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Coldblackice/wmp_h.265_hevc.md

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Created August 28, 2025 01:48
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Play H.265/HEVC videos in Windows Media Player (Classic) without a third-party codec pack or media player. Tested using Microsoft.HEVCVideoExtension_2.0.60091.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe with WMP 12.0.20348.1311 on Windows Server 2022 21H2 and 12.0.22621.1105 on Windows 11 22H2.
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wmp_h.265_hevc.md

Download

  1. Go to https://store.rg-adguard.net.
  2. Search for the HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer (Microsoft.HEVCVideoExtension) app by entering the following store URL into the search box and clicking the ✔ button. 
    https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/hevc-video-extensions-from-device-manufacturer/9n4wgh0z6vhq
    • Do not use the normal HEVC Video Extensions app URL, because that can't play HEVC videos in Windows Media Player for some inscrutable reason.
  3. Download the AppxBundle file.
    • You may have to right click › Save Link As because the URL scheme is http, not https, if your browser is set to enforce HTTPS-only mode.
    • If it tries to save as a filename that's just a GUID, you may copy the correct .AppxBundle filename and save it as that instead.

Install

  • If you have App Installer (e.g. on Windows client editions), you can double-click the AppxBundle file, then click Install.
  • Otherwise, if you don't have App Installer (e.g. on Windows Server), you can install the AppxBundle using PowerShell: 
    Add-AppxPackage ".\Microsoft.HEVCVideoExtension_2.2.20.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe.AppxBundle"

Verify

  1. Exit and restart Windows Media Player if it was already running.
  2. Try to play a video that uses the H.265/HEVC codec in Windows Media Player.
  3. If it doesn't work, go to Help › About Windows Media Player Legacy and click Technical Support Information. Ensure HEVCDECODER_STORE.dll appears in the Other Binaries section.
  4. If it doesn't work, run Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.HEVCVideoExtension in PowerShell to see the app, which should have Status set to OK. Note that the app name is not Microsoft.HEVCVideoExtensions (plural), the $0.99 app not from device manufacturers, which is broken in WMP. If Microsoft.HEVCVideoExtensions is installed, you may want to uninstall it.
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