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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsStart by confirming the complete hexadecimal code. “0x800700” is incomplete; the final digits determine which problem you are troubleshooting. The documented Video Editor case matching this wording is 0x80070057, reported while opening a video created in CyberLink. In that case, repairing Microsoft Photos (or Video Editor), then resetting it if necessary, is the first app-level remedy.
The same message family can appear at different stages—import, opening a project, editing, or exporting—and a file can also fail because Photos lacks HEIF/HEVC support or because the project itself is damaged. Work through the sequence below without deleting the original media.
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1. Confirm exactly what failed
Before changing anything, write down the complete code as Windows displays it. A code that stops at 0x800700 does not identify one fault. Confirm whether the suffix is 57 or something else, and note the action that triggered it:
- Adding the video to Photos or a project
- Opening an existing project
- Previewing or editing a clip
- Exporting or saving the finished video
This distinction prevents you from treating a codec problem as an app problem, or a damaged project as a system-wide failure. The Microsoft-hosted community case associated with 0x80070057 involved opening a CyberLink-created video; its suggested remedy was to use the app’s Repair option and then Reset if Repair did not work. That guidance is useful for a matching case, but it is not a universal fix for every 0x800700xx code.
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2. Check the source file before repairing the app
Play the original outside Video Editor
Open the source video in another player installed on the PC. If the file will not play there either, Photos may be reporting a symptom of a damaged or unsupported file rather than a project error. Keep the original untouched while you test a copy.
Move a copy to a simple local path
Copy the media to a local drive, such as a folder under your user profile, and give the copy a short, ordinary filename. Then try importing that copy. This removes long folder paths, unusual characters, removable-drive interruptions and a changing network location from the test. Do not overwrite the source or delete an existing project yet.
Use one known-good MP4 as a control
If you have an MP4 that has worked in Photos before, create a temporary project and add only that file. A known-good clip tells you whether the application can create and read a project at all. If the control clip works but the original does not, concentrate on the original file’s format, location or project entry. If both fail, continue with app repair.
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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →3. Repair Microsoft Photos or Video Editor
Repair is the least disruptive built-in action and should come before Reset.
- Open Settings.
- Choose Apps, then Installed apps. On some Windows 10 builds the page is labelled Apps & features.
- Find Microsoft Photos. If your installation lists a separate Video Editor entry, select that instead.
- Open the app’s menu or Advanced options.
- Select Repair and wait for Windows to finish.
- Reopen Photos or Video Editor and retry the exact action that produced the code.
Repair refreshes app components while aiming to preserve the app’s local data. It is the appropriate first test for the documented 0x80070057 scenario and for an app that opens but fails while handling a project.
4. Reset only after backing up projects
If Repair changes nothing, return to the same Advanced options page and choose Reset. Reset is more invasive: it refreshes the app and can affect local app data. Before selecting it, copy the original videos, exported files and any project-related files to a separate folder or drive. If your project depends on media in a removable or cloud location, make a local backup as well.
- Close Photos and any Video Editor window.
- In Settings > Apps > Installed apps (or Apps & features), open the Photos or Video Editor entry.
- Choose Advanced options, select Reset, and confirm.
- Open the app again, sign in if Windows requests it, and test with the known-good MP4 before reopening the affected project.
Reset does not prove that the media is healthy or that every project can be recovered. Its purpose is to eliminate corrupted local app state. If the test clip works after Reset but the old project still fails, rebuild the project as described below rather than repeatedly resetting the application.
5. Resolve HEIF and HEVC compatibility
Phones and tablets may record photos in HEIF and videos in HEVC. Microsoft Support says Photos may need Store extensions to use those formats. Its guidance lists the free HEIF Image Extensions and the HEVC Video Extensions, listed at $0.99 in the Microsoft Store information cited by Microsoft Support in 2026. Microsoft states: “You’ll need both, even if you only plan to use photos and not videos.”
Install the extensions
- Open the Microsoft Store.
- Search for HEIF Image Extensions and install the Microsoft listing.
- Search for HEVC Video Extensions and review the current Store listing before purchasing or installing it. The cited Microsoft Support information lists it at $0.99; Store availability and pricing can change by region and date.
- Close and reopen Photos or Video Editor, then import the media again.
Installing a codec is useful when you want Photos to work with the device’s original files. It does not repair a damaged recording, and it does not explain an error that also occurs with a known-good MP4.
Reimport through conversion instead
If you do not want to install an HEVC extension, or if the device can provide a more common format, use a conversion or reimport path. Microsoft recommends reimporting or emailing files because some devices automatically convert media to a more common format during transfer. Keep the original HEIF or HEVC file as your archival copy, test the converted copy in another player, and then add the converted file to a new or repaired project.
| Approach | Cost or control | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Install Microsoft extensions | HEIF Image Extensions are listed as free; HEVC Video Extensions are listed at $0.99 in the cited Microsoft Support information. Store terms can vary by region and date. | Keep the device’s original HEIF/HEVC files and use them directly in Photos. |
| Convert or reimport | Avoids installing a codec and gives you a more widely supported copy; conversion settings determine the resulting file. | When the extension is unavailable, you prefer not to install it, or a device can automatically provide a common format. |
6. Rebuild a project that may be damaged
A project can fail even when its source MP4 plays normally. Microsoft Q&A community guidance for a Windows 11 Video Editor file-property problem recommends repairing Photos first, then creating a new project and adding the MP4 again. Treat this as community troubleshooting rather than a guarantee of recovery.
