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<section begin="intro" />'''F'''requently '''A'''sked '''Q'''uestions Windows and Windows-compatible computer hardware.<section end="intro" />
<big>This is the '''F'''requently '''A'''sked '''Q'''uestions for Windows and Windows-compatible computer hardware.</big>
 
{{XBMC FAQ}}
__TOC__
__TOC__
{{-}}
{{-}}
==General FAQ==
== General FAQ ==
:<big>''See also: '''[[XBMC all platforms FAQ]]''' for FAQs that apply to all versions of XBMC.''</big>
:{{big| ''See also: '''All platforms FAQ''' for FAQs that apply to all versions of Kodi.'' }}
=== Hardware/OS Questions ===
{| width="100%"
==== What is current recommended hardware requirements for XBMC ====
:For end-users the recommended minimum requirement is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86 x86-based computer], with a Graphic adapter that supports [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectX DirectX version 9.0c].
 
==== XBMC for Windows minimum requirements ====
:* x86 (Intel/AMD-based) processor with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streaming_SIMD_Extensions SSE] support.
:** [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentium_4 Intel Pentium 4], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentium_M Intel Pentium M], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atom Intel Atom] or newer.
:** [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athlon_64 AMD Athlon XP/64], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opteron AMD Opteron], or newer CPU.
:** Fast modern dual-core processor is required to decode H.264 videos in FullHD (1080p) without the assistance of a hardware video decoder.
 
:* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radeon ATI/AMD], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_GMA Intel], or [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeForce NVIDIA] graphic controller.
:** [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radeon ATI Radeon R420 (X800)] or newer supported, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radeon ATI Radeon R700 (HD 4000)] or newer recommended.
:** [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_GMA Intel GMA 950 (945G)] or newer supported, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_GMA Intel GMA X4500HD (G45)] or newer recommended.
:** [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeForce NVIDIA GeForce 6-Series] and newer supported, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeForce GeForce 8-Series] and newer recommended.
 
==== OS requirements/recommendations ====
:* minimum supported: Windows XP with Service Pack 3.
:* recommended: Windows 7, which enables xbmc to take advantage of hardware video decoding.
 
:Windows Home Server and Windows Server are not supported but have been reported to work with some tweaks.
 
=== Where is user specific data stored? ===
:All user-specific data is stored in in the XBMC home directory which, for a standard installation, is found in your windows users' application data directory, which may be found in one of two places.


:1. Windows Xp: Documents and Settings\[user]\Application Data\XBMC\
{{FAQ|1=requirements
:2. Vista/Windows 7: Users\[user]\AppData\Roaming\XBMC\
| BGcolor= WhiteSmoke
| Question= Requirements
| Answer=
{{See|Supported hardware#Windows}}
}}


[[The UserData Folder]], where your settings, thumbs and library files are stored is located in the UserData folder within this directory. Similarly, Add-Ons (skins, scrapers, plugins, scripts, ...) are installed in this directory.
{{FAQ|1=install|2=update
| BGcolor=
| Question= How to install and/or update Kodi
| Answer=
{{main|HOW-TO:Install Kodi for Windows}}
* To download Kodi, goto http://kodi.tv/; select "Downloads" and then run the Windows: Installer.
* Do the same to update Kodi. All your settings and files will be preserved as they are located in a different place in the [[Userdata|userdata folder]]. Be sure to make a backup of the [[Userdata|userdata folder]] when doing updates in case something goes wrong.
}}


:XBMC will not alter this directory on an upgrade, so your data will remain safe between upgrades of XBMC.
{{FAQ|1=Release_version|2=Version
| BGcolor= WhiteSmoke
| Question= Kodi for Windows version
| Answer=
* The current stable version of Kodi for Windows is {{Current version}}. This is the same code that all of the other platforms (Linux, iOS, Mac OS X) are using.
}}


=== Can XBMC be run in portable mode? ===
{{FAQ|1=Current_build|2=Kodi_Version
:If you wish, you may run XBMC in '''portable''' mode by adding the '''-p''' switch to the shortcut used to launch XBMC. This will then use the XBMC folder itself as the Home folder, which means scripts, plugins, skins and userdata will be located in the 'portable_data' folder within the XBMC folder. This is useful for running XBMC for Windows off a USB stick for portability.
| BGcolor=
| Question= What version/nightly build/beta of Kodi am I running?
| Answer=
* Open the Settings Page by clicking the "gear" icon (top left corner underneath the Kodi logo) then System Information. '''Note the build date.'''
}}


