VLC is unable to open the MRL file
VLC is without a doubt the most popular third-party media player. One of the main reasons for its popularity is its ability to play most codecs. However, those who use VLC know that it is certainly not perfect. Rather, a well-reported but unresolved error where VLC is unable to open the MRL file.
What is an MRL file?
The concept of MRL (Media Resource Locator) file is specific to VLC software. Like URLs for browsers, an MRL file helps locate the media asset or part of a media asset. The location of the MRL file can be on the system, on the web, or on a partner system.
VLC cannot open MRL file
the VLC cannot open MRL file an error occurs when trying to play media files that are not stored locally on the system. If you encounter the error with locally stored files, please comment to let us know.
The error could be due to ownership issues, an outdated VLC client, an overprotective firewall, and an incorrect URL source.
- Check if the source URL is working or not
- Whitelist source in firewall settings or temporarily disable firewall
- Claim file ownership
- Reinstall the VLC client
To resolve this issue, try the following solutions sequentially:
1]Check if the source URL is working or not
If you try to stream multimedia content from a URL source and the stream does not work with the source itself, VLC will also not be able to play it.
To isolate this cause, click on Media> Open network flow.
Now copy the URL under Please enter a URL and paste it into your browser’s address bar.
Press Enter to run the URL and verify that the media is working online. Otherwise, the problem is related to the URL and not the VLC player.
2]Whitelist source in firewall settings or temporarily disable firewall
Windows Defender firewall is known to be overprotective with many websites and applications. If your source is blocked by the firewall, it may not play with VLC and in this case, you will encounter the error in the discussion.
In such a case, you can temporarily disable the Windows Defender firewall or change its settings.
3]Take possession of the file
In case you are trying to read a file stored on a removable disk or an external hard drive, you may need to take possession of the file to counter the error in the discussion. The procedure to follow is as follows:
Right click on the file and select Properties.
Go to security tab and click Advanced.
Click on Change.
in the Enter the name of the object to select field type Administrator and hit enter. Hit Okay.
Now tick the box associated with Replace all child object authorization entries with inheritable authorization entries for that object.
Press Apply, then OK.
4]Reinstall the VLC client
The VLC client can be corrupted, especially if you downloaded it from a third-party source. In this case, please uninstall the VLC client and download it again from the official website.
Hopefully your problem should be solved by the time you exhaust these solutions.
POINT: See this article if VLC Media Player skips and is late.
- Keywords: Media, troubleshoot