Fixed: VLC Is Unable To Open The MRL File

You must have been using VLC for a long time. It is one of the finest media players available online without any charges. But many users using the app have complained about repeatedly experiencing VLC is unable to open the MRL error. This issue exists regardless of the build version.

In this post, I will be assisting you in solving this issue. There are many quick and easy fixes to this problem. So, without wasting any more time scroll down to read ahead about the problem and its solution.

Why Does This Error Show Up?

VLC stands for Visible Light Communication and is an open-source media playing software. It is ranked among the best media players in the world. You can find this on Android, Windows, and iOS devices. It has the capability of supporting many video and audio file formats. The application is free to use and allows you to use all of the features it offers without paying any money.

MRL stands for Media Resource Locator and is used to locate a multi-media file with a unique address. VLC is unable to open the MRL issue occurs when VLC fails to locate the multimedia file.

The file might have been moved to a new address. This error usually shows up when you attempt to stream a video file from a website. So let’s read out the easy solutions to fix this issue

How to Fix VLC is Unable to Open the MRL File Issue?

Until and unless you don’t fix this error you won’t be able to play the online network streams. I have mentioned some simple and effective solutions that will definitely work out for you:

1. Update VLC Application

The first and the most basic solution is to update the application. You might be using the outdated version of the media player and hence you won’t be able to play the live stream on the app without any error. So now it’s time for you to update the app and retry to play the media file. You can install the latest version by clicking here and visiting the official website of Videolan.

Once you have installed the latest version, your error might get resolved.

2. Check if the Stream Is Active

This is one of the major issues for this problem to exist. VLC cannot play any live streams once they are finished. You must ensure that the live stream is still in progress to play it in the VLC media player.

To check if the stream is still running best the MRL in a browser. If the stream loads successfully then you can play it on VLC. If the website fails to load, then the stream might have finished. You can now download the video file of the stream using third-party services.

3. Turn off your Antivirus

If you are using third-party antivirus software then it might be the culprit for your trouble. Your antivirus might be blocking VLC from accessing the servers. This is one of the prime reasons for you to face VLC is unable to open the MRL error.

Turn off your antivirus temporarily or simply add a VLC media player to the exception list. Now retry to play your live stream. Also, avoid installing any application or services while the antivirus services are paused on your device.

4. Allow VLC through Firewall

We all are aware of Windows Firewall. It is an inbuilt shield in your system to protect it from malware or viruses. It needs to be configured properly for smooth functioning. If this is not done properly, a firewall May block important applications such as VLC from transferring data from your network connection.

To solve the error in this scenario, go to your firewall settings and allow VLC through the firewall. Now head back and try to play your live stream again and check if the error still exists.

5. Take ownership of VLC

If none of the solutions above help you to escape from your problem, it might be the case that VLC does not have enough permissions to execute all the services. Some users have also reported having this issue while playing any media file located on an external storage device or some removable external drive.

You can easily solve the problem of VLC being unable to open the MRL, by claiming ownership of the files that are opened. To do so follow the steps ahead:

• Right-click on the file and select Properties from the drop-down menu.
• Select the Security tab.
• Now click on the Advanced button.
• Select the change button at the top.

• In the next box type Administrator, in the box associated with entering the object name to select and press OK.
• Next check the box titled to replace all child object permission entries with inheritable permission entries from this object.
• Click on the Apply button.

Now, you would definitely not face any further issues while playing any live stream media. You can also play any media file located on an external storage device easily.

Conclusion

VLC is easy to use and one of the best media players available across multiple devices. But while playing live streams online, you might face some issues like, VLC is unable to open the MRL. Here we have discussed every possible way to fix this problem. I hope, this post was helpful for you.

Drop your feedback in the comment section below. Also, share this page with someone you know facing the same problem.