The message usually appears when Microsoft Photos cannot parse properties or metadata while importing a picture or video into Video Editor. It does not, by itself, prove that the file is corrupted. First test a different file: if another file imports, investigate the original file or its metadata; if every file fails, repair Photos and its Windows integration.
What the error means
Microsoft Photos uses file properties such as container information, stream details, duration, dimensions, codec data and other metadata when it adds media to Video Editor. If Photos cannot read the information it expects, the import can stop with the message “These files have properties that can’t be read, so we couldn’t add them.” The wording is commonly reported for MP4 video, although images and other video files can trigger it as well.
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A media file may still play in another player and remain unusable in Photos. Playback applications often recover from unusual or incomplete metadata, while an editor needs to inspect the file more completely before it can build a project. Conversely, a single failed import is not proof of corruption. A Photos cache problem, an unregistered app package, an unavailable source folder or an unsupported metadata variant can produce the same symptom.
The fastest way to narrow the cause is to compare one known-good file with the file that fails. This split is a practical diagnostic inference from the troubleshooting paths documented by Appuals, MiniTool, Windows Club and user support reports, not a guarantee made by Microsoft.
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Start with a one-minute scope test
- Open the same Video Editor project or create a temporary project in Photos.
- Try importing a second image or video that is stored locally, preferably a recent file from a different folder.
- Note whether the second item appears in the project.
Only one file fails
When another item imports, the original file, its metadata or its location is the leading suspect. Copy the failing file to a simple local folder such as a folder under your user profile and retry. Do not overwrite the original. A fresh export from the device or application that created the video is the safest first replacement. If you convert the file, work on a copy so that the source remains available for recovery.
Every file fails
If unrelated pictures and videos all produce the message, stop converting files. Concentrate on Photos itself: repair the app, reset it if necessary, add the media folder to Photos’ sources, and then re-register the app if the problem survives those steps. A system component or an app update can affect every import at once.
Repair Microsoft Photos before changing files
Windows provides a non-destructive repair action for Photos. Repair is the least disruptive built-in remedy because it attempts to fix the app without deleting its stored app data.
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- Open Settings.
- In Windows 11, select Apps and then Installed apps. In Windows 10, open Apps and then Apps & features.
- Find Microsoft Photos, select its three-dot menu (or the app entry in Windows 10), and choose Advanced options.
- Select Repair and wait for Windows to finish. The button does not normally remove your Photos app data.
- Restart Photos and test the same known-good file and the original file.
If Repair does not change the result, return to the same Advanced options page and choose Reset. Reset is more disruptive: it clears Photos app data and returns the app to a clean state. Your original media files are not meant to be deleted by this action, but any Photos-specific app state, preferences or cached information can be lost. Make sure important projects and source files are stored independently before selecting Reset.
Add the media folder to Photos’ sources
Photos may fail to resolve a folder even when Windows Explorer can open it. Adding the containing folder manually can correct the path that Video Editor uses.
- Open Photos and go to its settings or source-management area.
- Find Sources (the list of folders Photos scans).
- Choose Add a folder and select the folder that contains the picture or video.
- Wait for Photos to index the folder, then reopen Video Editor.
- Retry the import from the collection.
A support report from the Hemlock/Merrill IT Help Desk records the exact error while using Add from this PC and reports that adding one picture through Add from collection can make the direct-PC option work. That workaround is low risk: it changes Photos’ source list rather than the media. If the folder is on a disconnected network, removable drive or cloud-only location, copy a test file to a local drive first.
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Check the file without destroying the original
Confirm that the file is complete
Copy the media to a local folder and check its size. A zero-byte or unexpectedly small file indicates an interrupted transfer. If the file came from a phone, camera, messaging service or cloud sync, obtain a fresh copy from the original device or service. Avoid repeatedly opening and saving the only copy in an editor.
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Use playback as evidence, not a verdict
Play the file in another trusted local player. Successful playback means the file contains enough information for that player, but it does not prove that Photos can parse the container and metadata. If playback also fails, corruption or an incomplete download becomes much more likely. If playback succeeds while Photos rejects the file, unusual metadata, an unsupported stream, or a damaged index can still be responsible.
