How to Solve Quicktime Not Opening on Mac Issue?

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QuickTime is a staple on Mac for watching videos and recording screens. However, sometimes QuickTime Player doesn’t work, refusing to open or play a video. If you’re facing the same issue, here’s an article to help you fix it and get your QuickTime Player to function normally again.

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Apple’s built-in media player, QuickTime, is designed to support nearly all popular video formats, but it can encounter issues such as failing to open or play files due to outdated software, temporary glitches, or corrupt video files.

Fortunately, these problems can often be resolved quickly. Continue reading to learn how to fix these issues.

5 Solutions To Fix Quicktime Not Opening on Mac Issue

1: Relaunch QuickTime

If the QuickTime player is not opening due to any temporary glitch then a simple relaunch can clear out the glitch that’s causing the issue.

2: Update QuickTime Player

The older version of QuickTime Player can have bugs that affect opening or media playback issues. Updating it could resolve the issues.

QuickTime Player updates are typically included with macOS updates. To update the version of QuickTime Player, we recommended to update your macOS:

  • Click on the Apple menu and select System Preferences.
  • Choose Software Update to check for available updates.
  • If a macOS update is available, click Upgrade Now.
  • Install the update and restart your Mac

Reinstall the application: If relaunching or updating doesn’t fix the “QuickTime player is not working” issue then try reinstalling the application restart your device and check if the issue persists.

3: Adjust QuickTime Preferences

Incorrect or corrupt preferences could also be the reason why your Quicktime player is not working, you can reset it by deleting the preference file.

  • Open Finder, choose Library, and navigate to the preference path
  • Locate com.apple.QuickTimePlayerX.plist
  • Move the file to Trash
  • Now Relaunch the QuickTime Player

4: Convert the Video File Format

If the video file format of your video is not supported by QuickTime player then try converting the video file to any other format like MOV, AVI, or MP4 and try playing the video file.

Choose any online video converter like CloudConvert or use iMovie to convert the video file format.

5: Check for Corrupt Video File

When QuickTime Player doesn’t open a specific video file, it could be due to a corrupt file. Try using a different media player like Elmedia or VLC and see if the issue persists with other media players as well.

If it does then you will have to replace the video file with a backup or fix the corrupt video file using a reliable video repair tool like RIKVR Video Repair to fix the videos and make them play in a few simple clicks.

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Fix the Video file using RIKVR Video Repair

Step 1: Download and Install RIKVR Video Repair on your computer.
Step 2: Launch the software, click Add File to choose the video file, and click on Repair.

choose the file and click on Repair

Step 3: The tool starts repairing the video file.

the tool starts repairing the video file

Step 4: Once the video repair is completed, the tool displays the repaired video file.
Step 5: Preview the repaired video file before saving it on your computer.

once video repair is completed, preview the repaired video

Choose a location to save your repaired video file.

Also Read: How to Fix “MOV File Isn’t Compatible With QuickTime Player” Error?

Conclusion

We hope the solutions provided in this article helped you fix the issue of QuickTime not opening on your Mac the functionality is limited compared to previous versions.

Since Apple has discontinued QuickTime Player and it no longer receives codec support after macOS Catalina, we suggest using another media player like VLC or Elmedia to prevent video issues on your PC in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions

1: How do I open a QuickTime player on a Mac?

Launch Finder, Go to Applications and Find QuickTime Player. Double-click on the application to open QuickTime Player.

2: How do you record a screen using QuickTime on a Mac?

To start a QuickTime screen recording on a Mac, open QuickTime Player, go to File and New Screen Recording, and click the red record button. Click the stop button in the menu bar and save your recording.

3: Why QuickTime won’t open MOV File?

Your MOV file may be corrupted or damaged, Try playing the video using a different media player or repair the video file using an effective video repair tool.