Fix Error 0xc00d36b4: Can't Open HEIC or Play HEVC Video on Windows

Error 0xc00d36b4 appears when you double-click a HEIC photo in the Windows Photos app, or try to play an H.265 video, and Windows reports it “can’t play” or “can’t open” the item. The cause is almost always the same: Windows is missing the HEVC codec, so it can recognize the file type but cannot decode the pixels inside. The file itself is not corrupt. This guide walks the fixes in order, from the one that resolves it for most people to a no-install escape hatch.

What Causes Error 0xc00d36b4?

HEIC photos (from any modern iPhone) and HEVC videos (H.265, recorded by recent phones, drones, and action cameras) both store their data using the HEVC / H.265 codec. Windows does not ship that decoder by default — Microsoft splits it out into a separate Store package, partly because HEVC is patent-encumbered and carries a licensing fee.

So when you open one of these files without the codec, Windows knows what the file is but has no way to read it. That mismatch is exactly what 0xc00d36b4 reports. Install the decoder and the error disappears.

Fix 1: Install HEVC Video Extensions (Fixes It for Most People)

This is the actual fix in ~90% of cases. The HEVC decoder comes in two flavors in the Microsoft Store:

1. HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer — free, but only visible if your hardware vendor enabled it. Open Run (Win+R) and paste:

   ms-windows-store://pdp/?productid=9N4WGH0Z6VHQ

   If your PC is eligible, the free version appears in the Store. Click Get / Install.

2. HEVC Video Extensions — $0.99, works on any Windows 10/11 machine. This is the reliable path when the free version is not offered to you.

After installing, close and reopen the Photos app (or your video player) and try the file again. No reboot required.

Note: you may also see HEIF Image Extensions (free) recommended. That package only registers .heic as an image type — it does not decode HEVC data. For photos you generally want both, but the one that actually clears 0xc00d36b4 is the HEVC extension above.

Fix 2: Reset the Extension If It’s Already Installed

If you already installed HEVC Video Extensions and still get 0xc00d36b4, the package is likely half-installed or in a stale state. Reset it:

1. Settings → Apps → Installed apps
2. Find HEVC Video Extensions → click the ⋯ menu → Advanced options
3. Click Reset
4. Reopen the file

This clears the corrupted state without uninstalling. If a Reset button isn’t available, Uninstall then reinstall from the Store.

Fix 3: Some Files Work, Others Throw 0xc00d36b4

If the error hits only some HEIC files while others open fine, those failing files are almost certainly 10-bit HDR HEIC — the format iPhone 12 and later shoot by default in good lighting. The basic HEVC decoder handles 8-bit cleanly but can choke on 10-bit data.

Two ways out:

• The paid HEVC Video Extensions handles 10-bit properly where the free version may not.
• Convert the problem file to JPG. The conversion tone-maps the 10-bit HDR down to standard 8-bit JPG in one clean pass, so there is no codec left to fail. See Fix 4.

Fix 4: Skip the Codec Entirely — Convert HEIC to JPG

If it’s a HEIC photo and you just need to see it or share it, fighting Microsoft Store packages is more effort than the photo is worth. PixFlip’s HEIC to JPG converter decodes HEIC right in your browser using WebAssembly (libheif) and hands you a JPG that opens in every version of Windows going back to Windows XP — no codec, no error code.

The reason this matters for a privacy-sensitive file like a personal photo: PixFlip runs entirely on your machine. The file is never uploaded to a server, there is no size limit, and it’s free. Drag a single HEIC — or a whole folder — onto the page and get JPGs (or a ZIP of them) back.

Need a different output? PixFlip also does HEIC to PNG (when you want lossless or transparency) and HEIC to WebP (smaller than JPG, opens in every modern browser). The full hub is at /heic-converter.

Note this path solves the photo case. For an HEVC video that won’t play, see the video note below.

What About 0xc00d36b4 on a Video?

The same codec decodes HEVC video, so installing HEVC Video Extensions (Fix 1) fixes the error for .mp4 and .mov H.265 files too. If you only care about playback and don’t want the Store extension, VLC Media Player ships its own H.265 decoder and plays these files with nothing extra installed. Converting video to another format is a heavier job than converting a photo — for video, a player with built-in codecs is the simpler route.

Quick Decision Table

Your situation	Do this
HEIC photo, error on open	Fix 1 — install HEVC Video Extensions
Already installed, still failing	Fix 2 — Reset the extension
Some HEIC open, some don’t	Fix 3 — 10-bit HDR; use paid ext or convert
Just need to view/share the photo now	Fix 4 — convert to JPG, no install
H.265 video won’t play	Fix 1, or use VLC

Bottom Line

0xc00d36b4 is a missing-codec error, not a broken file. Installing HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store clears it for both HEIC photos and H.265 video. But if it’s a one-off photo you simply need to open, converting it to JPG in your browser is faster than installing anything — and the file never leaves your computer.

For the broader set of “HEIC won’t open on Windows” symptoms beyond this specific error code, see HEIC Files Not Opening on Windows 11? 8 Fixes. If you’d rather stop seeing HEIC altogether, Why Are My iPhone Photos HEIC? shows how to switch your camera to JPG, and HEIC vs JPG covers whether you should.