:You will, however, have to be careful when upgrading to make sure that the UserData folder you use is not overwritten.
{{FAQ|1=Tools
| BGcolor= WhiteSmoke
| Question= Programs and tools to help with Kodi
| Answer=
* For a list of programs and tools to help with Kodi, such as renaming files, managing media, file sharing, and more, see '''[[Supplemental tools]]'''
}}


=== Where is the log file located? ===
:The log file ('''xbmc.log''') is located in the users writable directory, which by default resides in '''%APPDATA%\XBMC\'''.


:1. Windows Xp: Documents and Settings\[user]\Application Data\XBMC\xbmc.log
{{FAQ|1=Portable|2=Portable_mode
:2. Vista/Windows 7: Users\[user]\AppData\Roaming\XBMC\xbmc.log
| BGcolor=
| Question= Portable mode
| Answer=
[[File:Portable01.jpg|300px|right]]
{{#lst:HOW-TO:Install_Kodi_for_Windows|Portable Mode}}
}}


:If XBMC is started in '''portable''' mode, the log file will be created in the XBMC folder itself.


=== What is the best way to post logs? ===
{{FAQ|1=Delay
:Take the xbmc.log from the appropriate XBMC UserData directory (see above, make sure it's a [[HOW-TO Submit a Proper Bug Report|debug log]]) and upload it to http://pastebin.com/ (other pastebin options exist, but this one is currently the most popular). Post the pastebin link instead of the content into the support forum. For more detailed instructions see [http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?t=42708 How to Post A Problem In a Useful Way].
| BGcolor= WhiteSmoke
| Question= Upon booting, start Kodi with a delay
| Answer=
* When starting Kodi on Windows startup it can be that some sub services weren't started when Kodi is up. To delay Kodi just add the parameter -d X (in the ''Target field'' after the closing quotation mark) to the shortcut's properties used to launch Kodi, with X equal to the startup delay in seconds.
}}


=== How can I switch XBMC back and forth from windowed to full screen? ===
|}
:Press the '\' button or 'alt' + 'return' on your keyboard.


=== Can I start XBMC with a delay of X seconds? ===
== Troubleshooting ==
:When starting XBMC on Windows startup it can be that some sub services weren't started when XBMC is up. To delay XBMC just add the parameter -d X with X equal to the startup delay in seconds.
{| width="100%"
{{FAQ|1=Help|2=Forum|3=IRC
| BGcolor=
| Question=Getting more help with Kodi for Windows
| Answer=
* '''[http://forum.kodi.tv/forumdisplay.php?f=59 Kodi for Windows specific help forum]'''
* '''[irc://irc.freenode.org/Kodi #Kodi]''' [[w:IRC|IRC]] chat channel on irc.freenode.org.
}}


=== Does XBMC for Windows support Blu-ray or HD DVD playback with or without menus? ===
{{FAQ|1=Userdata|2=Logs|3=logs|4=debuglog|5=kodi.log
:Qualitatively no. There is not yet any C/C++ open source software out there yet capable of fully playing back Blu-ray or HD DVD. [http://www.ffmpeg.org FFmpeg (the open source codec-suit that XBMC uses)] is able to decode all audio and video codecs used in both Blu-ray and HD DVD, but, even as that might be the case, you still have to get around the DRM encryptions used by the disc formats and there is not yet any C/C++ open source software library capable of that on-the-fly, nor is there any C/C++ open source software library out there capable of displaying Blu-ray or HD DVD menus. XBMC need C/C++ open source software libraries for all of these things to fully support Blu-ray or HD DVD playback. With that said, XBMC does support .m2ts extensions, as well as the decoding and playback of all Blu-ray and HD DVD video and audio codecs. Most current audio limitations are a function of hardware related issues.
| BGcolor=WhiteSmoke
| Question= Userdata folder and logs
| Answer=
:''See '''[[How-to:Submit a bug report]]''' for bug reporting details and '''[[forum:42708|here]]''' for instructions on reporting an issue to the forums''


