Editing videos on Windows 11 is supposed to be straightforward, especially with the built-in video editor tied into the Photos app. But, of course, things aren’t always smooth sailing. Sometimes it feels like you’re banging your head against the wall trying to get it to work properly—media not importing, features not loading, or the app crashing out of nowhere. If you’ve been there, you know how frustrating it is to start a project only to realize the tools are playing hard to get. The good news is that many of these issues boil down to a few common hiccups that have legit fixes. With a little elbow grease, you can usually get things back on track and start editing without fuss. This guide walks through some practical steps that helped unwrap the mess and get the video editor humming again, so you can focus on making those epic edits.
How to Fix Windows 11 Video Editor Not Working or Crashing
Method 1: Make sure the Photos app and its components are up-to-date
First off, Windows 11 tends to introduce updates that fix bugs and improve app stability. If your Photos app (which powers the video editor) is outdated, it might act weird or crash. Check for updates in the Microsoft Store. Go to Start Menu > Microsoft Store, then click on the three-dot menu in the corner and choose Downloads and updates. Hit Get updates and let everything update. Sometimes, a quick reboot after that helps. On some setups, the video editor still refuses to cooperate after this, but it’s worth a shot. Keeping the app current ensures compatibility and removes bugs that might cause crashes or glitches. Plus, you might get some new features or improvements.
Method 2: Repair or reset the Photos app via Settings
If the update didn’t fix it, the next step is to repair or reset the Photos app. It’s a bit buried: go to Settings > Apps & Features. Scroll to find Microsoft Photos. Click on it, then hit Advanced Options. Here, you’ll find options to “Repair” or “Reset.” Repair is safer; it tries fixing minor issues without deleting your app data. Reset reinstalls the app fresh, which can solve stubborn bugs but might wipe local settings. After resetting, reopen the app and check if the video editor behaves better. Sometimes, Windows has to make it harder than necessary, but resetting can clear out corrupted files making your app crash or misbehave.
Method 3: Clear Media Cache and Reinstall Features
Sometimes, the cache or leftover media files cause hiccups. The fix? Clearing the media cache. Navigate to File Explorer and go to C:\Users\. Delete everything inside (but back up first if you’re worried). Another angle is to re-register the Photos app: open PowerShell as Administrator and run:
Get-AppXPackage *Microsoft.Windows.Photos* | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}This re-registers the app, which can fix weird bugs. If all that feels too messy, you might try uninstalling and reinstalling the Photos app from the Microsoft Store. Again, it’s a pain, but sometimes it’s the missing link.
Method 4: Check Windows Features and Optional Updates
In some cases, the video editor needs certain optional features turned on or updated. Head to Start Menu > Settings > Windows Update and make sure your system is fully up-to-date. Also, look into optional features like “Media Feature Pack” (if you’re on Windows 11 N or KN editions). Go to Settings > Apps & Features > Optional Features and see if things like “Media Player” or “Media Feature Pack” are installed.Installing or enabling these components can fix missing codecs or media playback issues that lead to the video editor crapping out.
Method 5: Use Alternative Software or Command Line Fixes (if desperate)
If nothing else works, and the video editor still acts up, some users get a fix by using third-party tools or command-line cmds. Tools like Winhance (check out their GitHub here) can sometimes repair corrupt media files or perform registry tweaks that fix media handling issues. Or, you can run a system file check via sfc /scannow in PowerShell or Command Prompt—this can restore missing or corrupted system files that might be causing instability. To run it, open Windows Terminal or PowerShell as Admin, type sfc /scannow, hit Enter, and wait. Usually, this catches and fixes system issues that lead to apps crashing or misbehaving.
Wrap-up
Getting the Windows 11 video editor to cooperate isn’t always a one-click fix. It’s kind of a process of elimination—making sure the app isn’t outdated, clearing caches, repairing components, and ensuring the OS is fully patched. Sometimes, you just need to reset or reinstall, which feels like overkill, but works. Also, don’t forget that other free editors or lightweight tools like Shotcut or DaVinci Resolve are decent backups if everything crashes again. Keep trying different approaches, and hopefully this gets your project back on track. Fingers crossed this helps.
Summary
- Update the Photos app through Microsoft Store
- Repair or reset the app in Settings
- Clear cache or re-register the app via PowerShell
- Check optional media features and updates
- Use system file checker or third-party tools if needed