HEVC Codec Windows 11 build 22621.2361 causing Explorer.exe Crash

After I updated my computer to Win 11 22621.2361 I noticed some of my iPhone HEVC .MOV files had a green pixelization on the thumbnails. They played normally, but the thumbnail was corrupted. I tried to repair these images online using the EASEUS fixo site. When I downloaded the repaired images, they wouldn't load, nor could I delete them. I could only delete them in safe mode... something very drastic for that to occur I'd say. I experimented uninstalling the HEVC codec and used the Shark 007 codec and see what would happen. These files thumbnails were now normal and without any pixelation. I installed the HEVC codec again and immediately the green pixelation was back. Windows 11 22621.2361 doesn't like the current HEVC codec apparently. I found an older version of the codec... I don't like getting codecs from non Microsoft sources, but I needed to check if older versions work... and they do. I found HEVC 2-0-60962-0 is the newest codec that doesn't generate the green pixelization.
If anyone could get this old version from the Microsoft Store it would be appreciated. I know there's a way of getting older versions of Apps from Microsoft, but I'm not sure how to do this.
Feedback is appreciated

MS should answer users for CODECS, for decades that have been flaky and not including enough, or the correct ones, maybe through licensing, or they just suck. I know many of us have had to use 3rd party codecs for decades. Often we had to use 3rd party hardware for video and or audio and 3rd party. MS just made it hard to decode so many of these. Meanwhile MS dithers in making little things most people don't care about like different color calendars in update as an example.

Microsoft removed the support for HEVC a longtime ago requiring a separate HEVC codec from the Microsoft store.
Having a “green pixelation” on the thumbnail made me think my file was corrupted in some way… it’s not. I even bought software to fix these files… can’t fix something that’s not broken.
I installed K-Lite basic codec pack to fix the issue. K-Lite did fix the explorer.exe thumbnails but doesn’t work for the Photo App… you still need Microsoft’s codecs for it to work correctly. OneDrive too is showing extremely pixelated images inside its App for H265 videos.

Did you try using HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer ? it works great under Windows 11 (although microsoft only supports windows 10 for it)

MichelN86 said:

Did you try using HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer ? it works great under Windows 11 (although microsoft only supports windows 10 for it)

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Yes I did… there’s something different with the latest HEVC codec as some of the thumbnails within OneDrive on my iPhone are corrupted… just like the image above. So far the K-lite codec fixed the issue on my PC by handling thumbnail generation in a different way. One of my iPhone videos was created using iMovie… I didn’t know it created a special thumbnail like when you get a rented movie… it shows up with the K-Lite codec. The current HEVC codec is a paid for App… it should work just like a third party codec.
Microsoft’s decision to remove native support for H265 videos was a mistake… I remember when Windows 10 boasted about not needing any 3rd party Codecs for playing media files.
Bad habits often have a way of returning…

MichelN86 said:

Did you try using HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer ? it works great under Windows 11 (although microsoft only supports windows 10 for it)

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Your link gives me this.....

HHH03 said:

The current HEVC codec is a paid for App…

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There was (and still is) a second identical version that was free. Those of us who installed it while still available can still get updates, and can even install it on our new devices as it's listed as an 'owned app' when we sign in to the Store.

https://www.microsoft.com/store/productid/9N4WGH0Z6VHQ?ocid=pdpshare

Bree said:

Your link gives me this.....

View attachment 73248


There was (and still is) a second identical version that was free. Those of us who installed it while still available can still get updates, and can even install it on our new devices as it's listed as an 'owned app' when we sign in to the Store.

https://www.microsoft.com/store/productid/9N4WGH0Z6VHQ?ocid=pdpshare

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The Microsoft Store is blocking this version of the App... I was able to get older versions of the App from third party sources which do work pre April of this year. Can't remember the build numbers now.

HHH03 said:

The Microsoft Store is blocking this version of the App...

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To be strictly accurate, the Microsoft Store is blocking you from installing it for the first time. It is identical in all respects except the name to the one you can buy for $0.99, but it was at one time free to install. And because I installed it on one of my machines back then, it counts as a 'purchased app' for me. That means I can still install it on any new machine, and I still get updates.

