[Solved] 0xc1010103: Can't Play. Choose Something Else to Play

Eleanor Reed

Nov 11, 2024 • Filed to: Photo/Video/Audio Solutions • Proven solutions

If you have been trying to play a video in Windows, then the chances are that you can also encounter the 0xc1010103 error. Ideally, the error 0xc1010103 occurs due to a corrupt or unsupported video file. Though, there could be several other issues related to the error 0xc1010103 in Windows. This post will cover all these common issues and discuss some smart ways to fix the 0xc1010103 error.

Part 1: What Does the 0xc1010103 Error Mean?

This is a common video playback error that is mostly related to Windows Media Player. When we try to load a video, we get a prompt stating that the player does not support the media file. Though, there could be some other issues behind the error 0xc1010103 as well.

• Driver-related issue

The chances are that the GPU or the display drivers on your system could be outdated or corrupt, causing the 0xc1010103 error.

• Playback issue

Sometimes, there could be an issue with the video instead of the media player. In this case, you can try to resolve these playback errors first.

• Corrupt file

If the video has been corrupt or severely damaged, it can also lead to this common error.

• Other issues

Besides that, there could be an issue with the firmware or your system files. For instance, the accumulation of temporary data can be one of the reasons for the 0xc1010103 error.

Important Note:

To diagnose the issue, you can try playing any other video file on your media player. This will help you identify whether the problem is with your video file or the media player.

Part 2: How to Fix the 0xc1010103 Error in Windows?

As you can see, there could be different reasons and triggers for getting the 0xc1010103 error in Windows. To fix this video error, you can consider following these suggestions, depending on what caused it.

Solution 1: Try playing the video on another media player

We get the 0xc1010103 error most of the time while playing an unsupported video in Windows Media Player. To overcome this compatibility issue, you can check the format of the video you are playing. Therefore, you can consider any other media player for Windows to play the video instead. You can use some popular media players are VLC, Kodi, Plex, KMPlayer, MPlayer, and Real Player.

Solution 2: Fix 0xc1010103 with video playback troubleshooter

Microsoft understands that its users can encounter various video playback errors caused due to different reasons. Windows has come up with an inbuilt video troubleshooter that you can use to help them resolve them. Here's how you can use Windows troubleshooter to fix error 0xc1010103 on its own.

1. To launch the troubleshooter, you can go to Windows Settings from its Start Menu at first.

2. As the Windows Settings would be opened, go to the "Troubleshoot" feature from the sidebar.

3. From the provided options on the right, click on the "Run the troubleshooter" button under the Video Playback field.

4. This will open a dedicated wizard that you can follow to troubleshoot video playback errors. You need to enter specific details of what issue you are facing and let Windows scan it.

5. In the end, it will just display the prospective fixes for the error 0xc1010103 that you can implement on your system easily.

Please note that the guide is for Windows 10, but Windows 8 and 7 users can also find the troubleshooter listed under Control Panel or Windows Settings.

Solution 3: Repair corrupted or damaged video files

If your video has been corrupted or has any other playback issue, you can also encounter the 0xc1010103 error. The easiest way to fix this is by using a dedicated application like Wondershare Repairit Video Repair. A highly professional yet user-friendly tool can fix all kinds of issues related to your videos without much technical hassle.

• Wondershare Video Repair has two different algorithms-quick and advanced repair. While the quick repair can fix minor issues, you can use the advanced repair to resolve more critical problems.
• It supports the repairing of videos shot on camcorders, digital cameras, smartphones, drones, and other devices.
• Apart from common playback errors, it can also fix more critical issues like picture-audio sync, missing fragments, damaged header, etc.
• You can repair videos in all formats like MP4, FLV, AVI, MOV, and numerous other formats.
• The application will let you preview your videos to check the results before saving them to any desired location.

Therefore, if you are getting the error 0xc1010103 due to a corrupt video, then Wondershare Video Repair should be an ideal pick. Here are some simple steps that you can take to repair your videos using this advanced application.

Step 1: Load the videos to repair

First, just launch Wondershare Repairit and load the corrupt video that you cannot play. You can drag-and-drop videos or click on the add icon to browse them. There is an option to load multiple videos to Wondershare Repairit (if needed).

Step 2: Start the video repairing process.

Once you have added the videos of your choice, you can view their details on the interface. If you want, you add or remove any video from the queue and click on the "Repair" button to commence the process.

Step 3: Preview and save your videos

By default, the application will perform a standard repair of your video and inform you of its progress. When the repairing process is completed, you can preview your videos in the native interface of Wondershare Video Repair. You can select any video from here and click on the "Save" button to export them.