- Back up the original video and any exported result.
- Use Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Microsoft Photos > Advanced options > Repair. If Repair did not help, complete the Reset procedure above.
- Open Photos after the app-level repair or reset.
- Remove the old project from the project list only after you have preserved the source media and any information you need from it.
- Create a new Video Project.
- Add the local MP4 copy. Start with one clip, save the project, and preview it.
- Add the remaining media one item at a time. Test after each addition so the clip that reintroduces the error is identifiable.
Rebuilding separates a damaged project file from a problem in an individual clip. It may require you to recreate the timeline, titles or edits, so keep the old project until the replacement has been exported and checked.
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7. If the legacy Photos Video Editor is missing
Microsoft’s Windows guidance dated April 9, 2026 identifies Clipchamp as the built-in Windows 11 video editor and describes Photos as the everyday photo-editing app. A Windows Insider announcement explains that the new Photos experience no longer includes the legacy Video Editor, while the legacy Photos app remains available in the Microsoft Store where Microsoft makes it available.
Check which editor your build provides
- Open the Start menu and search for Photos.
- Look for the video-editing entry you previously used. If the legacy Video Editor controls are absent, search for Clipchamp instead.
- Use Clipchamp for a new Windows 11 project when it is installed and your workflow does not require the legacy project’s format.
- If you need the older project experience, check the Microsoft Store for the legacy Photos app where it is available for your Windows build and region.
Do not assume that a project created in the legacy Photos editor will open unchanged in Clipchamp. Keep the original media and exports, and test the workflow with a copy before removing the older application or project.
| Editor path | Availability and compatibility | When to choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Legacy Photos Video Editor | Being removed from the new Photos experience; the legacy Photos app remains available in the Microsoft Store where offered. | You need the older project workflow and your build still provides the legacy app. |
| Clipchamp | Microsoft identifies it as the built-in Windows 11 video editor in guidance published April 9, 2026. | You are starting a new Windows 11 edit or the legacy editor is not present. |
8. Troubleshoot by failure stage
The error appears during import
- Confirm the complete code and test the file in another player.
- Copy it locally, rename the copy with a short filename, and try again.
- Check whether it is HEIF/HEVC; install the Microsoft extensions or use a converted copy.
- Try a known-good MP4 to determine whether the issue is limited to the source format.
The error appears when opening a saved project
- Repair Photos, then Reset only after backing up local project data.
- Create a new Video Project and add the local MP4 again.
- Add clips one at a time and retain the old project until the replacement is verified.
The error appears during editing or preview
- Test each source clip independently in a new project.
- Remove the clip that causes the failure and re-add a local copy.
- If the clip is HEVC, install the required extension or convert it before adding it again.
The error appears during export
- First establish whether the same project can preview and save with a known-good MP4.
- Repair the app, then test again; use Reset only with a backup.
- Rebuild the project in a new Video Project if the old project remains the only one that fails.
- If the legacy editor is no longer present on your Windows 11 build, test the export in Clipchamp or use the legacy Photos app where Microsoft Store availability permits.
9. Repair versus Reset: choose the least disruptive action
| Action | Data impact | Order |
|---|---|---|
| Repair | Less disruptive; intended to refresh app components while preserving local app data. | Use first. |
| Reset | More invasive; can affect local app data, so back up projects and media first. | Use only when Repair fails. |
Neither option replaces a compatible source file or a healthy project. If a control MP4 still fails after both actions, the problem may involve the available editor build or another Windows condition rather than one damaged video.
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10. A safe order of operations
- Record the complete hexadecimal code and the failure stage.
- Back up the original media and project material.
- Verify the source in another player and test a local copy with a short filename.
- Try one known-good MP4 in a new project.
- Repair Microsoft Photos or Video Editor.
- Retry, then Reset only after preserving local data.
- Install HEIF/HEVC support or reimport a converted file when the format requires it.
- Rebuild a damaged project by creating a new Video Project and adding media one clip at a time.
- Use Clipchamp for a new Windows 11 edit when the legacy editor is absent, or check for the legacy Photos app in the Microsoft Store where available.
This sequence moves from reversible checks to more invasive changes and leaves the original recording available if a conversion, reset or project rebuild does not solve the problem.
Quick Recap
As an optional shortcut after trying the manual steps, Outbyte PC Repair can address more than 100 common Windows issues where possible, including broken system elements, invalid redirects and shared DLL files; it also offers settings tweaks, temporary and cache cleanup, privacy and vulnerability checks, a real-time boost, a file shredder and an app-crash log. It runs on Windows 11, 10, 8 and 7 and has a free trial by category lasting at least two days before a paid subscription. It complements an antivirus rather than replacing one, results vary, and no tool repairs every crash.
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