Have you ever been frustrated by the default media player on your Windows 11 computer? Perhaps it doesn’t support your favorite video or audio formats, or maybe it’s just not as user-friendly as you’d like. If so, you’re in luck! In this article, we will show you how to easily make VLC your default player on Windows 11. VLC is a free and open-source media player that is known for its wide range of supported formats and its powerful features. It is a great alternative to the default Windows Media Player, and it is definitely worth considering if you’re looking for a better way to enjoy your media.
To make VLC your default player, follow these simple steps:
1. Download and install VLC from the official website.
2. Once VLC is installed, open the Settings app.
3. Click on the “Apps” tab.
4. Click on the “Default apps” tab.
5. Scroll down to the “Video player” section.
6. Click on the “Choose a default” button.
7. Select VLC from the list of options.
8. Click on the “OK” button.
That’s it! VLC is now your default media player on Windows 11. You can now open any video or audio file by simply double-clicking on it. VLC will automatically launch and start playing the file. Additionally, you can set VLC as the default player for specific file types. For example, you can set VLC as the default player for all MP4 files. To do this, simply right-click on an MP4 file and select “Open with.” Then, select VLC from the list of options and check the “Always use this app to open .mp4 files” checkbox. Click on the “OK” button to save your changes.
Prerequisites
To set VLC as the default media player on Windows 11, you’ll need the following:
1. VLC Media Player installed: If you don’t already have VLC installed, you can download it from the official VideoLAN website (https://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.html). Once downloaded, run the installer and follow the prompts to complete the installation.
a) Option for advanced users:
If you’re comfortable with using the Registry Editor, you can also set VLC as the default player using this method:
- Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.
- Enter “regedit” in the box and click “OK”.
- Navigate to the following key:HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\vlc.exe\shell\open\command
- In the right pane, double-click on the “(Default)” value and set the data to the following: “C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe” “%1”
- Click “OK” to save the changes and close the Registry Editor.
b) Set VLC as Default Player Using Command Prompt
Another method for advanced users is to use the Command Prompt:
- Open the Command Prompt as an administrator.
- Execute the following command:ASSOC .mp4=vlc.VideoFile
- Replace .mp4 with any other file extension you want to associate with VLC, such as .mkv, .avi, etc.
Modifying File Associations
The most straightforward approach for configuring VLC as the default media player in Windows 11 is by modifying file associations. By doing so, the system will automatically open media files with VLC when they are double-clicked or launched from other applications. Here’s how to make the change:
Open Default App Settings
Navigate to the Windows Settings menu by pressing Windows key + I. Select “Apps” from the left-hand panel, followed by “Default apps” on the right side. Alternatively, you can directly access the Default Apps settings by searching for it in the Windows search bar.
Change Default Media Player
In the “Default apps” section, scroll down and locate the “Video player” entry. By default, it may be set to the Microsoft Movies & TV app. Click on the “Video player” option and select VLC Media Player from the list of available apps. This will make VLC the default media player for all video file formats supported by the system, including MP4, AVI, and MKV.
Additional File Associations
In addition to setting VLC as the default video player, you can also configure it to open other types of media files, such as audio files and playlists. To do this, follow these additional steps:
| File Type | Default App |
|---|---|
| Audio Files (.mp3, .wav, etc.) | VLC Media Player |
| Playlists (.m3u, .m3u8, etc.) | VLC Media Player |
By completing these steps, you can effectively make VLC the default media player for a wide range of file formats in Windows 11, ensuring that media files consistently open in your preferred application.
Changing Default Apps
To change the default app for a specific file type or protocol, follow these steps:
- Open the Settings app.
- Click on Apps.
- Click on Default apps.
- Scroll down to the file type or protocol you want to change.
- Click on the current default app.
- Select the app you want to set as the default.
Setting VLC as the Default Player for Specific File Types
To set VLC as the default player for specific file types, follow these steps:
- Open the Settings app.
- Click on Apps.
- Click on Default apps.
- Scroll down to the Video player section.
- Click on the current default video player.
- Select VLC from the list of options.
