WMV stands for Windows Media Video. It’s based on Windows media compression so it’s a very popular video format. Sometimes in Windows 10, the default Windows media player can’t properly open the WMV files due to some changes Microsoft made in Windows 10. However, some third-party media player software allows WMV files to open. So let’s find out what is a WMV file and how you can run it on your Windows 10 computer.

What is the WMV File Format?

WMV file extension is a compressed file format with Microsoft’s video compression formats. It’s a set of media codecs, such as WMV Screen and WMV Image. It’s part of the Windows Media Framework that was developed by Microsoft. Some third-party formats use this WMV file format in short animations and such, as this is a very common format used in Windows.

WMV and WMA are very similar file formats, except WMA (Windows Media Audio) files only contain audio data and no video.

How to Open ‘Windows 10 Won’t Play WMV Files’ issue?

There are a couple of different ways you can open a WMV file. Installing either a video player or a third-party codec can be used for opening WMV files. If none works, then you can convert the file format to a different one that works on your PC. Here are the methods:

1. Windows Media Player

The default Windows Media Player can usually open the WMV files. Right-click on the file, select Open with, and then select Windows Media Player. If you can’t find the Windows Media player on your PC, then you’ll need to enable it from Settings. Press and hold the Windows key and press “I” to open the settings windows. In the search bar, type Turn Windows Features On or Off. Select Windows Media Player under Media Features and click OK.

2. Third-party Media Players

Many different third-party media player software supports the WMV file format. Most notably VLC Media player, KMPlayer, and Pot Player are very popular and powerful software that supports almost any video format/codec which includes WMV files. After installing any of these media players on your Windows 10 PC, Right-click on the WMV file you wish to open, select Open with, and then select the media player you have installed.

3. Convert the Codec into Other File Formats

If the above-mentioned process doesn’t work, you can try converting the file into any other file format. Any free or paid Video Converter software can be used for this.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I convert WMV to MP4 on Windows 10?

You can follow this method:

1. Download Movavi Video Converter and install it.
2. Go to Add Media>Add Video and select the file.
3. Open the Video tab, choose MP4, and then choose a preset.
4. Click Convert.

How can I edit a WMV file in Windows Media Player?

Open the media file in the usual way with Windows Media Player or use the Open Media File button of the WMP Trimmer Plugin. After that, click the Edit File button of the plugin.

Conclusion

A variety of different video files were developed over the years, but not all of these are compatible with all Windows systems. So, you have to download other software to run such files like the WMV file for Windows 10 easily. If the above-mentioned methods aren’t working, then it’s possible that the file you’re trying to run is corrupt. In that case, you can download the WMV file again and you should be able to run it using these methods.