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Download the HEIF Image Extensions app from Microsoft Store.To open HEIC images and HEVC videos in Windows 11, do the following. Fortunately, that is a single-payment purchase that will later work on all your Windows 11 and Windows 10 devices. Depending on where you are, you may need to pay at least $0.99. The unfortunate reality is that those codecs are not free. To open HEIC files in Windows 11 and Windows 10, you need to download a set of codecs. In a new browser tab, type in ms-windows-store://pdp/?ProductId=9n4wgh0z6vhqĬlick on Open Microsoft Store when prompted.Īnother option is to open the Microsoft Store link from the Command Prompt by typing in start ms-windows-store://pdp/?ProductId=9n4wgh0z6vhqįor a multimedia player with the codecs built-in, try the freeware VLC Media Player.How to open HEIF and HEVC files for free in Windows 11 Open HEIC and HEVC Files in Windows 11 There are two ways to get the HEVC Video Extensions for free. There's only one catch - If Microsoft discovers this loophole, they might close it.
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We now have a workaround that will allow you to download the HEVC codec for free, as it should be. These extensions also let you encode HEVC content on devices that don't have a hardware-based video encoder. Software support is provided for devices that don't have hardware support for HEVC videos, but the playback experience might vary based on the video resolution and PC performance. These extensions are designed to utilize hardware capabilities on newer devices, including those with an Intel 7th Generation Core processor and newer GPU to support 4K and Ultra HD content. Once you have the codecs, you can play High-Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) videos on your Windows 10 or 11 devices in any video app. After all, Microsoft keeps touting how advanced these operating systems are. While not a bank-buster, the encoders should be included in Windows & 11 for free. Playing HEVC or HEIC requires downloading the HEVC encoder from Microsoft for 99 cents.
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