Install VLC and Make it Default on Windows 11 [Definitive Guide]

Written By Farhan Max

Are you looking for a complete latest step-by-step beginner’s guide to installing VLC and making the VLC player default on your Windows 11 system?

Don’t worry. You’ve come to the right place, then.

install-vlc-and-make-it-default-on-windows-11

As a tech specialist and enthusiast, I will show you the installation process of the VLC media player and easily make it the default media player on your Windows 11 PC.

Keep reading the whole post and follow the instructions carefully.

So, let’s get started without further delay.

Why Do You Use VLC?

You use the VLC media player because VLC is a powerful media player on Windows 11 that can support almost all media formats. The VLC media player is a free cross-platform multimedia player for all platforms and is accessible for all platform users.

The VLC is one of the most popular and the most used media players. It supports various platforms, for example, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, and other platforms. VLC is an open-source program that can use anyone.

The VLC media player has a lot of capabilities that allow you to watch all types of video or audio formats. To play different audio and video formats easily in one media player, most users choose VLC.

If you have the CD or DVD audio and video, the VLC media player also supports online video streaming on your device.

Follow our guide to Fix VLC is unable to open MRL file Error.

How to Install VLC on Windows 11

Using the VLC on your Windows or other platforms is fun because it supports most video formats.

You can play all formats of video and audio files in one media player. You don’t need to use different media players to play various types of video or audio files if you use VLC.

Here are the steps to install the VLC on WIndow 11:

Installing the VLC on Windows 11 is a straightforward and quick process. To install the VLC, first, you need to download the setup file on the VLC official site if you don’t have the setup file already.

To download the VLC installation file, follow the steps below:

  1. Go to VLC official website.
  2. Click on the Download VLC button to download the latest Windows 64bit installation file. Or, download-vlc
  3. Click on the down arrow icon to select or choose a different latest Windows version.down-arrow-icon
  4. Wait for a few seconds to start the downloading process. downloading-process
  5. Wait for some time to complete the download. wait-some-time

After completing the download process, open the folder where you download the VLC installation file to start the install process on your Windows 11 computer.

Follow our guide on how to boot to safe mode in Windows 11.

Follow these steps to install the VLC media player on your Windows 11 computer:

  1. Double click on the vlc.exe file. double-click
  2. Click on Yes or choose Yes and hit the Enter button to start the installation when the User Account Control window prompts.
  3. Choose a language that you want and click on the Ok button. choose-a-language
  4. VLC media player Setup window is open after clicking on the Ok button.
  5. Click on the Next button. next-button
  6. Read the company License Agreement and click on the Next button if you agree. license-agreement
  7. Choose which features of the VLC media player you want to install and click on the Next button.choose-which-features
  8. Click on the Browse button to choose the folder to install the VLC media player. button-to-choose
  9. Click on the Install button to start the installation. click-on-the-install
  10. Wait for some time to complete the installation process. installation-process
  11. Complete VLC media player setup window appears after completing the installation process.media-player-setup
  12. Click on the Finish button to finish the installation and run the VLC media player. click-on-the-finish
  13. Select both the Privacy and Network Access Policy checkboxes and click on the Continue button. continue-button
  14. Now, the VLC media player is run successfully and ready to play. run-successfully

Check out the easiest way to fix Windows Can’t Access Network Drive On Windows 11.

How to Make VLC Default Media Player on Windows 11

After successfully installing the VLC media player, you are now ready to play all formats of video and audio files. But, when you play a video or audio file on your Windows 11 computer, it does not open with the VLC media player because the VLC media player is not your Windows default player.

When you play videos or audio, it open with the default Windows Media Player on your Windows 11 computer. To open all your audio or video files on the VLC media player, you need to set the VLC as a default media player.

Here are the steps to make the VLC default media player on your Windows 11 system:

1. Use System Settings

The first tested and proven method to make the VLC default media player is using System Settings on your Windows 11 system. In the System Settings, you can choose your default media player what you want.

Follow these steps to make the VLC default media player using the System Settings on your Windows 11 system:

  1. Press Windows Key + I on your keyboard to open the Windows System Settings App.windows-11-settings
  2. Click on the Windows icon on your taskbar, and then click on the Settings icon under the pinned apps to open Windows Settings.
  3. Type settings on the windows search bar and hit the Enter button to open Windows Settings.type-settings-windows-search-bar
  4. Select the Apps setting option from the side left settings menu panel. select-the-apps
  5. Click on the Default apps section on the right side of the screen panel. click-on-the
  6. Type Movies & TV on the search bar under the Set defaults for application.movies-tv
  7. Click on Movies & TV to open the default file types or link types. Or, click-on-movies
  8. Scroll down the window, locate the VLC media player and select it to open the available options. available-options
  9. Click on the first file types to choose the default media player. first-file-types
  10. Choose the VLC media player and click on the Ok button to make the default media player for the specific file type. specific-file-type
  11. Change and set default all the file types or link types. link-types

Here’s a complete guide on how to Fix Blue Screen on Windows 11.

2. Use File Context Menu

Using the file context menu is another tested and effective method to make the VLC default media player on your Windows 11 system.

Follow the steps below to make the VLC default media player on your Windows 11 system:

  1. Select a video or audio file. audio-file
  2. Right-click on it to open the file context menu. context-menu.jpg
  3. Select Open with and click on Choose another app. choose-another-app
  4. Choose the VLC media player. VLC-media
  5. Make sure to check the Always use this app to open files. Make-sure
  6. Click on the Ok button to make the default media player for the specific file type. ok-button
  7. The VLC media player is set as a default media player for the particular file types. file-types

Final Thoughts

The VLC media player is a robust media player that can support all media formats, and it supports various platforms, for example, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, and other platforms. The VLC media player is a VLC is an open-source, free cross-platform multimedia player.

Here, In this post, I describe the valuable feature of the VLC media player and the method to download and install the VLC successfully. I also describe the two practical approaches for making the VLC media player your default media player on your Windows 11 computer.

I hope this post is helpful for you. If you find this post useful, do like, comment your opinion about it, share it with your friends, and see other posts if you want to know other related topics.

About The Author
Farhan Max is a tech geek with a particular interest in computer hardware. He's been fascinated by gaming since childhood and is now completing his undergraduate studies while researching and testing the latest tech innovations. Alongside his love for all things geeky, Farhan is also a skilled photographer.

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