Among all the popular video formats like MP4, MOV, MKV, and more, MPG is one of the oldest and widely used formats to store and share files on the internet. Although the default Windows Media Player received a huge overhaul with Windows 11 update, it doesn’t support MPG files by default. Here are the top ways to fix can’t play MPG files on Windows 11.
There are several ways to fix MPG files not playing on Windows. You can install the missing codec, download the file again, or use third-party apps to play MPG files without issues.
1. Download the MPG File Again
If you have downloaded a corrupt MPG file from the web, you can’t play it using the Windows Media player or any third-party software. Such files won’t show thumbnails in the File Explorer app. When you work with a slow internet connection or interrupt the download process, you may end up with a broken MPG file.
You’ll need to delete the existing file and download the same from the web again.
2. Download MPEG-2 Video Extension
MPG files are mostly incorporated with MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 extensions. MPEG-2 is an upgraded version of MPEG-1 and offers better features. Microsoft doesn’t pack the required MPEG-2 video extension with the Windows Media Player in Windows 11. So, you’ll need to download it from the Microsoft Store.
Step 1: Open Microsoft Store on your Windows 11 PC.
Step 2: Search for the MPEG-2 video extension and open the app info menu.
Step 3: Select install and play MPG videos on your Windows PC without any issue.
3. Convert Your MPG Video
Do you still face issues with playing MPG video files on Windows? It’s time to convert the video file to widely used MP4, MKV, or AVI format. You don’t need a dedicated software to complete the format conversion. You can easily pick one of the web tools and get the job done quickly.
However, be careful while uploading sensitive media on the web. The web tool will upload the video to the company servers to start the conversion process. If you have a confidential video file to convert, we advise sticking with an offline method to complete the process.
Step 1: Open your preferred web browser and head to cloudconvert.
Step 2: Select MPG in the first menu and MP4 in the second.
Step 3: Click ‘Select File.’ You can also click the down arrow button to upload a file from URL, Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive.
Step 4: Select an MPG video file from the File Explorer and hit Open.
Step 5: You can add more files (if you want) and hit the Convert button to start the process.
Step 6: After the conversion completes, hit the Download button to save the converted video file on your computer.
You can use the default Media Player to play the video file without breaking a sweat.
4. Use a Third-Party Video Player App
If you frequently plan MPG files on Windows, you shouldn’t go through the steps above to convert video files every time. It’s time-consuming and not productive at all. Besides, these web-based tools may not work flawlessly with big video files. Your best bet is downloading a third-party video player from the web to play MPG files. One such widely recognized video player is – VLC.
Step 1: Head to VideoLAN’s official website and download the VLC Media Player for Windows.
Step 2: Install VLC Media Player on your computer.
Step 3: Open the VLC media player and click Media at the top.
Step 4: Select Open File (or use Ctrl + O keys shortcut).
Step 5: Click your MPG file from the File Explorer menu and select Open.
The VLC media player is an open-source platform, and it’s free to download and use. The popular software is available on Mac, iPhone, and Android too.
Here are a couple of VLC Media Player alternatives to try and fix the can’t play MPG files on Windows issue.
Enjoy Smooth Video Playback on Windows
Windows not playing MPG files on a computer might become annoying to reminisce the old memories or music videos from a couple of decades ago. While the lack of support may surprise you initially, you can make it work on your Windows 11 computer. Before you install another app to play MPG files, you can go through the first three tricks to enable MPG playback.
Was this helpful?
Last updated on 28 September, 2022
Read Next
3 Ways to Delete Old Windows Update Files From Windows 10 and Windows 11
Method 1: Delete Old Windows Update Files via the Settings App The Storage section of the Settings app provides a detailed breakdown of all temporary files on your PC, including
Top 6 Ways to Fix Can’t Open JPG Files on Windows 10 and Windows 11
Windows 11 is off to a flying start.
Top 8 Ways to Fix Microsoft Word Opens Files in Read-Only Mode in Windows 10 and Windows 11
Microsoft Word is a popular word processor among Windows users for creating and editing documents.
3 Ways to Play Local MP3 Files on iPhone
Are you tired of not being able to play your favorite local MP3 files on your iPhone?
Top 3 Ways to Fix Windows 10 Temporary Files Not Deleting
Windows operating system and software installed on it often create Temporary files (or Temp files, for short) on your computer.
Top 5 Ways to Fix Some Update Files are Missing or Have Problems Error on Windows 11
Microsoft regularly releases updates for Windows 11 to keep your system secure and bug-free.
Top 10 Ways to Fix Microsoft Teams Can Not Open Files on Windows
Microsoft Teams has replaced email for many, and users rely on it to send or receive files.
Top 7 Ways to Fix Microsoft PowerPoint Not Saving Files on Windows
It can be annoying when you have spent hours working on an important presentation, and Microsoft PowerPoint fails to save the file on your Windows computer.
The article above may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. The content remains unbiased and authentic and will never affect our editorial integrity.
