Windows
Windows Media Player could not play a file; VLC was installed and playback was confirmed with audio
Windows Media Player would not play a file and reported that it could not find a sound device. VLC was installed, then the same video was confirmed to play with audio.
Killed once by someone from XL.net, on 2025-10-01.
Affects
Apps
- Windows Media Player
- VLC
What you see
- Windows Media Player shows an error saying it cannot find a sound device when opening a file.
When it shows up
A file will not play in Windows Media Player and the error says a sound device cannot be found.
You are in this case if:
- Windows Media Player error dialog mentions that it cannot find a sound device.
1 fix below
The steps that killed it
The steps are behind a quick check
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Someone from XL.net killed this on a Windows computer on 2025-10-01. It is written up from that one repair, so it cites no outside page.