You can also set VLC as the default player for specific file extensions by using the following table:
| File Extension | Registry Key | Value |
|---|---|---|
| .mp4 | HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.mp4\UserChoice | ProgId=VLC.mp4 |
| .mkv | HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.mkv\UserChoice | ProgId=VLC.mkv |
| .avi | HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.avi\UserChoice | ProgId=VLC.avi |
To change the default app for all file types, click on the Choose default apps by file type link at the bottom of the Default apps page.
Setting VLC as the Default Audio Player
To set VLC as your default audio player on Windows 11:
- Open the Settings app by pressing Windows key + I.
- Go to Apps > Default apps.
- Under “Audio player,” click on the current default app and select VLC from the list.
-
Optional: Enabling File Format Associations
To ensure that VLC opens all supported audio files by default, you can manually associate file formats with the player:
- Open File Explorer and select any audio file you want to associate with VLC.
- Right-click on the file and select “Properties.”
- Go to the “General” tab and click on the “Change…” button next to “Opens with.”
- Select VLC Media Player from the list of available apps.
- Check the “Always use this app to open .[file extension]” box.
- Click “OK” to save the changes.
Repeat this process for all supported audio file formats (e.g., .mp3, .wav, .ogg).
After completing these steps, VLC will become the default audio player for playing all audio files on your Windows 11 system.
Setting VLC as the Default Video Player
1. Open the Windows Settings app
To begin, open the Windows Settings menu. You can do this by clicking on the Start button and selecting “Settings” or by searching for “Settings” in the search bar.
2. Navigate to the “Apps” section
Once the Settings app is open, click on the “Apps” option. This will take you to a list of all the apps installed on your computer.
3. Select the “Default apps” tab
On the left-hand side of the Apps window, click on the “Default apps” tab. This will show you a list of default apps for different file types and protocols.
4. Find the “Video player” section
Scroll down the list of default apps until you find the “Video player” section. The current default video player will be listed next to this section.
5. Click on the “Choose a default” button
To set VLC as the default video player, click on the “Choose a default” button. This will open a pop-up menu with a list of all the video players installed on your computer.
|
Select VLC from the list |
Once you have selected VLC from the list, click on the “Set as default” button to confirm your choice. |
Using the Registry Editor
Modifying the Windows Registry is a more advanced approach to setting VLC as the default player. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Open the Registry Editor
Press Windows Key + R, type “regedit”, and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
Step 2: Navigate to the VLC Key
Navigate to the following key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\vlc.exe
Step 3: Check the Default Value
Right-click on the default value (usually “(Default)”) and select “Modify”. Check if the Value data field contains the path to VLC’s executable file (e.g., “C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe”).
Step 4: Modify the Value Data (If Necessary)
If the Value data field does not contain the correct path, modify it to the correct path to VLC’s executable file.
Step 5: Add the “Application” Value (If Missing)
If the “Application” value is not present in the right-hand pane, right-click and select “New” > “String Value”. Name it “Application” and set its Value data to “vlc.exe”.
Step 6: Clear the File Association Cache
To ensure the changes take effect, clear the file association cache by running the following commands in Command Prompt (as an administrator):
del /f /s /q “%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations%”
vssadmin delete shadows /all /quiet
reg delete HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.mp4 /v UserChoice
reg delete HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.avi /v UserChoice
reg delete HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.mkv /v UserChoice
Replace .mp4, .avi, and .mkv with other file extensions if necessary.
Step 7: Restart Windows
Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
Command Prompt Method
1. Open Command Prompt
Type “cmd” in the Windows search bar and right-click on “Command Prompt,” choosing “Run as Administrator.”
2. Check VLC Installation Directory
Type the following command and press Enter: reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\VideoLAN\VLC" /v InstallDir. Note the installation directory from the output.
3. Navigate to VLC Installation Directory
In Command Prompt, navigate to the VLC installation directory by typing: cd [installation directory].
For example: cd C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC
4. Set VLC as Default Player for Specific File Types
Use the following command for each file type you want VLC to handle: assoc [file extension]=vlcfile.
