VLC Media Player is one of the most popular freely available media players at the moment. However, popularity doesn’t guarantee seamless performance and that’s true in VLC’s case too. The program does have its fair share of bugs and errors. 

In this article, we’re talking about the “VLC is unable to open the MRL” error, its causes and what you can do to fix the problem.

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What causes this issue?

The error is usually caused by incorrect media URLs or local paths because either the media or the path is corrupted. Other common reasons include the following.

• Spotty internet connection.
• Outdated VLC version.

Also read: How to fix Netflix black screen when screen mirroring?

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How to fix this issue?

Here are four fixes you can try out. 

Check your internet connection

Online media URLs require an active internet connection to work. If you have an unstable internet connection, chances are you’re going to miss out on notifications. Suppose you’re on WiFi check to see if you’ve got internet access and strong signals. If you’re on mobile data, check to see if data is enabled and that you’ve got good network coverage.

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Check the URL

If you’re trying to access a web media URL in VLC, try opening it in a web browser to see if the URL is working or not. If the URL is incorrect or points to the wrong source, you are going to get this error in VLC.

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Allow VLC through the firewall

Another potential cause of the issue can be the VLC media player being blocked by any firewalls on your PC. If you’re using any third-party firewalls, now’s the time to disable them to see if VLC is being blocked by them. The same goes for any third-party antiviruses.

If your Windows firewall is blocking VLC, refer to this guide to see how you can unblock the program.

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Launch VLC as administrator

Last but not least, file ownership issues can also trigger this error, especially when using local paths. Try launching VLC as an administrator to see if that resolves the error. 

You can check out our detailed guide on how to run programs as administrator here. 

Also read: VLC direct3d11 error: setthumbnailclip failed: 0x800706f4: 4 Fixes