=== Why does XBMC use x% CPU usage while sitting idle? ===
* [[Userdata]]:
:XBMC was originally written for the XBox game console, which is a single-threaded system (not a multi-tasking OS like Windows). As such, it was written in a game loop, rather than being event-driven. This means that the screen refreshes as fast as possible in order to "feel" responsive to the user. What this boils down to is that while sitting on the idle screen, XBMC is still repainting the screen at 60-90 frames per second (as can be seen by the FPS number if debug mode is enabled). This takes up a lot of processor power, because the "game" is still running, even though you may not be doing anything with it.
** Windows Vista/7/8/10: {{highlight|Vista/Windows 7: Users\[user]\AppData\Roaming\Kodi\userdata\}}
** Windows 10 AppStore version: {{highlight|Users\[user]\AppData\Local\Packages\XBMCFoundation.Kodi_4n2hpmxwrvr6p\LocalCache\Roaming\Kodi\userdata\}}
* [[Log_file]]:
*: ''If Kodi is started in '''portable''' mode, the log file will be created in the Kodi folder itself.''
** Windows Vista/7/8/10: {{highlight|Vista/Windows 7: Users\[user]\AppData\Roaming\Kodi\kodi.log}}
* Crash report:
** Windows Vista/7/8/10: {{highlight|Vista/Windows 7: Users\[user]\AppData\Roaming\Kodi\Kodi_crashlog-[DATE]-[TIME].dmp}}
}}


:There are currently no intentions to change this, as it is a very low-level change of the entire XBMC platform. A few workarounds do exist though:
{{FAQ|1=Black_white |2=DirectX
:* Enable the "blank" screensaver. This puts XBMC into a low FPS mode which uses much fewer resources.
| BGcolor=
:* Set an Idle timeout. In the PM3-HD skin, under Settings > System > Hardware there is the option to enable a "Shutdown function timer" and a "Shutdown function". The timer only counts down when media is not playing (it's not based on mouse movement like a typical screensaver). Setting the timer to something like 5 minutes, and the function to "Quit" will quit XBMC if no media has played for 5 minutes. It is also easy to use EventGhost or a similar application to register a remote button (or an Un-Idle event) to re-start XBMC.
| Question= Black/white screen instead of video
:* Disable vertical blank sync in the System/Video Output directory. Alternatively, set vertical blank sync to "Enabled during video playback."
| Answer=
 
* ... but the gui works fine.
=== How can I make it work on Windows Server 2003 (probably 2008 too) ===
* If you have a video adapter with pixel shader >= 2.0
:Some users reported success by changing the following settings:
:* Kodi compiles the video shader at runtime and the compiler was not installed. When installing Kodi, do not uncheck the "Install DirectX" option. Contrary to a common belief, Windows Vista and above do not have a complete DirectX installation out of the box.
:* Right click Desktop -> choose Properties -> Settings tab -> Advanced button -> Troubleshoot tab -> move slider on Hardware Acceleration to Full -> OK
* if you have a DirectX 9 video adapter with pixel shader < 2.0
:* Make sure as well that you have Audio Playback Hardware Acceleration to Full as well
 
=== Why do I see a black/white screen instead of video? ===
:... but the gui works fine.
: if you have a video adapter with pixel shader >= 2.0
:* XBMC compiles the video shader at runtime and the compiler was not installed. When installing XBMC, do not uncheck the "Install DirectX" option. Contrary to a common belief, Windows Vista and above do not have a complete DirectX installation out of the box.
: if you have a DirectX 9 video adapter with pixel shader < 2.0
:* version 9.11: you are out of luck because the video renderer requires support of pixel shaders >= 2.0
:* version 9.11: you are out of luck because the video renderer requires support of pixel shaders >= 2.0
:* versions after 9.11: supported, with the 'Software' render method. The CPU will work harder.
:* versions after 9.11: supported, with the 'Software' render method. The CPU will work harder.
}}


