Video files come in diverse formats such as MKV or MP4, and we all face difficulties playing them very often as they often become damaged or corrupted. If you love creating videos and love watching movies, you must have dealt with Matroska Multimedia Container aka. MKV format videos. This format incorporates video, picture, audio, and text subtitles into a single file and is widely used for movies and shows. If your MKV file isn’t playable, there is a possibility that it is damaged. This article explores some primary factors that make them unplayable, the most efficient way to repair MKV files, and some great tips to protect them. So no beating about the bush, and let’s begin.

Part 1: Reasons Behind Unplayable MKV File

Not paying attention to the file format is very common unless you encounter an error when you try to play it. The first thing that pops up in every user’s mind is the possibility of a corrupted video file. However, there are specific other scenarios that make an MKV file unplayable. Let’s discuss them briefly.

Unsupported Media Players:

87.8% of the computer users worldwide use PCs with a windows operating system. The default media player of Windows OS is Windows Media Player that doesn’t support MKV files. It is valid for versions below Windows 10, and if you want to play an MKV format file on this player, you must download particular codecs to make it compatible. VLC is the most commonly used video player that completely supports MKV files. So always play your files on a supported player before jumping to the conclusion that it is damaged.


Not Upgraded Drivers:

Are you someone who doesn’t update their OS and keeps on delaying them? Then the chances are that your video drivers are outdated, causing an issue while playing. If you are using an older device and your drivers are not renewed, this might be a reason why your MKV files aren’t playing. Update the drivers from a trusted source and try replaying to see if the issue got fixed.

Device Issues:

The playability issues with video files sometimes are not because there is some problem with the file. If your PC’s overall functionality is disturbed, maybe due to a virus or malware attack or the OS is not installed correctly, video players will also not function properly. The best way to confirm that problem is with your device is to try playing it on another sound device to rule out this cause.

MKV File Is Corrupt:

Once you have discarded all the above reasons, it will finally be concluded that either the non-playable MKV file is corrupt. This corruption of data can be due to a handful of reasons. The most common one is video data being infected with a powerful malware or virus, making it unplayable. If you have recorded the video yourself from a digital device and a sudden shutoff occurred, or the device was running on a low battery while recording or saving, it can also damage the MKV files. MKV format use is prevalent in subtitled videos, commonly movies. People tend to get them from unreliable sources, so there is always a risk of getting a corrupted one—sudden ejection of storage devices while transferring.MKV files are another factor that leads to damage of such data.

Part 2: Repair Damaged MKV Video with Wondershare Repairit

When you are sure that the video files are corrupt or damaged, please don’t panic; you can repair them with an efficient repair tool. MKV files are complicated, and not every repair tool is designed to repair them. So always choose a trusted one with great reviews. Wondershare is a leading software company with a broad range of software products to deal with data recovery, video editing, template creation, and more. The company has rolled out an excellent video recovery tool known as Wondershare Repairit. The repair tool has a high repair success rate and is specially designed to fix MKV files and many other video formats, including MP4, MOV, AVI, 3GP, FLV, and more. Without taking into account the cause of video file damage/corruption, the tool can efficiently repair MKV format data in a few minutes. The tool is loaded with advanced features, a user-friendly interface, and is compatible with Windows and macOS. It is available in two versions. The online free version will help you to repair a file up to 200 MB for free. To use the desktop version to repair bigger files, you have to download the version according to your PC operating system and follow the following steps to get back all your precious videos.

Step #01: Launch & Add Video File:

After launching Wondershare Repairit, you will see an add video button. Click on it, and it allows you to add multiple videos simultaneously. Add all your MKV files with errors and move to the next step.

On the Wondershare Repairit, click on the ‘Add’ video button

Step#02: Select File and Repair:

When you have added all the problematic videos, the interface will also show you the file size, dimension, and duration. Select the ones you want to repair and hit the repair button on the screen’s bottom right corner.

Select the ‘Files’ you want to repair and hit the ‘Repair’ button

Step#03: Preview Fixed MKV Files:

 The software has an embedded preview feature through which you can see the repaired video’s contents and ensure that it is repaired perfectly.

Use the ‘Preview’ feature to see the repaired video’s content to ensure it is repaired perfectly

Step#04: Save MKV File:

Save your ‘File’ into the desired location on your computer

The end step is to save your file into the desired location on your computer as per the availability of space. That’s how Wondershare Repairit helps you to repair all your corrupted and damaged .MKV file quickly

Part 3: Tips to Protect Video Files:

Every video file, regardless of the format and size, is prone to corruption and damages. A lot of times, files are lost and become unplayable due to human errors. With necessary preventive measures, you can prevent them from getting corrupted. Some of the essential ones are.

  • Don’t turn off your computer instantly, and make sure to avoid every scenario that leads to it. When you are playing videos or transferring to/from another device or downloading them, an instant shutdown disrupts the process causing changes leading to damage of files.
  • When you want to transfer files into an external device, always scan them for potential malware and viruses. If the storage device is infected with any of them, it will corrupt your videos. To protect, don’t use your USB, pen drives, and passport hard disks on public computers or ones without an antivirus.
  • Videos are larger than any other type of data, and it may take some time to transfer them. When the transfer is incomplete, don’t eject your device suddenly. Let the process finish and eject in a proper way to avoid data impairment.
  • Take all essential precautionary measures while recording videos. Don’t playback them excessively and turn off the camera when not in use. Transfer recorded data into a healthy device and back it up on a secure cloud-based storage platform.
  • The Internet is an excellent source for content and you can download tons of informative and entertaining video format data from it. Just make sure that you download them from reliable sources and websites as it might contain viruses which will damage your existing videos. Download them when your internet connection is stable, and the speed is excellent.

This beginner guide to video repairing and protecting video data will come in handy when stuck in such a situation. Mostly the problem is solved by downloading the proper media player or the correct codecs. Still, if the MKV or MP4 video file is genuinely corrupted, Wondershare Recoverit will help you to fix all your corrupted video data most easily. In a simple four-step process, you can get back all your data in playable form. This online/ desktop video repair tool has an incredible success rate so that you won’t be disappointed at all. Check out all the features and benefits of the software on its official website.