I have been on the receiving end of the following error: Windows media player encountered a problem while playing the file. What could be the possible reasons?
Answer Before concluding that it is a Windows media player problem, you should check the following:
1. Are you pending any update on the player? If yes, make sure it is updated to the latest version.
2. Is it happening to a certain type of file only? Check the extension of the particular file you are trying to play and then try playing a different type of file. If it works, it just means the player does not support the file type you are trying. If none of these seems to be the actual problem, go to the menu bar of the player, click on help and click on troubleshooting. The player will likely resolve its issue. If that fails, you will unfortunately need to install codecs on your system to check for issues. For further information, go to this:
https://support.microsoft.com/hub/4338813/windows-help  