=== Why do I not see the "Allow hardware acceleration (dxva2)" and WASAPI output settings? (Dharma and later) ===
{{FAQ|1=dxva2 |2=WASAPI
:These options are available with Windows Vista, 7 and later.
| BGcolor= WhiteSmoke
| Question= "Allow hardware acceleration (dxva2)" and WASAPI output settings missing
| Answer=
* These options are available with Windows Vista, 7 and later.
* If you have the required OS and do not see the options, check System Info->Summary->Operating system. It should match your actual OS version.
* If not, Windows is starting Kodi in a compatibility mode, which reports an alternative OS version. To disable the compatibility mode, open the file properties of Kodi.exe (located in Program Files\Kodi), and uncheck all the options of the Compatibility tab.
* If that doesn't help, check the compatibility options of the shortcut used to start Kodi or any launcher program that starts Kodi. If there is a chain of launchers, check each and every one.
}}


:If you have the required OS and do not see the options, check System Info->Summary->Operating system. It should match your actual OS version.
{{FAQ|1=Stuttering
:If not, Windows is starting XBMC in a compatibility mode, which reports an alternative OS version. To disable the compatibility mode, open the file properties of xbmc.exe (located in Program Files\XBMC), and uncheck all the options of the Compatibility tab.
| BGcolor=
:If that doesn't help, check the compatibility options of the shortcut used to start XBMC or any launcher program that starts XBMC. If there is a chain of launchers, check each and every one.
| Question= Video stutters when "Adjust display refresh rate" is turned on
| Answer=
* The "Adjust display refresh rate" function of Kodi sometimes has bad interactions with Aero on Windows Vista and 7.
:* Turn off the "Use a fullscreen window rather than true fullscreen" option.
:* If you must have the "Use a fullscreen window..." option turned on, disable Aero, either globally on the PC with the selection of a basic theme, or just for Kodi, with the "Disable desktop composition" option, in the compatibility tab of Kodi.exe's file properties.
}}


=== Video stutter/jerky playback when "Adjust display refresh rate" is turned on ===
{{FAQ|1=Stuttering2
:The "Adjust display refresh rate" function of XBMC sometimes has bad interactions with Aero on Windows Vista and 7.
| BGcolor= WhiteSmoke
| Question= Video stutters due to audio misconfiguration
| Answer=
* [http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=154265 Some users reported] that video may stutter in Kodi version 12 because of audio misconfiguration.
:* Go to System / Settings / Audio and try to set Analog Output.
:* If you don't want to use Analog Output, try to turn on/off DTS-HD or set output to WASAPI HDMI.
:* For more detailed guide and for Graphics Vendor Specifics visit forum page [http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=146911 HOW TO - Solve audio problems + video stutter (audio induced)].
}}


:* Turn off the "Use a fullscreen window rather than true fullscreen" option.
{{FAQ|1=Half_video
:* If you must have the "Use a fullscreen window..." option turned on, disable Aero, either globally on the PC with the selection of a basic theme, or just for XBMC, with the "Disable desktop composition" option, in the compatibility tab of xbmc.exe's file properties.
| BGcolor=
| Question= Video plays in half/quarter of the screen
| Answer=
* This happens for certain settings with nVidia graphics cards/integrated chipsets and hardware decoding. To fix this, go in the 3D settings of the nVidia Control panel and stop forcing antialiasing to be used (set "Antialiasing - Mode" to Application-controlled or Off). To avoid changing the setting globally and to preserve it for other applications, you can alternatively create a program profile for Kodi and only disable antialiasing in that profile.
}}


=== Video plays in half/a quarter of the screen ===
{{FAQ|1=DVD_player |2=please_insert_disk
:This happens for certain settings with nVidia graphics cards/integrated chipsets and hardware decoding. To fix this, go in the 3D settings of the nVidia Control panel and stop forcing antialiasing to be used (set "Antialiasing - Mode" to Application-controlled or Off). To avoid changing the setting globally and to preserve it for other applications, you can alternatively create a program profile for XBMC and only disable antialiasing in that profile.
| BGcolor= WhiteSmoke
| Question= DVD player does not work/"please insert disk" message
| Answer=
* Please check if you have more than one ejectable media drive in your system. If that's the case you must be sure that you insert the disk in the drive that has the first drive letter, as Kodi will fail in all others. You may need to swap driver letters in your Windows installation.
}}


