Windows keeps asking for a codec it does not include. The codec it wants is HEVC, and the official version is free.
HEVC is also written H.265, and it is what your phone, your camera and most 4K films record in.
Windows 10 and Windows 11 can decode H.264 on their own, but not H.265.
Microsoft charges $0.99 for one version of the missing piece and gives away an identical one.
This guide gets you the free one in about two minutes.
The short version. Install HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer. It is free, it is signed by Microsoft, and it is the HEVC codec Windows is asking for.
It needs a 64-bit PC. Windows 11 takes the newest build; Windows 10 needs an older build from the same download list.
If you would rather install nothing at all, VLC Media Player decodes H.265 on its own.
What the HEVC codec actually is
HEVC stands for High Efficiency Video Coding. It squeezes video into roughly half the file size of the older H.264 at the same picture quality.
A codec is simply the software that knows how to unpack that squeezed video again. Windows has one for H.264 built in, and none for H.265.
In Windows, that missing piece has an official name: HEVC Video Extensions. It is a small Microsoft-signed package, not a codec pack and not a driver.
Microsoft publishes it twice. One copy sells for $0.99 in the Store, because HEVC is covered by patent licensing and Microsoft pays a fee per copy. The other is published free for PC manufacturers to preinstall, and it is public.
Same decoder, same version numbers, same signature. Only the licensing paperwork differs.
Windows 10 and Windows 11 do not take the same build
This is the one detail that trips people up, and it is worth 30 seconds before you download anything.
The newest builds at the top of the download list are made for Windows 11. If you are on Windows 10, scroll down the list and take the last release that still supports it.
Both builds install the same way and decode the same files. Picking the wrong one is the most common reason an install appears to work and then does nothing.
Two requirements to check first. The codec needs a 64-bit version of Windows, and Windows 10 machines need version 1709 or later. On 32-bit Windows the package will not install at all, and no PowerShell command will change that.
Which HEVC codec do you actually need?
| What you want to do | Install this | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Play HEVC everywhere in Windows: Media Player, Photos, File Explorer thumbnails | HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer | Free |
| The same thing, bought from the Microsoft Store | HEVC Video Extensions | $0.99 |
| Just watch one file and move on | A player with its own decoder, such as VLC | Free |
| Watch H.265 on a work PC where you cannot install anything | An online HEVC player in your browser | Free |
Most people reading this want the first row. It is the one that makes Windows itself understand the format, instead of working around it.
How to install the free HEVC codec on Windows 11 and 10
- Open the HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer page. Pick the newest build on Windows 11, or the last Windows 10 build if you are on Windows 10.
- Download the offline installer. It is a single file of about 10 MB.
- Double-click the downloaded
.appxbundlefile. Windows opens its built-in App Installer. - Click Install and wait a few seconds.
- Restart the PC so Windows picks up the new decoder.
- Open any HEVC video. If it plays, you are finished.
Nothing visible appears in the Start menu afterwards, and that is correct. Codecs do not have a window of their own.
When the HEVC codec will not install
This happens often enough to deserve its own section. The usual symptoms are an installer that flashes open and closes, the message "App installation failed with error message: Windows cannot install package", or winget reporting that the package cannot be found.
The causes are boring ones. An older copy is already registered under a different Windows account, the PC is running 32-bit Windows, or a workplace policy has blocked Store services.
The dependable fix is a single PowerShell command. The PowerShell install method walks through it, including how to clear out a stale copy first.
One warning about search results. Searches for "HEVC codec download" are full of sites offering codec packs, driver updaters and codec fixers. You do not need any of them, because the real codec is a small Microsoft-signed package and free players cover the rest.
Playing H.265 without installing a codec at all
Not every playback problem needs a system codec. Some players carry their own decoders and ignore Windows entirely.
VLC Media Player is the usual answer. It plays HEVC on its own, including 4K and HDR files, with hardware acceleration, and it never asks Windows for permission.
If you only need to check one file, or you are on a locked-down work machine, the online HEVC player opens H.265 video directly in your browser. The file stays on your computer and nothing is uploaded.
The trade-off is worth knowing. A player with a built-in decoder fixes playback in that player only. Photos, File Explorer thumbnails and Windows Media Player stay broken until you install the extension.
Will your PC handle 4K HEVC smoothly?
The codec is only half the story. The other half is whether your graphics chip can decode H.265 in hardware.
Hardware decoding of 8-bit HEVC arrived with Intel 6th-generation processors and NVIDIA GTX 950 and 960 cards. The 10-bit HEVC used by most 4K and HDR video needs roughly Intel 7th-generation or a GTX 10-series card and newer.
Not sure where your own card lands? This HEVC hardware support checker covers 60 or so NVIDIA, AMD and Intel models and tells you whether yours handles 8-bit, 10-bit and 4K.
Older machines still play these files, but in software. Expect fan noise and the occasional stutter on 4K, and try VLC's hardware acceleration settings if playback struggles.
Windows 11 on ARM is covered too, since the package includes an ARM64 build.
How to check whether you already have it
Open Settings, go to Apps, then Installed apps, and search for "HEVC". If either "HEVC Video Extensions" or "HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer" is listed, the codec is in place.
A faster check is to right-click an HEVC video, open Properties, then the Details tab. If Windows shows frame rate and frame dimensions, it can read the file.
The fastest check of all is simply trying to play it.
Quick questions
Is the free HEVC codec worse than the $0.99 one?
No. Same decoder, same version numbers, same Microsoft signature. Only the licensing paperwork behind them differs.
Is HEVC the same thing as H.265?
Yes, two names for one standard. You will also see it typed as "hvec", which is just a common misspelling, and as "x265", which is a specific free program that produces HEVC video rather than a different format.
Does VLC support HEVC, or do I still need the codec?
VLC plays HEVC on its own and does not need the Windows extension. Installing the extension as well is still worth it if you want Photos, File Explorer thumbnails and Windows Media Player to handle H.265 too.
Can installing it break anything?
No. It adds a decoder and does not replace or remove anything else. You can uninstall it later from Settings, under Apps.
Do I need the HEIF extension as well?
Only for photos. HEVC handles video files such as .mp4, .mkv and .mov, while HEIF and HEIC are the still-image formats iPhones use. They are separate installs.
My video still will not play after installing. Now what?
Two culprits are likely: the file is in a container Windows apps handle badly, .mkv being the classic example, or the audio track is the real problem rather than the video. Our HEVC troubleshooting guide works through both.
Can I use this codec to create HEVC files?
No. This extension only decodes, which is to say it lets you watch. Making H.265 video needs an encoder, and that is a different kind of tool.
The two-minute version
The codec Windows keeps asking for is free, official, and a couple of minutes away. Grab the free HEVC codec for Windows 11 and 10, take the older build if you are on Windows 10, and keep VLC installed as a backup.
Free Popular IPTV Playlist: Where to Get Fres...
5/5Hey rei, That message is VLC's way of saying it went to the address and found nothing there. MRL ...
Read More →How to Use Helium Audio Converter: Convert An...
5/5@levi Yes, it works offline, it's a desktop software.
Read More →Meet Qwant: The Private, EU-Built Alternative...
4/5I didn't know it was EU, AND france. That doesn't sound like a good idea. Related to coding or ...
Read More →