Audio Video Interleave (AVI files) is a well-known video file format and multimedia container introduced by Microsoft in 1992. The file format allows the audio and video playback synchronization. It is a convenient video file format preferred by many users across the world.
Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen circumstances you encounter “Windows cannot play an AVI file” error. One of the main reason errors as mentioned below is AVI file corruption, which can be addressed effortlessly as mentioned in the section below.
- How to Convert AVI Files for Smooth Playback on Mac To begin with, free download the AVI video converter on your MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac mini, or Mac Pro. Install and run it. Step 1: Click '+ Video' button to load the AVI file you want to convert for playback on Mac.
- Apparently QuickTime never natively played AVI files, and using Perian is what allowed me to play them before. But Perian hasn't been updated for Mavericks support (it hasn't been updated in years), so now the files aren't playing. Actually, the AVI file container was and still is QT compatible under Mavericks.
Therefore, you might be unable to use the Windows Media Player to play this particular.avi file. After you download the appropriate codec file, replay the.avi file to see whether the problem is resolved. If you still have problems playing the.avi file, see the 'Next steps' section to find other resources to help you with this problem. The files play perfectly fine using VLC player. As far as I can tell it's an MPEG-4 XVID Video Codec. Does anyone know if this is a mac issue and whether it would work on windows? Or is it an issue with my video files? Launch QuickTime Player. Click on New Finder Window. Browse the location of AVI file. Double-click on the AVI video. This is what a typical Mac user do, to play a AVI file on Mac. But, we can’t ensure that this method always works in playing AVI files on Mac. Since QuickTime only plays native AVI files with MJPEG video.
The below sections involve various approaches and methodologies to repair the AVI file not playable on windows. Before moving ahead with solutions let us first understand the common scenarios for an unplayable video files on windows
Causes for unplayable AVI Video on Windows
Common reasons reported by the users for an unplayable AVI file on windows
- Windows media player does not have updated codec
- Drivers are not updated in Windows
- AVI file corruption
- Your media player doesn’t support AVI file format
- The AVI file is not downloaded or transferred
The above-mentioned scenarios usually cause the windows - cannot play AVI file error which can be solved by following the multiple methods given in the section below. Moreover, the above reasons can also cause a Windows media player to encounter a problem while playing other files like MOV, MP4, etc.
How to Repair an unplayable AVI file?
To repair unplayable AVI file follow the below listed methods:
Method 1: Fix Windows cannot play AVI files by updating WMP (Windows media player)
The error occurs when AVI has not associated with Windows Media Player anymore.
To overcome this issue,
- Open WMP.
- Press Alt to show the menu.
- From Tools menu, choose Options. A window pops up.
- Click File Types tab.
- Make sure Windows Video File (.avi) is ticked. If it isn’t, check it and click OK.
Another way is to update to the latest version of WMP. In your WMP, press Alt to show the menu if you can’t see it and choose Help. Check for any updates and follow on-screen instructions.
Method 2: Install latest Codec to repair unplayable AVI file on Windows
K-Lite contains most of the codecs needed to view your video. To add K-Lite to Windows, follow these steps:
- Download the latest version of K-Lite Codec Pack onto your hard drive.
- Now open your K-Lite installer and click Next.
- Choose the Normal mode and press Next
- In the drop-down menu, select default profile 1 and click Next.
- A new window pops up asking you to customize options. Press Next to visit next setup page.
- Now select your Windows Media Player check box for file associations and press Next.
- You can now select all the supported audio and video file formats. To select all formats, click Select All.
- Click Next to finish setup.
- Now press Finish to close your K-Lite setup window.
Method 3: Open AVI file using VLC Media Player
The VLC player can play most video formats out there. You can fix your broken AVI files with VLC player. Note that this is only a temporary solution and problems may still exist when you try playing your AVI file on WMP.
- Download and install the latest version of VLC Media Player.
- Now drag and drop your AVI file onto your VLC Media Player.
- If it has a broken index, a broken or missing AVI dialog box pops up.
