Windows media player returns an error 80040265, when you try to play a video file. There can be more than one reasons for this error to occur. The following useful troubleshooting steps are provided to fix this error with a little effort.
Introduction to "Cannot playback the file. The file format not supported. Error: 80040265"
Windows media player supports most of the common media file formats. When Windows media player cannot play the file it is not only because of the lack of file format support, there are other reasons that stand responsible for stopping the media player from playing your video. This article will give you a brief information and an easy solution to fix the error 80040265.
What are the causes behind this error 80040265?
- It can be due to missing of some of the Windows media player files.
- The damaged media file.
- The codec that the media file uses is not installed.
- The codec used in media file is not supported by Windows media player.
- The media file is not supported by Windows media player.
Step by step solution to fix error 80040265
- Check whether Windows media player supports the file format
Windows media player supports the following file formats:
- Common Windows media formats like .avi, .asf, .asx, .wav, .wax, .wma, .wmv, .wm.
- Some of the common Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG) formats are .m1v, .mp2, .mp3, .mpa, .mpe, .mpv2, .m3u, .mp2v, .mpg and .mpeg.
- Some Musical Instrument Digital Interface formats supported are .midi, .mid, .rmi.
- It also supports UNIX formats like .au and .snd.
Check whether the media file format you are trying to open is supported from the above mentioned file formats.
- Check if you can play a media file with same file format of the file you are trying play
If any other media file with the same file format is playing in Windows media player, then the WMV file or other video file that you are trying play is damaged. Damaged media files of the formats like .avi, .mp4 are prone to get damaged or corrupted due to track error or broken index, hence it is important to know how to fix corrupt avi files. Before you proceed to the next step try repairing mp4 video files to undo the damage done to the MP4 file. - Try reinstalling Windows media player
Follow the below steps to uninstall Windows media player:
- Go to Control Panel, click on Programs.
- Click on Add or Remove Programs, from the list of installed programs click on Windows media player and select remove to uninstall.
- Restart the computer
- Go to Microsoft website and download the latest version of Windows media player.
- Install the new version of Windows media player and check if media file is playing.
If the Windows media player cannot play the file and it is still showing the error 80040265 then proceed to next step.
- Verify the codec for the media file you are trying play
Though Windows media player supports most of the file formats, however the media files doesn’t play if there is no supported codec for the media file. Download the required codec by following the below steps:
- Visit Microsoft website and download the Windows media player codec packages available and install it in the computer.
- Now restart Windows media player and try playing the media file if you still have the trouble playing the media file proceed to the next solution.
- Verify the value of registry sub key and its value
Before going on with the process of editing the registry sub key value it is highly recommended that you take backup of the registry.
- Start Registry Editor by clicking Start - click Run, type
regedit, and then click OK. - Verify the following registry key by referring to the associate entries and values table mentioned below :
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{da4e3da0-d07d-11d0-bd50-00a0c911ce86}\Instance\{083863F1-70DE-11d0-BD40-00A0C911CE86}
If the above sub key exists and the values are same as displayed in the above table quit registry and play the file.
If the key doesn’t exist create one using the following steps:
- In registry editor follow the path and click on HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{da4e3da0-d07d-11d0-bd50-00a0c911ce86}\Instance
- Go to Edit menu click on New and click on Key
- Enter the value {083863F1-70DE-11d0-BD40-00A0C911CE86} and click ok
- Go to Edit menu, point to the New and clickString Value
- Type-in CLSID and then press ENTER
- Go to Edit menu and click on Modify
- After clicking on Modify, enter {083863F1-70DE-11d0-BD40-00A0C911CE86} and press OK
- Now go to Edit menu, point to the New and click on String Value
- Press FriendlyName and press ENTER
- Go to Edit menu and click on Modify
- Enter DirectShow Filters, and then click OK
- Now go to Edit menu, point to the New and click on Dword value
- Type Merit and Enter.
- Go to Edit menu and click on Modify
- Enter the value as 600000 and then click OK
- Quit Registry Editor.
After completion of the registry editing process restart the computer. Now that you have successfully fixed the error 80040265 you should be able to play the media file in Windows media player.
