I updated my MSI motherboard BIOS so I could play the MW4 beta, following the official firmware and a more detailed guide. Since then, my Steam-recorded clips and many other MP4 files will not open. File operations are also behaving strangely: deleting files does nothing until I restart the computer. Some clips show error 0xc0ea000a. I tried different built-in media players, but I really want to recover more than a year of memories without losing anything. Could the BIOS update have caused this, and what should I check first?
3 Answers
The bigger warning sign is that deleting files only takes effect after a restart. That points more toward a storage or filesystem problem than a video-player problem. Before repeatedly testing or deleting anything, copy the important clips to another drive if possible, then check the drive’s health and Windows Event Viewer for disk or filesystem errors. A filesystem scan such as chkdsk may help, but make a backup first because repairs can sometimes make damaged files harder to recover.
A BIOS update normally does not change how Windows decodes MP4 files, so the timing may be coincidental. Try opening one of the clips with VLC to determine whether the files themselves are readable or whether the Photos app is the problem. If VLC also fails, this is probably not just a default-player issue.
You could temporarily reinstall the previous BIOS version as a troubleshooting step, but this does not sound like a normal BIOS-side MP4 problem. The BIOS update may have changed a storage setting or exposed an existing drive issue, so verify that the drive is detected correctly and that its storage mode has not changed. VLC is also worth testing even if you normally prefer the Photos app.
I’m hesitant to roll back because I need the newer BIOS for the MW4 beta, but I’ll check the drive and storage settings first.
I already tried Movies and TV and it failed too. I would prefer the Photos app, but I’ll test VLC in case it helps identify the cause.