# Conversion failed. A required codec could not be found or failed to install

**URL:** <https://forums.plex.tv/t/conversion-failed-a-required-codec-could-not-be-found-or-failed-to-install/932439>\
**Category:** Plex Media Server\
**Tags:** server-mac, plex-web\
**Created:** [October 13, 2025, 6:41pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/conversion-failed-a-required-codec-could-not-be-found-or-failed-to-install/932439 "2025-10-13T18:41:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![robertring77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ccd318/32.png) [@robertring77](https://forums.plex.tv/u/robertring77)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2025, 6:41pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/conversion-failed-a-required-codec-could-not-be-found-or-failed-to-install/932439/1 "2025-10-13T18:41:32Z")

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4 Days ago I started getting this message on files that previously worked fine.

Conversion failed. A required codec could not be found or failed to install.

Trying to figure out how to fix it as it seems to have affected almost my entire library. Very frustrating.

Server Version#:1.41.2.9200  
Player Version#:4.140.0  
\<If providing [server logs](https://support.plex.tv/articles/200250417-plex-media-server-log-files/) please do NOT turn on verbose logging, only [debug logging](https://support.plex.tv/articles/201643703-reporting-issues-with-plex-media-server/#toc-1) should be enabled\>

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**Author:** ![nibbles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/nibbles/32/150497_2.png) [@nibbles](https://forums.plex.tv/u/nibbles)\
**Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 2:44am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/conversion-failed-a-required-codec-could-not-be-found-or-failed-to-install/932439/2 "2025-10-14T02:44:00Z")

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Hello @robertring77  
If your server is on macOS as you indicated in the tag, and the user running PMS is named `robert`, then you’ll find PMS downloads and stores the codecs it needs in a subfolder ending in `-darwin-aarch64` if the Mac runs on Apple Silicon. For example:

```plaintext
/Users/robert/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Codecs/12345ab-123456789fe123a5978a79dd-darwin-aarch64

```

It’s safe to force PMS to download the codecs again. You could

1. Stop PMS
2. Move that `-darwin-aarch64` subfolder out of `~/Library` so PMS won’t see it.
3. Start PMS, play your video.

PMS will recreate the missing folder and download the codecs it needs when you hit Play. This is exactly what happens when you install PMS.

If playback still fails, copy your `Plex Media Server.log` to your `Downloads` folder, right click the log and choose `Compress` to zip it up, and drop the zip into your reply.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 2:44am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/conversion-failed-a-required-codec-could-not-be-found-or-failed-to-install/932439/3 "2026-01-12T02:44:22Z")

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