How To Fix Your Input Can’t Be Opened VLC Error on Windows 11

Stuck with the “Your input can’t be opened” error on VLC Player? Well, yes, you may encounter this error while opening a media file on Windows. VLC Player is a popular open-source, cross-platform media player that supports a wide range of file formats, almost any multimedia. But there may be a few unfortunate times when the app may throw errors while playing a certain file. The “Your input can’t be opened error” usually appears when the file is either corrupted or in an unsupported format.

Some other possible causes that may trigger this error include:

• Corrupt or unsupported file format.
• The media file is being blocked by a firewall or antivirus software.
• The file is located on a network drive that is not accessible.
• The file path is incorrect or contains special characters.

But the good thing is that you can easily fix this error via simple troubleshooting. In this post, we have listed some simple solutions that you can try for resolving this issue and to make the most of your media experience.

Let’s get started.

Also read: How To Fix VLC Not Playing Videos On Windows 11/10

How to Fix the “Your Input Can’t Be Opened” Error on VLC Player?

Solution 1: Change the Folder Path

If the folder path of the file is too lengthy then the VLC Player might not be able to recognize or access it. Hence, changing the folder network path of the file can do the trick for you. For example, if the path of the media file is C:/ Users/ Downloads/ Main folder/ Subfolder/ New/ Files etc. then you can try making it simpler while pulling it out of the array of subfolders.

So, copy the file and then move it to a simpler location like C:/Users/Downloads. Reopen the file on VLC Player and check if the issue was resolved.

Solution 2: Rename the Media File

If the title of the media file contains special characters, then you may encounter the “Your input can’t be opened” error on VLC. So, rename the file or the folder without using any special characters.

Simply, right-click on the file and select “Rename”. Use any combination of strings or numerals and avoid special characters. After renaming the file, try to play it on the VLC player and check if it is still throwing the error.

Also read: How to Take Screenshots of A Video in VLC Media Player

Solution 3: Reset VLC Media Player Preferences

Launch the VLC Player app on your Windows 11 PC. Tap on the Tools option placed on the top menu bar and select “Preferences”.

The VLC Preferences window will now appear on the screen. Switch to the “Interface” tab. Tap on the “Reset Preferences” button placed at the bottom.

VLC Player will now pop up a confirmation alert on the screen. Hit on the OK button to confirm your action. After resetting the preferences, relaunch the VLC Player and run the file to check if the issue still persists.

Also read: How to Record Your Screen With VLC Media Player On Windows 10, 8 and 7

Solution 4: Change the Ownership of the Media File

Here comes another simple workaround to fix the “Your input can’t be opened” error on VLC. Changing the ownership of the media file can help you resolve the issue.

Launch the File Explorer app and navigate to the location where the media file is stored. Right-click on the file and select “Properties”.

In the Properties window, switch to the “Security” tab. Tap on the “Advanced” button.

Select “Change”.

Under the “Enter the object name to select” section, enter your username and then tap on the “Check names” button to select the user.

Hit on the OK and Apply buttons to save the recent changes.

Solution 5: Uninstall and Reinstall the VLC Media Player App

Tried the above-listed solutions and still had no luck? Well, as a last resort, you can try uninstalling and reinstalling the VLC Player app on your Windows PC.

Launch the Settings app and head to Apps> Installed Apps. Scroll through the list of installed apps and look for “VLC Media Player”. Tap on the three-dot icon placed next to it and select “Uninstall”.

After uninstalling the application, open any preferred web browser and visit this link. Tap on the “Download VLC” button to reinstall the app on your computer.

Launch VLC Player and run the media file to check if you are still encountering the error.

Also read: 7 Hidden VLC Media Player Features We Bet You Didn’t Know!

Conclusion

Here were a few simple methods to fix the “Your input can’t be opened” error on VLC Player. If none of the above solutions work, you may need to convert the media file to a supported format or re-download the file from its source.

Do let us know which method did the trick for you! Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.