How to Download Video Codecs for Windows 11/10 (Full Guide)

Out of the box, Windows includes a set of codecs that can efficiently play most common media files. But that's not enough. Because media files can be encoded in many different ways, you are likely to encounter codec errors when playing video files encoded with codecs that are not supported by Windows, such as HEVC. A 0xc00d5212, 0xc10100bf, or similar error code may appear, indicating that a missing codec should be installed. So yes, you need extra codecs for Windows 11 and 10 to ensure smooth video playback.

But what codecs do Windows 11 and Windows 10 need? Where to download and install codecs for Windows? How to fix codec issues once and for all? Don't worry. In the following, you'll find more about the Windows video codecs, how to get them for free, and how to fix the error permanently. Continue reading.

💡 10-sec quick tip - What is a codec:

A codec is software used to compress (encode) and decompress (decode) media data such as video and audio. Media players must have the appropriate codecs installed in order to play media files.

When you can't play a video in Windows Media Player, one of the causes is the wrong video codec – the video is encoded with a codec that is missing from the media player. You can check the codec of your video and search for the exact missing codec from the Microsoft Store, which by default, provides a collection of codecs needed for common video playback.

Here are some of the codec extensions available in the Microsoft Store:

• HEVC Video Extensions ($0.99) – to play most MKVs and MP4s.
• MPEG-2 Video Extension (Free) – to play MPEG and TS videos.
• AV1 Video Extension (Free) – to play MP4, MKV, and WebM.
• Web Media Extensions (Free) – to play most OGG, Vorbis, and Theora-encoded content.
• VP9 Video Extensions (Free) – to play most WebM files.

Click on the codec you need and install it on your Windows system.

If you don't know what codecs are needed or Microsoft Store does not have the codec you need, you can try a third-party codec pack that contains all the essential codecs to play the majority of video files such as MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, etc.

K-Lite Codec Pack is the leading codec pack that has been around for many years. It includes a large library of decoders from basic to advanced, so it can ensure a high success rate of playing various media files. Best of all, this codec pack is free to use. Here are instructions on how to get this codec pack for Windows 11/10.

Step 1: Go to the K-Lite Codec Pack website at https://codecguide.com/download_kl.htm.

Step 2: Download the Standard K-Lite and run the installer.

Step 3: Based on your needs, you can choose Normal or Advanced installation mode and follow the prompts to finish the setup.

Step 4: Restart your media player and enjoy your media files in it.

👉 In addition to K-Lite, Shark007 Codecs and Windows 11 Codec Pack are two other free options for extending the Windows 11 and Windows 10 codec library.

The best all-in-one solution for safely and easily resolving codec errors is to use a video converter. External codec packs can mess up your registry or conflict with your system, but a codec converter can fix those playback failures without touching your Windows system setup.

WonderFox Free HD Video Converter Factory stands out as the best free tool to solve Windows codec issues permanently. It's powerful and easy to use, helping you convert any unplayable video, such as HEVC, AV1, DivX, Xvid, or DTS, into native Windows-friendly formats like H.264 MP4 or WMV. Then you will have no issue playing the video. As the cherry on top, it features a built-in media player that can instantly play any video you throw at it.

Now, you can download and install download and install the free tool to convert video codecs for Windows 11/10 in a few clicks:

Download for Free

Download for Free

If you want to know about codec issues for a specific video format, here's a quick overview of common problems and solutions:

AVI files are usually encoded with Xvid or DivX, but the media players on Windows 11/10 do not natively support these codecs anymore, which results in a black screen or "0x00d5212" error.

Solution: Install an older version of Xvid codec with a codec pack, or convert the AVI to H.264 MP4 format to completely fix the playback failure.

Microsoft removed the pre-installed MPEG-2 codec since Windows 8 to save on licensing fees. So later versions of Windows can't play MPG files encoded with MPEG-2.

Solution: Download the official MPEG-2 Video Extension plug-in directly from the Microsoft Store.

Windows can play MP4 files with the H.264 or MPEG-4 codecs without a hitch, but 4K MP4 files with the HEVC (H.265) or AV1 codecs can prompt a 0xc10100bf error or ask you to download a paid Microsoft extension.

👉 See our MP4 codec guide for instructions on how to bypass paid HEVC extensions and get 4K MP4 playback for free.

If your MOV file was captured on an iPhone, it likely uses the HEVC or ProRes codec. Windows Media Player is not good at handling these formats so you are likely to see a black screen.

👉 Read our MOV codec guide for the best way to play MOV videos.

The most common problem with MKV format on Windows is usually not the video but the audio. When you play MKV files, you may not get any sound as Windows Media Player cannot decode DTS or Dolby EAC3 audio tracks often present in MKV files.

👉 Learn more from our full MKV codec guide to fix DTS/AC3 audio track decoding and other video decoding problems.

WebM is a streaming format that works well on the web. It uses Google's VP9 and AV1 video encoders, and Opus audio encoder. WebM files can play in Chrome or Edge browsers, but you will often encounter playback errors with local media players.

👉 Check out our WebM codec guide to add native VP9/AVI/Opus decoding support to your PC.

M2TS files are high-definition video streams generated by Sony, Panasonic, or Canon camcorders in AVCHD/BDAV format. Often, these raw video streams are not recognized by Windows Media Player.

👉 Visit our M2TS codec guide for professional solutions to decode or transform your camera footage.

What could be better if you don't need to download codecs for Windows or convert video codecs? The answer lies right in front of you – a universal media player. While Windows Media Player does not have sufficient codecs to play some media files, third-party programs such as VLC media player, Media Player Classic, PotPlayer, etc. have rich codec libraries and can decode and play almost anything natively.

Among the universal media players, VLC is one of the most popular media players for Windows 11 and 10. It can play not only regular media files, but also disc files, YouTube URLs, IPTV playlists, and more. Most importantly, it is free, open source, and cross-platform.

You can try the VLC media player for Windows at https://www.videolan.org/vlc/.

Many media playback errors are due to unsupported codecs. By installing codecs for Windows, you can enable Windows Media Player to play a wider range of media files. We showed you how to download Windows codecs from the Microsoft Store and how to get external codec packs. But codec errors can still occur. That's why we also recommended a codec converter and a universal media player, as they can provide additional solutions to help you play your media.

We sincerely hope that this article was helpful to you. Thank you for reading. Have a good day!

🌟 You can refer to this article: How to Play Any Video Format on PC for more tips.

Yes, codecs are required because they compress raw uncompressed media files that might otherwise be much larger. With codecs, media files are easier to transfer and store. Media players and other programs also need codecs to play and create media files.

Windows 11/10 requires a codec pack to ensure all your videos will play correctly. But it doesn't necessarily need the K-Lite codec pack as there are other codec packs available such as Windows 11 Codec Pack and Shark007 Codecs. Both codec packs are good for Windows computers.

You can get codecs for Windows Media Player by updating the Windows Media Player Codecs. Simply open the media player, and click Tools > Options. Switch to the Player tab and select Once a day under the Automatic updates. Then click Apply to update the codec library. It should download new codecs if available. However, keep in mind that you won't get all the codecs you need this way. You will most likely need to install a 3rd-party codec pack for Windows Media Player.

Usually, codecs are safe to download. But be careful from where you are downloading the codec. It is best to download the codec from the official website or a large website like CNET.