=== DVD player does not work, why I keep getting "please insert disk" message? ===
{{FAQ|1=Chinese_text |2=Asian_characters
:Please check if you have more than one ejectable media drive in your system. If that's the case you must be sure that you insert the disk in the drive that has the first drive letter, as XBMC will fail in all others. You may need to swap driver letters in your Windows installation.
| BGcolor=  
| Question= Chinese/Asian text as unrecognized squares
| Answer=
* For example, using the YouTube add-on to search for Chinese media video content, the Kodi displays the retrieved media video title Chinese text as unrecognized squares. The reason is that the default font pre-installed with Kodi does not support Chinese Unicode Font display.
* To make Kodi to display proper Chinese Text, you need a True-Type Font (.ttf) that supports Chinese Unicode. Below steps guide you on how to install the required font:
*# Navigate to Windows -> Fonts directory, select an Unicode ttf font file that supports Chinese characters display e.g.KaiTiRegular, copy the font file.
*# Navigate to the Kodi user directory i.e. C:\Users\<your_user_name>\AppData\Roaming\Kodi\media\Fonts (Windows 7)
*# Create the Fonts sub-directory if it does not exist.
*# Paste the copies Chinese font .ttf file into this Fonts sub-directory.
*# Rename the newly copied .ttf file to arial.ttf.
*# Launch Kodi and navigate to System -> Appearance -> Skin
*# Change the Fonts selection to 'Arial based'.
* You should now be able to see the Chinese font display properly.
* Note: Your Windows system must have the Asia Fonts support pre-installed. Otherwise you may not be able to find any Chinese .ttf font file in Windows -> Fonts directory.
}}


=== XBMC displays Chinese Text as unrecognized squares ===  
{{FAQ|1=No_text
:When using e.g. Youtube plugin to search for Chinese media video content, the XBMC displays the retrieved media video title Chinese text as unrecognized squares. The reason is that the default font pre-installed with XBMC does not support Chinese Unicode Font display.
| BGcolor= WhiteSmoke
| Question= No text in Kodi with AMD GPU
| Answer=  
* AMD Catalyst 12.10 and 12.11 drivers have a known issue where they will cause all Kodi GUI text to show up as scattered dots (or nothing at all). A fix has been published by AMD with the '''12.11 Beta 11''' Catalyst drivers.
* [http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=143548 Base Windows + Kodi Install, '''no text''' forum discussion]
}}


:To make XBMC to display proper Chinese Text, you need a True-Type Font (.ttf) that supports Chinese Unicode. Below steps guide you on how to install the required font:
{{FAQ|1= Server_08
| BGcolor=
| Question= Getting IR remote working on Windows Server 2008 & WHS 2011
| Answer=
* The link below contains instructions to install the required drivers to get IR remotes working in the following Windows operating systems
*# Windows Server 2008
*# Windows Home Server 2011
* [http://www.hellosri.com/2012/07/install-ehome-ir-drivers-on-whs-2011.html Sri's Media Center Blog - Install ehome IR drivers on WHS 2011/ windows 2008]
}}


#Navigate to Windows | Fonts directory, select an Unicode ttf font file that supports Chinese characters display e.g.KaiTiRegular, copy the font file.
{{FAQ|1= Audio
# Navigate to the XBMC user directory i.e. C:\Users\<your_user_name>\AppData\Roaming\XBMC\media\Fonts (Windows 7)
| BGcolor= WhiteSmoke
# Create the Fonts sub-directory if it does not exist.
| Question= Audio issues and/or slow video playback
# Paste the copies Chinese font .ttf file into this Fonts sub-directory.
| Answer=
# Rename the newly copied .ttf file to arial.ttf.
* Make sure that your audio settings are correct. Wrong audio settings will have severely negative effects on video playback.
# Launch XBMC and navigate to System | Appearance | Skin
:* Check to see if your speaker setup is really correct
# Change the Fonts selection to 'Arial based'.
:* If passthrough: make sure you '''only''' enable the audio codecs your receiver supports.
:You should now be able to see the Chinese font display properly.
:* Select the correct audio output device for analog and passthrough.
:Note: Your Windows system must have the Asia Fonts support pre-installed. Otherwise you may not be able to find any Chinese .ttf font file in Windows|Fonts directory.
* Most user can fix their issue by just switching to "DirectSound" in the audio settings. See '''Windows_audio''' for more in-depth information.
}}


{{XBMC wiki toc}}
{{FAQ|1= GUI error
[[Category:FAQ|Windows]]
| BGcolor=
[[Category:Windows]]
| Question= ERROR: Unable to create GUI. Exiting.
| Answer=
*If you are getting this error when trying to start Kodi, make sure you have specific and updated graphics card drivers installed. Generic graphics card drivers might not work with Kodi.
}}
|}

Latest revision as of 22:31, 13 September 2022

Frequently Asked Questions Windows and Windows-compatible computer hardware.


