How to Restart VLC Media Player: A Step-by-Step Guide
VLC Media Player is one of the most popular media players used to play audio and video files on Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems. Like any other software, VLC Media Player may sometimes encounter errors or issues that can affect its performance. In this article, we will provide a step-by-step guide on how to restart VLC Media Player and resolve common issues that may be causing errors.
Step 1: Close the VLC Media Player
The first step to restart VLC Media Player is to close the application. You can do this by clicking on the "X" button in the top-right corner of the VLC Media Player window, or by right-clicking on the VLC icon in the system tray (if it is minimized) and selecting "Quit".
Step 2: Check for Pending Problems and Updates
Before restarting VLC Media Player, it is essential to check for any pending problems or updates that may be causing the issue. To do this, open the Windows Task Manager by pressing the "Ctrl + Shift + Esc" keys on your keyboard or by right-clicking on the taskbar and selecting "Task Manager".
In the Task Manager, click on the "Processes" tab and look for any suspicious processes related to VLC Media Player. If you find any, end them by clicking on the "End task" button.
Step 3: Restart the VLC Media Player
To restart VLC Media Player, follow these steps:
- Find the VLC Media Player icon in the system tray (usually located in the bottom-right corner of the screen).
- Right-click on the icon and select "Restart" or "Relaunch" (depending on the version of VLC Media Player you are using).
- If you don’t find the icon in the system tray, you can restart VLC Media Player from the Start menu or your desktop shortcut.
Step 4: Check for Corrupted Preferences or Settings
Sometimes, corrupted preferences or settings can cause issues with VLC Media Player. To reset the preferences, go to the following location:
- Windows:
%appdata%\VideoLAN\VLC%\settings.yml
- macOS:
/Users/[YourUsername]/Library/Application Support/VideoLAN/VLC/
- Linux:
~/.config/vlc
Delete the settings file and restart VLC Media Player. This will reset all settings to their default values.
Step 5: Reinstall VLC Media Player (Optional)
If the above steps do not resolve the issue, you may need to reinstall VLC Media Player. To do this, download the latest version of VLC Media Player from the official website and follow the installation instructions.
Conclusion
In conclusion, restarting VLC Media Player is a simple process that can help resolve common issues and improve the performance of the media player. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can close the application, check for pending problems and updates, restart the application, reset corrupted preferences or settings, and reinstall the media player (if necessary). If you are still experiencing issues, you may want to seek further assistance from the VLC Media Player community or contact the support team.