Video files come in various formats like MKV or MP4 and we all face difficulties in playing them very often as they often get damaged or corrupted. If you love creating videos and love watching movies, you must have dealt with Matroska Multimedia Container aka. Videos in MKV format. This format incorporates video, image, audio, and text subtitles into a single file and is widely used for movies and shows. If your MKV file cannot be played, there is a chance that it is damaged. This article explores some main factors that make them unplayable, the most efficient way to repair MKV files, and some great tips to protect them. So let’s not beat around the bush and get started.
Part 1: Reasons behind unplayable MKV file
Not paying attention to the file format is very common unless you encounter an error when trying to play it. The first thing that appears on the mind of every user is the possibility of a damaged video file. However, there are other specific scenarios that make an MKV file unplayable. Let’s discuss them briefly.
Unsupported Media Players:
87.8% of computer users worldwide use PCs with Windows operating system. The default media player of Windows operating system is Windows Media Player which does not support MKV files. It is valid for versions older than Windows 10, and if you want to play a file in MKV format on this player, you need to download particular codecs to make it compatible. VLC is the most widely used video player that fully supports MKV files. So always play your files in a supported player before you conclude that it’s corrupted.
Drivers out of date:
Are you someone who does not update their operating system and keeps slowing them down? Then most likely your video drivers are outdated and causing a problem during playback. If you are using an old device and its drivers are not updated, this could be one of the reasons why your MKV files are not playing. Update the drivers from a trusted source and try replaying to see if the problem is fixed.
Device issues:
Playback problems with video files are sometimes not because there is something wrong with the file. If the general functionality of your PC is affected, perhaps due to a virus or malware attack or if the operating system is not installed correctly, the video players will also not work properly. The best way to confirm that the problem is with your device is to try playing it on another sound device to rule out this cause.
The MKV file is damaged:
Once you have ruled out all the above reasons, it will finally be concluded that the unplayable MKV file is corrupted. This data corruption can be due to various reasons. The most common is that the video data gets infected with a powerful malware or virus, making it unplayable. If you recorded the video yourself from a digital device and a sudden shutdown occurred, or the device was running on low battery while recording or saving, it may also damage MKV files. The use of the MKV format is prevalent in subtitled videos, commonly movies. People tend to get them from unreliable sources, so there is always a risk of them getting damaged – the sudden ejection of storage devices during transfer. MKV files are another factor that leads to the damage of such data.
Part 2: Repair damaged MKV video with Wondershare Repairit
When you are sure that the video files are corrupted or damaged, don’t panic; you can repair them with an efficient repair tool. MKV files are complicated and not all repair tools are designed to fix them. So, always go for a trusted one with great reviews. Wondershare is a leading software company with a wide range of software products to deal with data recovery, video editing, templating and more. The company has released an excellent video recovery tool known as Wondershare Repairit. The repair tool has a high repair success rate and is specially designed to repair MKV files and many other video formats including MP4, MOV, AVI, 3GP, FLV and more. Regardless of the cause of video file damage/corruption, the tool can efficiently repair MKV format data within a few minutes. The tool is loaded with advanced features, user-friendly interface, and is compatible with both Windows and macOS. It is available in two versions. The free online version will help you repair a file up to 200 MB for free. To use the desktop version to repair larger files, you need to download the version according to your PC’s operating system and follow the steps below to get all your precious videos back.
Step #01: Launch and add a video file:
After launching Wondershare Repairit, you will see a button to add video. Click on it and it will allow you to add multiple videos simultaneously. Add all your MKV files with errors and move to the next step.
Step #02: Select File and Repair:
When you have added all the problematic videos, the interface will also show you the size, dimension, and duration of the file. Select the ones you want to repair and hit the repair button at the bottom right corner of the screen.
Step #03: Preview Fixed MKV Files:
The software has an inbuilt preview feature through which you can view the content of the repaired video and make sure that it is repaired perfectly.
Step #04: Save MKV File:
The final step is to save your file to the desired location on your computer based on space availability. This is how Wondershare Repairit helps you quickly repair all your corrupted and damaged .MKV files
Part 3: Tips to protect video files:
All video files, regardless of format and size, are prone to corruption and damage. Many times, the files are lost and cannot be played due to human errors. With the necessary preventive measures, you can prevent them from becoming corrupted. Some of the essentials are
- Do not shut down your computer instantly and make sure to avoid all scenarios that lead to it. When you are playing videos, transferring them to/from another device or downloading them, an instant shutdown interrupts the process and causes changes that lead to file corruption.
- When you want to transfer files to an external device, always scan them for potential malware and viruses. If the storage device is infected with any of them, it will damage your videos. To protect yourself, don’t use your USB flash drives and passport hard drives on public computers or without antivirus.
- Videos are larger than any other type of data and may take some time to transfer. When the transfer is incomplete, please do not eject your device suddenly. Allow the process to finish and eject properly to prevent data corruption.
- Take all the essential precautionary measures while recording videos. Don’t overplay them and turn off the camera when not in use. Transfer logged data to a healthy device and back it up to a secure cloud-based storage platform.
- The Internet is an excellent source of content and you can download tons of informative and entertaining video format data. Just make sure you download them from trusted sources and websites, as they may contain viruses that will damage your existing videos. Download them when your internet connection is stable and the speed is excellent.
This beginner’s guide on video data protection and repair will come in handy when you find yourself in such a situation. Downloading the right media player or the right codecs will mostly solve the problem. Still, if the MKV or MP4 video file is really damaged, Wondershare Recoverit will help you to repair all your damaged video data more easily. In a simple four-step process, you can recover all your data in a reproducible form. This online/desktop video repair tool has an amazing success rate so you won’t be disappointed at all. Check out all the features and benefits of the software on its official website.
Categories: How to
Source: vtt.edu.vn