Bree said:

To be strictly accurate, the Microsoft Store is blocking you from installing it for the first time. It is identical in all respects except the name to the one you can buy for $0.99, but it was at one time free to install. And because I installed it on one of my machines back then, it counts as a 'purchased app' for me. That means I can still install it on any new machine, and I still get updates

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I have both versions actually... you need the HEVC and HEIF codecs for the Photo App to show my iPhone Media from OneDrive. I'm just using the K-Lite codec pack, so my thumbnails don't have the "Green Pixelation" or image corruption. The K-Lite codecs don't work with the Photo App, but they do work with the Windows Media Player and the new Photo Gallery View inside File Explorer.

Not sure what the problem is here -- VLC plays HEVC codec with zero issues (and no charge) so what have I mis-understood here. You also can install VLC on android and play remote HEVC codecs (plus a load of others). KODI also plays nearly everything under the sun and can browse through photo collections etc - works on Windows and Android. (and on amazon firestick for playing remote content on a TV). Maybe on Iphones too --I don't have one of those so unable to try it.

The CANARY build seems to have these codecs built in :




Cheers
jimbo

jimbo45 said:

Not sure what the problem is here -- VLC plays HEVC codec with zero issues (and no charge) so what have I mis-understood here.

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The problem is the latest Microsoft HEVC codec isn’t totally compatible with Win 11 22621.2361 and later builds with the new Explorer.exe with Gallery View for H265 files. I’ve tried older versions of the HEVC Codec and the problem goes away immediately. Unfortunately, it will update soon enough and the “green mist” returns.
Playback isn’t the issue here… it’s the thumbnails being created by the codec is the issue… here’s the proof. Before K-lite codec and after.
I tried the VLC Player as suggested… the results are identical to the below images.

I need to make an update to this issue… it seems the HEVC Codec isn’t the core problem. I installed Icaros and use it to generate the MOV H265 thumbnails and that seems to fix the issue with “green mist” and “pixelation.” Unfortunately, the “pixelated” thumbnails still exist for HEVC files inside of OneDrive.
Just an observation… Windows 11 23H2 really isn’t ready… this new File Explorer with Photo Gallery needs work.

I have the same issue. I think I have it isolated to movies I recorded on my iPhone from September 2019 and earlier. I don't recall what version of iPhone I was on then (maybe a 6S?), but in September 2019 I got an iPhone XS. Movies recorded after getting that phone don't have the green thumbnail issue for me. Maybe people smarter than me can figure out what those earlier versions of iPhone were using for codecs, and go from there. This only happened to me after the most recent Windows 11 updates in October 2023. And like the original poster, the movies play just fine, it's only the thumbnails that appear green. I already cleared all thumbnails and let windows make them again... didn't change anything.

LFB081972 said:

I have the same issue. I think I have it isolated to movies I recorded on my iPhone from September 2019 and earlier. I don't recall what version of iPhone I was on then (maybe a 6S?), but in September 2019 I got an iPhone XS. Movies recorded after getting that phone don't have the green thumbnail issue for me. Maybe people smarter than me can figure out what those earlier versions of iPhone were using for codecs, and go from there. This only happened to me after the most recent Windows 11 updates in October 2023. And like the original poster, the movies play just fine, it's only the thumbnails that appear green. I already cleared all thumbnails and let windows make them again... didn't change anything.

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Did some further digging. It seems only iPhone videos created between November 2018 and September 2019 have green thumbnails for me. Hope this helps out the troubleshooting.

LFB081972 said:

I have the same issue. I think I have it isolated to movies I recorded on my iPhone from September 2019 and earlier.

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My first “green pixelated thumbnail” MOV HEVC H265 was taken around October 2018. The last one was taken around September of 2019. Before and after that timeframe, I’ve had no issues with “green pixelization.” The problem seems to be related to MOV HEVC movies taken with iOS 12. My HEVC MOV videos with iOS 11 and 13 are perfect and produce nice thumbnails.

That’s probably the cause then… iOS 12 had something odd about the HEVC H265 codec causing the “green mist” thumbnails in Windows 11. This problem affects OneDrive too… no “green mist” but heavily pixelated and ghost images within the thumbnails. You could re-upload these images using the iPhone most compatible setting. The downside is the file is much bigger in size…

At least I know someone else is experiencing this problem and these files aren’t corrupted…

I’m using Icaros thumbnail handler to fix the problem… and it does fix the “green mist.” Make sure to limit the file types to MOV and MP4. If you use the default file types, it will screw up the Settings App producing strange behavior of the desktop backgrounds only showing black and show grey in the Lock Screen page with red X’s for the calendar, mail and weather.