5 Solutions for QuickTime Player Not Working: How to Apply

For Mac users, QuickTime Player should be one of the most familiar software. It comes pre-installed in the system and is usually used to play videos on the device, as well as to perform some simple multimedia file editing tasks and format conversion tasks. However, it's not a jack of all trades; it doesn't support too many formats, and it can make some errors in the course of its work. In this article, we'll summarize some of the most common problems that can occur and answer one by one how to fix QuickTime Player not working. If you're also experiencing problems with it, you can see if there's a solution in this article that fits your situation. For those who appreciate QuickTime Player but find its functionality rather basic, we also recommend one of its best alternatives.

Part 1. Fix QuickTime Keeps Showing History on Mac

QuickTime Player records what you've played and displays the history within File and Open Recent. Users can also find the videos they've opened through the list under the dock icon. If you don't want to see this history anymore, or if you don't want the next person who uses the device to see what you've opened, you can clear recent files on QuickTime Player.

Here is how to solve QuickTime keeps showing history on Mac.

Step 1. Open your QuickTime Play on the Mac computer. Go to the top-left corner and click on the QuickTime logo. Expand a list and choose Recent items > Clear Menu.

Step 2. Next, go to the File tab and choose Open Recent > Clear Menu.

Step 3. Quit your QuickTime Player and launch it again. Then, you will no longer see the recent files on this platform.

Part 2. Fix Unable to Trim Video in QuickTime Player

For the past several years, users have reported that when using QuickTime Player to crop a video, all the option buttons have suddenly turned grey and can no longer be clicked. It looks like we can no longer use the editing features of QuickTime Player. Luckily, a solution has been found for this bug.

Here is how to fix unable to trim video in QuickTime Player.

Step 1. Launch your QuickTime Player, and open the video you want to trim. If you find all the buttons under Edit are grey, close your file and go back to the main interface. Right-click on it and choose Quick Actions > Trim.

Step 2. Do a small trim on the current clip and click Done > New Clip. Save your trimmed file as a new file, and give it another name.

Step 3. Back to the main interface and open the new file. Now, you can choose Edit and select Trim again.

Part 3. Fix QuickTime Can't Open MP4/MOV Files Error

Why can't my QuickTime Player open MP4 or MOV files anymore? Isn't it compatible with both formats? To address this issue, we will provide solutions in two scenarios.

Download QuickTime Compatible Codec Pack

The first thing we need to understand is that not all MP4 and MOV format files are the same. Take MP4 files as an example; a video file may contain a lot of video, audio, subtitles, metadata, etc., all of which may have different codecs applied to them. Still, QuickTime Player is limited in the number of codecs it is compatible with, so if any of the codecs for any of the data types in your file are not supported by the player, then you'll encounter QuickTime Player not opening. So you can try to download the QuickTime-compatible video codec pack first. Please make sure that the content you download is safe and does not contain viruses or harmful software.

Examples: DIVX codec, XVID codec, ZyGo, etc.

Convert the Video to a QuickTime Compatible Format using FVC Video Converter Ultimate

One solution to this type of problem, once and for all, is to use a video format converter to convert your files to a form supported by QuickTime Player. We recommend FVC Video Converter Ultimate, which can help you convert any popular video format to MP4 or MOV format supported by QuickTime Player, with the option that the codec is H.264. It also provides output format presets for iTunes that happen to be compatible with QuickTime Player-supported formats. You can also edit the video as much as you want before conversion.

Here is how to convert the file isn't compatible with QuickTime Player.

Step 1. Get FVC Video Converter Ultimate on your computer. Open it and click Add Files to upload your video.

Step 2. Click Convert All to and choose MP4/MOV H.264 as the output format. You can also scroll down and find the iTunes tab, then choose one format.

Step 3. Finally, click Convert All.

Part 4. Fix QuickTime Player Encountered an Error While Recording Your Screen

QuickTime Player also has a good built-in screen recorder. However, some users have reported that when using this feature, QuickTime Player encountered an error while recording your screen, or a Cannot Record pop-up popped up.

• There are several reasons why QuickTime Player is not working. First of all, you should consider whether your computer's memory is not enough to store the recorded video. You can check the remaining storage space first. Another possibility is that an error of unknown origin has suddenly occurred, causing QuickTime Player to stop functioning. At this point, you can restart the program and see if the problem has been solved.

• The Cannot Record pop-up often appears if you are using external audio as a source. You can try getting a new external microphone or changing the audio source to internal audio. If the problem is still not solved, see if your QuickTime Player version needs to be updated. Also, you can check if the macOS is the latest version; if not, update it.

• Perhaps you might also consider whether the problem is with the recorded video. Some platforms have DRM-protected videos that users cannot capture. If the platform you're using fits this profile, stop trying to record and see if there's another way to download the video.

Part 5. Fix QuickTime Player Sound Not Working

The last common problem is that the QuickTime Player sound is not working. This could be because you are not using the latest version of the software. Try updating to the latest version first.

Here is how to fix QuickTime Player audio not working by adjusting its Preference.

Step 1. Open QuickTime Player on your device. Choose Edit > Preference.

Step 2. In the QuickTime Preference window, choose Audio and enable the Save mode option. Then, click Apply.

Step 3. Restart your QuickTime Player. Check if the problem has been solved.

Part 6. Best Alternative to QuickTime Player

QuickTime Player doesn't have a lot of compatible video formats, and its editing features are rather basic, so if you're looking for something similar in nature but with more comprehensive features, we recommend Aiseesoft Blu-ray Player, which can play videos in almost all digital formats and also supports reading DVDs, Blu-ray discs, or ISO images. The audio and visual quality of the program is absolutely top-notch, and you can create your own playlists with it. Aiseesoft Blu-ray Player also offers a lot of personalized playback settings, so you can take a quick screenshot of a moment when you see something great.

Part 7. FAQs of QuickTime Player Not Working

Conclusion

This is a detailed guide to help you fix QuickTime Player not working issues. We've analyzed your feedback, pointed out 5 common scenarios where the problem occurs, and answered how to fix each of them. If you still find that this player doesn't work well, we recommend trying its best alternative, the Aiseesoft Blu-ray Player, which has wider compatibility and more personalized settings.