Why Video Stop Playing Happens and How to Fix it?

"I was playing my MP4 video on my PC. Now, on the screen's bottom, the video is 22:14 minutes long. However, the video stops midway at the 10:07 mark. The screen goes blank. None of the solutions I used works. I don't understand what to do when my video stops playing midway."

how to fix video stop playing errors

Several times, you may come across this issue when your video stops playing in the middle. It may show errors like "video not playing." It may have several reasons like corrupt video files, malware on the PC, or system issues. That's when you would think about how to fix video stop playing errors. There are several ways through which you can overcome this issue. However, before trying anything, try if there are any hardware issues present in your PC.

Why Video Stops Playing In The Middle?

There can be different reasons why your video stops playing. It can be due to a lack of speed in your system, internet issues, etc. Videos usually require more data and efficiently working PC for better playback. Let's check out the reasons in detail:

Reason 1: Slow internet connection

The main reason why your video may stop working in the middle may be internet issues. It can happen if your internet connection's speed is slow. As the videos use lots of data, they might stop working when you have slow internet.

Suppose that your video requires 3mbps, and you have an internet connection having 1.5mbps, then you would face issues like the video stopped playing. It's because the video isn't getting enough data to run efficiently.

Even if you are downloading something while playing the video, then also your video may get stopped. The reason is that the speed required to play your video would reduce if you are downloading something else.

Reason 2: Too many running apps

If your system is too busy and loads of programs are running in it, you may face video not playing issues. It depends on your PC's hardware configuration and how many programs you are running at once.

Other programs may have an increased load on your PC's CPU, disk speed, and RAM, interfering with video playback. As a result, you would see that the mp4 video stopped playing in the middle.

Reason 3: Auto pause settings or take a break reminder

When your video or media player settings are set into auto-pause, it would automatically stop while plying. These settings are present so that you can stop your video after a specific time automatically. You can go to the video/video player's settings>general>remind me to take a break and switch off the option.

Reason 4: The Video file is corrupted or damaged

Another reason why your video may stop plying in the middle is that it is damaged or corrupt. It usually happens when you are playing videos from external devices or any issues when transferring the files. It's quite a common error that may also occur due to malware or compatibility issues.

In any case, let's check out how to fix video stop playing errors on your PC.

Possible Solutions To Fix "Video Stop Playing" Error

There are different possible ways to solve your "video stopped plying" issue. Let's take a look at the following solutions:

Solution 1: Change another media player

vlc media player

If you face errors regarding video playback, it may be due to the media player you are using. It may also be because of video compatibility issues. Hence, you can try changing the media player. You can try using a VLC media player or any other media player. You can download the VLC media player and try playing your video on it. Since the VLC media player supports different video file formats, it's less likely for any video playback issues to come up.

Note: Check this post to learn Why Windows Media Player Not Working

Solution 2: Change the video file extension

If using a different media player doesn't help, you can change your video's file extension. It may give you access to play the video without it stopping in the middle. It will allow you to play the file directly, and you may get access to the video. Let's see how to change the file extension if your mp4 video stopped playing in the middle. The steps to do it include:

opening file explorer
  • First, open "file explorer" on your PC. You can search for it on the windows search box.
  • Then, click on the "File Explorer" and check for filename extensions on it.
  • Then, look for the video file extension or open the options tab
option folder
  • If you open the options tab, uncheck the "hide extensions for known filetypes."

Once you know about the file extension and if it's corrupt, you need to use a tool to solve the issue.

Solution 3: Check the Internet connection and close unnecessary apps

You can check out your internet connection if you are facing issues with playing online videos. Most probably, your online video would have stopped in the middle due to internet issues. You can restart your router or modem. If that doesn't work, set your router to use the 5GHz band. You can also change your DNS server.

Another thing to do is close unnecessary apps. If unnecessary applications use too much space on your PC while running, then your video might stop. Hence, you can close the applications that you aren't using.

Solution 4: Repair corrupted or damaged video (Using Wondershare Recoverit):

If no option works to fix video stop playing errors or have a corrupt or damaged video file, you can go for a video repair tool. Here, we will talk about the Wondershare Recoverit – Video Repair tool. It has an easy-to-use tool that can fix any video file format quickly. Its video repair feature comes with two repair modes, namely quick repair mode and advanced repair mode. Let's see how to repair your corrupt or damaged videos using this tool:

Step 1: Download and install the Wondershare Recoverit on your PC, and Choose Corrupted Video Repair Tab.

tool to fix video stops playing errors

Step 2: click on "Add Video" and add your video files.

Step 3: Then, select the repair option

repairing video files

Step 4: Wait for it to repair and preview to check if it's fixed or not.

If the file is still corrupt, it's because it is complex. Then you have to try the advanced repair mode:

preview video files
  • Add sample video files
  • Let the repair process complete
  • Select a location and click on the "save" button to save your file.

Conclusion

The video stopped playing error can be very unpleasant most of the time. In your everyday life, you would come across such an issue sometimes. However, there are ways through which you can solve this issue. You can follow simple steps to fix the video stopped playing errors. That's why we have discussed reliable ways to do it. The most reliable way is to use the Wondershare Recoverit – video reapir tool. However, you can first check by changing the file extension or media player to see if the issue gets solved. Otherwise, you can opt for a video repair tool.