- Now choose Build index and then play
- Select Input/Codecs tab and go to Files section.
- Select Always Fix from Damaged or incomplete AVI drop-down menu.
Method 4: Updating the driver on Windows
- Press Windows+R, this will guide you to the Run option.
- In the search bar below, type devmgmt.msc and click on OK
- On the device manager page, click on Display adapters and choose the Graphics card on your PC.
- Right-click on Update Driver option
In most of the cases, you can fix the Windows – Cannot play the AVI file. If you still find your windows saying unplayable AVI file after following the above methods, it can be due to a corrupt video file. To solve this you will need a reliable AVI repair tool which can help you easily repair the corrupt or damaged video files.
In case if you still find your Windows media player stating an unplayable AVI file after following the above methodologies, you will need a reliable AVI repair tool to resolve the issue.
The Remo Repair AVI employs a read-only mechanism wherein your damaged or corrupted AVI video file is repaired without modifying your source video. It offers a simple solution on how to fix avi files that won’t play.
Remo Repair AVI fixes broken, damaged, truncated, files with header corruption as well as AVI files that play with only audio or video.
How Do I repair Unplayable AVI file
Follow the steps mentioned in the section below to repair your unplayable AVI file on windows with Remo Repair AVI
- Select the AVI video file which is not playing and click on Repair select your unplayable AVI video to repair it.
- Wait until the AVI video repair process is completed.
- When the AVI video is fixed, a window will be displayed with the Preview option.
- You can verify the quality and preview the repaired AVI file for free before saving it
Conclusion
The above article emphasizes on the error Windows - Cannot Play the AVI file and the suitable approaches on how to fix the error. We always recommend downloading or transferring your AVI files from reliable sources, have updated codec and drivers. As the these solutions not only support the AVI file, but also other video file formats
How To Read Avi Files On Mac
Learn how to play AVI video files on Mac OS X through this guide. This tutorial guides you on how to play AVI files on Mac media supported media players. Continue reading..!
How to Play AVI File on Mac?
- Go to Finder and select the AVI file
- Drag it onto the QuickTime Player icon
Else,
- Open Mac dock
- Launch QuickTime Player
- Go to menu
- Click on New Finder Window
- Browse the location of AVI file
- Double-click on the AVI video
How Do I View Avi Files On A Mac
This is what a typical Mac user do, to play a AVI file on Mac. But, we can’t ensure that this method always works in playing AVI files on Mac. Since QuickTime only plays native AVI files with MJPEG video.
So, when you want to play a AVI file on Mac and QuickTime fails to play the AVI video, then you can employ below techniques.
1. VLC Player: VLC is an effective AVI player for Mac. It the easiest and free-way of playing AVI file on Mac. So, you must give it a try.
- Download VLC player on your Mac
- Install it using its .dmg file
- Select the AVI file, which you want to play
- Right-click on it and opt Info
- Choose Open with and select VLC from list
2. Old QuickTime Edition: If you have the latest version of QuickTime and it fails to play any AVI file present on your Mac then go for an older version of QuickTime and try to play your videos. (QuickTime 7 plays AVI videos without any additional plug-ins or codecs)
3. Convert AVI to QuickTime video: Convert your AVI files into QuickTime videos and then play them. To convert AVI into QuickTime compatible file format,
- Launch QuickTime player
- Use export to QuickTime option in the file menu
- Browse and select the AVI file
- Ensure that destination file format is MOV
- Finish the process
You can also make use of an efficient video converter tool to convert the AVI file.
4. Use Perian Plugin: Perian is an open-source QuickTime element, which allows you to play different video formats that you are unable to play on your Mac. If you are using QuickTime as your prime player, then you can download Perian because it offers necessary codecs that help you to play AVI files on Mac.
5. Third Party AVI Players: If none of the above methods help you to play AVI files on Mac then use third party media players, which are available online.
If your AVI file fails to play even in third party AVI players, then it seems the file is corrupted. So, first your repair AVI file on Mac and then try to play it using any of the above methods.