- Press Win+I to open Windows Settings.
- Go to Windows Update.
- Click on Advanced options.
- Select the Optional updates.
- Expand the Driver updates section and tick the graphics card driver.
- Click on the Download & install button.
However, if you do not have any available updates, you won’t find the update in the Optional updates section.
4] Update the media player
An outdated media player, like the graphics card driver, could cause the same issue. Let’s assume that you have recently updated your Windows 10 to Windows 11, but you didn’t update the third-party media player. If so, you might find the error above.
To update the new Windows Media Player app, you need to open the Microsoft Store and search for Windows Media Player. Then, click on the Update button to start the downloading process.
5] Repair corrupt file
If your computer was recently attacked by malware or adware, there is a high chance of getting this problem even if you clean your PC thoroughly. You can repair a corrupt video file using a Video Repair software.
For example, you can use VLC Media Player, which is one of the best ways to get the job done. Apart from that, you can use Meteorite, DivFix++, etc. All of them are free and easy to use.
Read: How to repair corrupt Videos on Windows PC
6] Delete Temporary files
Even if you install the codecs, you might not be able to play the file. It happens because of the temporary files. Windows stores all the temporary files here:
C:\Users\user-name\AppData\Local\Temp
You need to delete these files to refresh the process. To do so, press Win+R to open the Run prompt, type %temp%, and hit the Enter button.
Next, please select all the files available in this folder and delete them. Once done, restarting your computer is suggested.
Read: Different ways to delete Temporary Files on Windows
7] Convert the file to another format
If none of the above solutions are working, you should try converting it to a different format. For example, if the video is in MP4 format, you can try AVI and so on. You mau use one of these free software:
Hope this helps.
Read: Video Codec not supported error in Windows 11
How to fix a missing codec problem?
In most cases, you can fix a missing codec problem by downloading the codec from the official website or the Microsoft Store. Apart from that, you can update the graphics driver, media player, etc.
How do I fix an MP4 codec error?
To fix an MP4 codec error, you need to download the MP4 codec from the Microsoft Store or the official website of the media player. However, if it doesn’t work, you can do the basic troubleshooting things like updating Windows, updating the media player, graphics card driver, etc.
Leave a Reply