Step 4: Perform an advanced video repair (optional)

If the video has been severely damaged or the standard process cannot repair them, you can perform an advanced repair. The Advanced Repair will first need you to load a sample video. Please note that the sample video must be of the same format as the damaged file and should be shot on the same device.

Similarly, once the sample video is loaded, you can start the repairing process and wait for it to be completed. While the advanced repairing algorithm would take more time, its results will also be better. In the end, you can preview your results and save the repaired videos to any secure location of your choice.

Solution 4: Update the GPU driver to resolve error 0xc1010103

GPU, which stands for Graphics Processing Unit, is responsible for the system's overall display and visual quality. Though, it relies on display drivers for its functioning in Windows. If the GPU driver has been corrupted or outdated, it can lead to error 0xc1010103. Thankfully, you can easily fix it by updating your display drivers to their latest available versions.

1. To update your GPU drivers, first, click on the Start menu and open the Run prompt. You can also press the Windows + R keys at the same time to get the Run prompt on your system.

2. Once the Run prompt is launched, enter the "devmgmt. msc" command to launch Device Manager. Alternatively, you can also look for Device Manager from the search bar on the taskbar.

3. The Windows Device Manager would be launched, select your display drivers, and expand them. Now, select the installed GPU drive and choose to update it.

Furthermore, you can right-click and go to its properties to reset the driver (disabling and enabling it later). From here also, you can select the option to update the driver.

4. That's it! This will launch a dedicated wizard that you can follow to update your driver. Look for the available updates and install them on your Windows system subsequently.

Solution 5: Reinstall the display driver

Sometimes, updating the display driver is not enough as there could be any critical problem with it. For instance, if you have installed the wrong drivers or the update has been halted in between, it can also cause the 0xc1010103 error. To fix this, you can first uninstall the driver and later reinstall it by visiting its website. Here's a simple guide to reinstalling the display driver on your Windows system.

1. Before you uninstall your display drivers, it is important to know their specifications. For this, go to the search bar on your Windows and look for "System Information" or access it from its settings.

2. As the System Information window would be opened, go to its sidebar and browse to Components > Display. On the right, you can view the display adapter type, description, and other details.

3. Once you have noted these details, you can again go to the Device Manager on your system from its settings or via the Run prompt.

4. After launching the Device Manager, select your display drivers, right-click, and choose to uninstall it from your system.

5. Later, you can go to the official website of your driver's brand (like Intel, AMD, or NVIDIA) to download its compatible drivers. Here, you need to enter the details about your system noted before installing an appropriate driver.

6. In the end, you can launch the installer and follow a simple click-through process to install the newly downloaded drivers on your system.

Solution 6: Clean all unnecessary files and temp data

Lastly, many accumulated data on our system can also cause unwanted issues like the error 0xc1010103. The easiest way to fix this is by getting rid of any unwanted content from it, particularly from the Windows drive. It would help if you tried to have minimum data stored in the Windows drive in general. Besides that, you can also get rid of temporary data in Windows by following these steps:

1. open the Run prompt by pressing Windows + R keys or from the Start menu. Now, enter the "%temp%" command to launch the Temp folder.

2. Alternatively, you can also go to your Windows User folder > AppData > Local > Temp to view the temp files.

3. Now, select the temporary files from here and choose to delete them from your system permanently.

It is recommended to restart your system after deleting the temp data to check if it fixes the 0xc1010103 error or not.

Part 3: Some Smart Tips to Prevent the 0xc1010103 Video Error

I hope that after reading this guide, you would be able to fix the error 0xc1010103 without any issue. If you don't want to reencounter the problem, then I would recommend the following suggestions:

• While downloading or transferring your videos, make sure that you don't halt the process in between.
• Save your videos to a secure location and keep an anti-malware installed to make sure they are protected.
• Avoid editing your videos too much or altering their headers/extensions that can make them corrupt.
• Consider updating your media players and drivers to ensure they won't suffer from compatibility issues.
• Keep in mind the video format and try not to play it with a media player that won't support it.
• Try not to open several applications simultaneously while playing the video, as it can overload your system.

That's a wrap, everyone! Now when you know different ways to fix the error 0xc1010103, you would certainly fix this problem. Though, if you don't want to encounter issues related to a corrupt or damaged video again, then keep a video repair tool handy. For instance, with the help of Wondershare Video Repair, you can easily fix all kinds of errors related to your videos in no time.