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When I first had the computer I had no trouble playing any video files. Now I get an error code C00D11BB (specified protocol is not supported ) message on some videos. I have not been able to find this specific code on any help site.

Error Code C00D11BB

I checked with Microsoft and found some information about the error code C00D11BB. It is related to Windows Media Player’s inability to play a particular file, but then you already knew that. The information that I found went on to explain that a specific protocol is either not supported by the Windows Media Player or server. This means that the problem could be on either your end or the server hosting the video. If the problem lies with the Windows Media Player, you can take some steps to try to resolve the problem but if the problem lies on the server’s end, you may not be able to do much about it. First, let’s look at how to enable protocols in Windows Media Player before examining potential solutions for accessing hosted videos.

Configuring Windows Media Player Protocols

Go ahead and launch Windows Media Player and then go to the Tools menu item. If you can’t see the menu list, right-click a blank area of the black bar (where you see the words “now playing,” “library,” and “rip”), and choose “Show classic menus.” After clicking Tools, click on Options and then click the Network tab. Make sure checkmarks are present in the Protocols for MMS URL as well as in Allow the Player to Receive Multicast Streams.

While you’re in this area, look at the HTTP and RTSP protocols and see if they are set to use a proxy. The HTTP protocol should be set to use the proxy settings of your Web browser. By default, the RTSP is set to none. Try changing it to “auto detect” if none of the other tips work.  

Firewall Issues

Windows Firewall may be blocking UDP and multicast streams, so go into Windows Firewall, click the Exceptions tab, and add Windows Media Player to the list.

Accessing Videos through Open URL

If you are receiving the error code C00D11BB when using the Windows Media Player’s File > Open URL command, then it’s possible that the error lies on the server. Windows Media Player supports MMS, HTTP, and RTSP protocols with the syntaxes as follows:

• MMS://server/filename (with a multimedia file extension such as .mp3. or .wmv)
• MMS://server/sami.asf?SAMI=http://server/sami/sami_demo.smi (SAMI file)
• RTSP://server/filename
• HTTP://server/filename

When the error code is generated after using the Open URL, double check to see if you have entered the URL correctly. If so, try using a different protocol. For example, instead of RTSP, enter HTTP. If none of these tweaks work, then it’s likely a problem on the server’s end.

I have a Vista machine at home and I took clips from a digital camera named aiptek/dv 4500 w/mpeg-4;4mega; mp3; usb2.0 8.55 mm/f3.5 and I can’t seem to get the clips to play through WMPlayer. It keeps asking for codec 11 intel ima adpcm, I can’t find this missing codec, and it’s making me batty.

Windows Media Player Missing Codecs

OK - you are definitely not alone when it comes to this problem. Apparently there is an incompatibility between Windows Vista and Windows Media Player causing this error message. As unbelievable as it seems, Microsoft appears to have overlooked making sure that their latest operating system is compatible with their popular media player. Codecs are small software programs that contain the instructions to open and use different file types, among other things, and Microsoft hasn’t made this one available.

Getting Around the Missing Codec

There are, thankfully, some fixes. You can try one or more of these to get to play your videos, depending on how important using Windows Media Player is to you. The first suggestions bypass WMP altogether, but I think are your safest and best bet. Many users report success viewing their video clips using Windows Photo Gallery, a program included in Windows Vista. It is possible that Microsoft intends users to use this program instead of WMP. You might also have the codec error if you are trying to open .asf files because Windows Media Player reportedly doesn’t support this file type. If this is the case, the instructions below should circumvent the problem.

Play your Video Files with Windows Photo Gallery

1. Right click on the video clip that you want to play
2. Choose Properties
3. Choose Open With
4. Click the Change option on the right side
5. Choose Windows Photo Gallery - if this option isn’t shown, choose Other Programs, then Windows Photo Gallery
6. The video file should open and play in this program, which is reportedly faster than WMP
7. This adjustment should automatically change the ‘open with’ settings for all other similar file types or repeat the steps for each file

Download and Open Files with VLC

Another option is to download another media player that supports the files types you are trying to play. VLC is a very popular player that plays most files. Click the link to download the player, then when you want to play videos right click them and choose to open with VLC.

Try Activating the Windows Media Player Codec

For now, you might have to accept that WMP can’t play your video files. However, here is one option that tries to empower Windows Media Player to open the files. I haven’t tested this theory myself, so I can’t guarantee its success, but there isn’t much harm in trying. If it works, then you might be able to play your videos in WMP after all.

1. Click Start, then Control Panel
2. Choose Sounds and Audio Devices
3. Choose the Hardware tab
4. Click twice on Audio Codecs
5. Right click imaadp32.acm and choose Properties
6. Check that Use This Audio Codec is selected
7. Close and try opening the video file again

My advice is to use Windows Photo Gallery or VLC. Try these options and let us know how it goes and what ends up working for you. If you need any more assistance, let us know. Good luck!

It’s interesting to note that codecs are different than file formats. Codecs are a type of software used for compressing or decompressing media files such as audio files or videos. Think of codecs as the programs that are used for creating or opening the file.

For example, you’ve heard of MP4 files, correct? The MP4 format is a “container” format that contains the compressed video inside. In order for your media player to successfully open the container and play the MP4 file, it must have the appropriate MP4 codec installed - that is the program capable of “decoding” the file. Once decoded, the media player can play the file.

Some container formats such as AVI can contain files that have been compressed by several different types of codecs. When this happens, it’s possible that your media player could open some .avi files but not others. You’d have to then find and install the appropriate codec.

You can find out which codecs are installed on your Windows Vista computer by clicking the Start button and typing System Information into the Search bar. Next, click the System Information icon and expand the Components category. Next, expand the Multimedia sub-category and click on either audio codecs or video codecs depending on what you are searching for.

This list doesn’t necessarily show all of the codecs. For example, some codecs may not appear here but are installed as part of your media player. To see the codecs that your Windows Media Player uses, open the player, click on Help, and then click on About Windows Media Player. Next, click Technical Support Information. This will generate a list of information including operating system information, Media Player and other binaries, audio and video codecs, plug-ins, MPEG and DVD filters, services, and content partners.  

In addition to viewing installed codecs, you may need to search for compatible codecs from time to time as new formats are introduced. For example, if you use Windows Media Player and it is not able to open a certain type of file, installing the appropriate codec may just do the trick. Go to WMPlugins.com and see if a codec is available for download. Many are free while some may have a small fee.

When searching for and installing codecs, make sure that you choose the correct codec for your operating system including choosing 32-bit or 64-bit versions depending on the version you have. For example, if you have a 32-bit operating system and install an audio codec designed for the 64-bit version, the codec will likely be incompatible with your system and the file will not play.

When playing files in Windows Media Player, you can right-click the file, choose Properties, and scan the information to see what audio or video codec was used with it.