3 Simple Methods on How to Fix MKV Windows 10/11 Playback Issue

Q: I've recently upgraded to Windows 10, but when I try to play an .mkv video file, I get an error message in the Movies & TV app. "Can't play. This item was encoded in a format that's not supported. 0xc00d5212". However, I'm pretty sure the MKV file I have previously worked and still work. Any idea?

A: According to the Microsoft official site, MKV is among the supported formats for Windows video playback. But it also explains that it can only play DRM-free videos, and if a supported video won’t play, it might be using an unsupported codec. Since MKV is rarely used as a commercial delivery format, the chances are low that your MKV file is DRM-protected. So that leaves it to the codec. (BTW, if you are using other players, like Windows Media Player, the MKV format itself could be a factor too.)

As you probably know, MKV is a video container format that can hold multiple video and audio streams encoded by different a/v codecs. To play the MKV video, it requires the player to have the same a/v codecs for decoding the video and audio data. If the player lacks the corresponding video codec, it will play the MKV with no video or can’t play it at all; and if it is the audio codec it lacks, the MKV will be played without audio.

So back to why we fail to play MKV files on Windows 10 and why is Windows 10 MKV no video or no audio. I believe that the answer is obvious now. To fix MKV files won’t play on Windows, here we offer three efficient ways – #1. format/codec conversion, #2. codec pack installation, and #3. player changing. We highly recommend the first solution for it can solve the MKV playback problem once-and-for-all so you can play MKV on any devices and players without any hassle. Yet, it’s up to you to choose what’s the best way for you. 

The MKV files can be successfully played through installing the missing MKV codec too. K-Lite Codec Pack is a simple free codec pack which supports playing almost all the mainstream audio and video files after installing.

Note: This method won’t work if the error comes from the wrong video format instead of the codec.

Step1: Visit http://codecguide.com/download_kl.htm, click the "Download Basic" option > click "Mirror 1" or any one of the locations to download the K-Lite Codec Pack.

Step2: After done, choose the players for Windows you want on "File association" section during setup.

Step3: Then click "Next", tick .mkv when you select the file extensions you want to play with the media players you have chosen. Finally finish the installation of the K-Lite Codec Pack. Then you can play MKV files on Windows 10 smoothly.

Actually, if you are not a die-hard fan of Movies & TV or Windows Media player, using some third-party media players to play MKV files may be an easier and wiser choice. So what plays MKV files on Windows 10? Here are some MKV players you could try.