Tips to open WTV file

Can't open the WTV file? You are not the only one. Thousands of users face similar problems every day. Below you will find tips on how to open WTV files as well as a list of programs that support WTV files.

WTV file extension

File Name Windows Recorded TV Show Format
File Developer Microsoft
File Category Video Files

The WTV file is supported on 1 operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you may need different software to handle the WTV files. Below is a summary of the number of programs that support and open the WTV file on each system platform.

Operating systems
  • 8
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

What is WTV file?

The WTV file has been categorized as Video Files. It was designed by Microsoft. In addition to this file, the Video Files category includes 546 related files. Windows Recorded TV Show Format appears on 1 operating systems as a functional file. The file will work on Windows systems, unfortunately not on others. It is recommended to use Windows Media Center to handle this file. This is a program created by Microsoft Corporation. There are also 10 alternative programs to handle the WTV file. You can use PowerDVD, PowerDirector, WTV Converter, Nero Multimedia Suite in case Windows Media Center cannot be used.

How to open WTV file?

The main problem with Windows Recorded TV Show Format is that the WTV file is incorrectly associated with programs. Thus, when you open WTV, the program selection wizard or some other program starts. This can be quickly resolved by following the instructions below.

The first thing you should do is just "doubleclick" on the WTV file icon you want to open. If the operating system has an appropriate application to support it and there is also an association between the file and the program, the file should be opened.

Step 1. Install Windows Media Center

An often overlooked issue is to make sure that Windows Media Center is installed on the computer. The easiest method is to use the system search engine by entering the program name Windows Media Center in it. In the absence of an appropriate program, its installation in the vast majority of cases will fix the problem. Later in this article you will find a list of programs that can open WTV files.

Step 2. Create association of Windows Media Center with WTV files

If the application is or has been freshly installed, but the WTV file still does not use the Windows Media Center program, it means no association. This option is available from the level of Properties of a specific file available in the context menu. The window will show, among other things, the type of the file and the information by which the program is used to launch the file. Using the "Change" button we can set the program to handle this type. It may happen that in the next window there will be no appropriate program - however, this can be corrected with the "Browse" option where you should manually indicate the program location. The "always use the selected program ..." field will set the Windows Media Center application as the default for handling the WTV file.

Step 3. Update Windows Media Center to the latest version

If, despite the association of the Windows Media Center program with the Windows Recorded TV Show Format file, the file still does not open, check the program version and possibly update it to the newest version. This can be done using the application (if it provides such options) or from the Microsoft Corporation website and install the latest version.

Step 4. Check for the following problems with the WTV file

If the above steps do not help, you can assume that the file itself is not correct. This could be due to the file itself, the cleanest issues are:

The WTV file may be unusually small compared to the original file. This is most often caused by a problem while downloading the WTV file. The file should be downloaded again, making sure that the process has finished correctly.
The most common cause here is computer viruses. Perform a virus scan using available and up-to-date anti-virus software. If this is not possible, you can use the online scanner. However, it is important to scan the entire system, not only the file WTV or the program directory. Sometimes virus-infected WTV files cannot be recovered, so make a backup in advance.
This can happen especially when the program is dynamically developed and the structure of the WTV files changes over time. On their websites, developers usually offer free solutions to such problems, e.g. in the form of a conversion program or an older version of the program.
There can be many reasons for the failure. The repair method must be adapted to the type of file and damage. Some programs offer the ability to automatically repair WTV file corruption. The easiest way is to restore the file from a backup, if there is one, or contact Microsoft
The program indicates that the file is encrypted or corrupted. The encrypted WTV files can be used by the device on which they were encrypted, on any other device it is required to have the appropriate cryptographic key and decrypt the file before its recovery.
Some operating systems do not allow file operations in certain locations, eg in system directories or directly on the system drive. The problem is only writing to the file, not reading it. If possible, you can try to move the WTV file to another location.
This problem only occurs with more complex files. You may find that another program you are using is preventing you from working with the file. Running programs (including those in the background) should be verified. If the error persists after closing other programs, wait for a while. Some anti-virus or backup software may occupy the WTV file for a certain period of time. If this does not work either, restart the device.