For example, for .mp4 files: assoc .mp4=vlcfile
5. Set VLC as Default Player for All File Types
To make VLC the default player for all file types, type the following command: ftype vlcfile="C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" "%1"
6. Create a Default Application Registry Key
Create a registry key by typing the following command and pressing Enter: reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\vlc.exe" /v /t REG_SZ /d "C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe"
7. Override Default File Associations with VLC
Execute the following command to override any existing file associations with VLC: reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\Applications\vlc.exe\shell\open\command" /v /t REG_SZ /d "C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" "%1"
Set VLC as the Default Player
1. Right-click on a media file and select “Open with”.
2. Click “Choose another app” and scroll down to select “VLC media player”.
3. Check the box for “Always use this app to open .
Set Default for All Media Types
1. Open the Settings app (Windows key + I).
2. Go to “Apps” > “Default apps”.
3. Click “Choose default apps by file type”.
4. Scroll down to the file type you want to change and click “Choose a default”.
5. Select “VLC media player” from the list.
Reset File Associations
If you’re having trouble setting the default player, try resetting file associations.
1. In the Settings app, go to “Apps” > “Default apps”.
2. Click “Reset”.
3. Click “Reset default apps for Microsoft Store apps” and “Reset default apps for desktop apps”.
Troubleshoot Default Player Issues
File Extensions Not Recognized
Make sure the file extension you’re trying to associate is supported by VLC. Check the VLC documentation for a list of supported formats.
VLC Not Listed in Default Apps
Ensure VLC is installed and not blocked by any firewall or antivirus software. Restart your computer and try again.
Other Apps Overriding VLC
If VLC is opening files temporarily, make sure another app is not overriding it. Uninstall or disable any apps that might be interfering with file associations.
VLC Installer Bug
Older versions of the VLC installer may have a bug that prevents it from setting default associations. Download the latest version of VLC and install it.
Registry Issue
Edit the registry to manually set VLC as the default player. Open the Registry Editor (regedit) and navigate to:
| Location | Value | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\| VLC.exe |
Make VLC the Default Player on Windows 11Follow these steps to set VLC as the default media player on your Windows 11 computer:
Reset File Type AssociationsIf you experience issues with certain file types not opening in VLC, you can reset the file type associations:
Revert to Previous Default PlayerIn case you decide to revert to the previous default player, follow these steps:
Resetting Default Apps with a Batch ScriptYou can also use a batch script to reset the default associations for all the supported file types. assoc .mp4=Video assoc .avi=Video assoc .mkv=Video assoc .mov=Video assoc .flv=Video assoc .wmv=Video assoc .mpg=Video assoc .mpeg=Video assoc .ts=Video assoc .vob=Video Save the above code as a .bat file and run it as administrator. Additional Tips and Considerations1. Troubleshooting: If VLC is not working as your default player after following the steps above, try the following troubleshooting tips: 2. Customizing File Associations: You can also customize which types of files VLC will open by default. Right-click on a file, select “Open with”, and choose “Choose another app”. In the “Choose an app” window, select VLC and check the “Always use this app to open .[file extension]” box. 3. Setting VLC as Default for Specific File Types: If you only want to use VLC for certain file types, such as videos or music, you can set it as the default player for those specific extensions. Follow the steps in “Customizing File Associations” and select the desired file types. 4. Default Programs Table: The following table provides a quick overview of the default program settings for different file types in Windows 11.
5. Using the Command Line: You can also set VLC as the default player using the command line. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator and run the following command:
Replace “[file extension]” with the desired file extension, such as “.mp4” or “.avi”. 6. Checking Default Programs: To verify if VLC is set as the default player, go to “Settings” > “Apps” > “Default apps”. Scroll down to the “Media player” section and ensure that VLC is selected. 7. Multiple Default Programs: You can have multiple default programs for different file types. For example, you can set VLC as the default player for videos and Groove Music for music. 8. Resetting Default Programs: If you want to reset all default programs to their original settings, go to “Settings” > “Apps” > “Default apps” and click on “Reset”. 9. Using Third-Party Apps: There are third-party applications available that can help you manage default programs more easily. Some popular options include Default Programs Editor and FileTypesMan. 10. Additional Considerations: How To Make VLC The Default Player On Windows 11VLC has long been one of the most popular media players for Windows users, thanks to its ability to play almost any video or audio file format. And now that Windows 11 has been released, you may be wondering how to make VLC the default player for all your media files. It’s a simple process, and here are the steps on how to do it: People Also AskHow do I make VLC my default player for certain file types? You can make VLC your default player for specific file types by following these steps: Can I make VLC my default player for all files? Yes, you can make VLC your default player for all files by following the steps outlined in the first section of this article. |
