You have downloaded a video or audio file and you are unable to open it or it does not play properly. This can be due to a simple reason: a missing codec. But what codec(s) should i download?

• The easiest way to find out is to check the file extension. One thing to be noted is that some files can be named wrongly and some file formats such as AVI require different codecs depending on the file even if the file extension is the same.

• Other method - also very simple - to find out the proper codec for video/audio files is GSpot or AVIcodec. These small tools can help you to check what codecs you need and whether your computer is able to play the file(s).

Sometimes it would be simpler to just install most of the commonly used codecs so as to avoid having to search for one each time you download a file using a new codec. Such codec packs are available here at codecs.com, however, you must take precautions to ensure that there are no software conflicts.


Many users reported troubles with codec packs. Our advice is: Always use tools like GSpot and AVIcodec and try to install only the codecs you need. Almost all packs give you the option to select the codecs before installation.