Try a fresh export or conversion
Use the application or device that created the media to export a new copy. If that is not possible, use a trusted local conversion workflow and select a widely supported MP4 output. Convert only a copy, retain the original, and verify that the converted file plays before importing it into Photos. Conversion changes the file and can remove metadata, alter quality or replace audio and video streams, so it is a workaround rather than proof that the original was bad.
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Look for patterns in the failing files
- Files from one phone, camera or editing program may share a metadata format that Photos cannot interpret.
- Files copied from a damaged memory card or interrupted cloud transfer may have incomplete indexes.
- Files that fail only from one external or network location may have an access or availability problem rather than a media problem.
- Files that fail on one computer but import on another point toward the local Photos installation or Windows components.
The available troubleshooting guidance recommends checking or repairing a potentially corrupted MP4, but it does not establish one universal repair utility. Do not install an unknown “codec fixer” or upload private footage to an unverified service merely because it claims to repair this message.
Re-register Photos from elevated PowerShell
If Repair, Reset and the source-folder workaround do not help and every file still fails, re-registering the Photos package can repair its Windows registration. This is a system-level change, so review the command before running it and use an administrator account.
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- Right-click Windows PowerShell and select Run as administrator. Approve the User Account Control prompt.
- Paste the following command exactly, then press Enter:
Get-AppxPackage -allusers Microsoft.Windows.Photos | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml"}- Wait for the command to finish. If PowerShell reports an error, note the text rather than repeatedly running the command.
- Close PowerShell, restart Windows, open Photos and test a known-good local file.
The command re-registers the installed Microsoft Photos package for all users. It does not repair a genuinely damaged video, and it will not make an unsupported codec or malformed metadata readable. Its purpose is to address an app-registration failure after less disruptive remedies have been tried.
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Use System Restore only for a system-wide change
System Restore is appropriate only when the import problem began after a recognizable system change, such as an update or software installation, and Photos still fails after app repair and re-registration. It rolls Windows system state back to an earlier restore point; it is not a media repair tool.
- Back up important documents, projects and media first.
- Search Windows for Create a restore point and open the System Properties result.
- Select System Restore, choose a restore point dated before the error began, and review the affected programs.
- Start the restoration and allow Windows to restart.
- Test Photos after Windows returns.
System Restore can remove applications, drivers or settings installed after the selected point. It should therefore be the final built-in option, not the first response to one troublesome MP4.
Choose the remedy by scope and risk
| Remedy | Best use | What it changes | Relative risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repair Photos | Photos fails broadly and has not been repaired | Attempts to fix the app while preserving app data | Lowest |
| Reset Photos | Repair failed and every import still fails | Clears Photos app data and settings | Low to moderate |
| Add the source folder | Photos cannot find media from a particular folder | Updates Photos’ indexed source locations | Low |
| Fresh export or conversion | One file fails while other files import | Creates a new copy with rewritten streams or metadata | Moderate; preserve the original |
| PowerShell re-registration | App-level remedies failed for all files | Repairs Windows registration for Photos | Moderate; administrator access required |
| System Restore | Issue follows a recent system change | Rolls system state back to a chosen restore point | Highest; review what will be removed |
A practical decision path
- One file fails: copy it locally, keep the original, obtain a fresh export or convert the copy, and inspect whether the problem follows the file.
- Every local file fails: Repair Photos, then Reset it, add the source folder, and re-register the package if needed.
- Only files in one location fail: add that folder to Photos’ sources and test a local copy to separate indexing or access problems from media problems.
- The issue started after Windows changed: complete the app steps first, then consider System Restore with a backup and a restore point selected before the change.
Prevent losing work while troubleshooting
Keep the original camera or phone file unchanged. Work from copies, especially before conversion or repair. Store an extra copy of important footage on a separate local or external destination before using Reset or System Restore. Test a converted file by playing it and checking its duration and audio before deleting anything. If only a particular device’s exports fail, update or change the export settings in that device’s own software rather than repeatedly modifying files that may contain the only recoverable original.
The error is best treated as an import and parsing failure with several possible causes. A controlled second-file test tells you whether to repair Photos or repair a copy of the media; following that distinction avoids unnecessary system changes and preserves the evidence needed to recover the footage.
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