General FAQ

See also: All platforms FAQ for FAQs that apply to all versions of Kodi.

Requirements
Link
See: Supported hardware#Windows

How to install and/or update Kodi
Link
Main page: HOW-TO:Install Kodi for Windows
  • To download Kodi, goto http://kodi.tv/; select "Downloads" and then run the Windows: Installer.
  • Do the same to update Kodi. All your settings and files will be preserved as they are located in a different place in the userdata folder. Be sure to make a backup of the userdata folder when doing updates in case something goes wrong.

Kodi for Windows version
Link
  • The current stable version of Kodi for Windows is Kodi v21 Omega. This is the same code that all of the other platforms (Linux, iOS, Mac OS X) are using.

What version/nightly build/beta of Kodi am I running?
Link
  • Open the Settings Page by clicking the "gear" icon (top left corner underneath the Kodi logo) then System Information. Note the build date.

Programs and tools to help with Kodi
Link
  • For a list of programs and tools to help with Kodi, such as renaming files, managing media, file sharing, and more, see Supplemental tools


Portable mode
Link
Portable01.jpg


Upon booting, start Kodi with a delay
Link
  • When starting Kodi on Windows startup it can be that some sub services weren't started when Kodi is up. To delay Kodi just add the parameter -d X (in the Target field after the closing quotation mark) to the shortcut's properties used to launch Kodi, with X equal to the startup delay in seconds.

Troubleshooting

Getting more help with Kodi for Windows
Link

Userdata folder and logs
Link
See How-to:Submit a bug report for bug reporting details and here for instructions on reporting an issue to the forums
  • Userdata:
    • Windows Vista/7/8/10: Vista/Windows 7: Users\[user]\AppData\Roaming\Kodi\userdata\
    • Windows 10 AppStore version: Users\[user]\AppData\Local\Packages\XBMCFoundation.Kodi_4n2hpmxwrvr6p\LocalCache\Roaming\Kodi\userdata\
  • Log_file:
    If Kodi is started in portable mode, the log file will be created in the Kodi folder itself.
    • Windows Vista/7/8/10: Vista/Windows 7: Users\[user]\AppData\Roaming\Kodi\kodi.log
  • Crash report:
    • Windows Vista/7/8/10: Vista/Windows 7: Users\[user]\AppData\Roaming\Kodi\Kodi_crashlog-[DATE]-[TIME].dmp

Black/white screen instead of video
Link
  • ... but the gui works fine.
  • If you have a video adapter with pixel shader >= 2.0
  • Kodi compiles the video shader at runtime and the compiler was not installed. When installing Kodi, do not uncheck the "Install DirectX" option. Contrary to a common belief, Windows Vista and above do not have a complete DirectX installation out of the box.
  • if you have a DirectX 9 video adapter with pixel shader < 2.0
  • version 9.11: you are out of luck because the video renderer requires support of pixel shaders >= 2.0
  • versions after 9.11: supported, with the 'Software' render method. The CPU will work harder.

"Allow hardware acceleration (dxva2)" and WASAPI output settings missing
Link
  • These options are available with Windows Vista, 7 and later.
  • If you have the required OS and do not see the options, check System Info->Summary->Operating system. It should match your actual OS version.
  • If not, Windows is starting Kodi in a compatibility mode, which reports an alternative OS version. To disable the compatibility mode, open the file properties of Kodi.exe (located in Program Files\Kodi), and uncheck all the options of the Compatibility tab.
  • If that doesn't help, check the compatibility options of the shortcut used to start Kodi or any launcher program that starts Kodi. If there is a chain of launchers, check each and every one.

Video stutters when "Adjust display refresh rate" is turned on
Link
  • The "Adjust display refresh rate" function of Kodi sometimes has bad interactions with Aero on Windows Vista and 7.
  • Turn off the "Use a fullscreen window rather than true fullscreen" option.
  • If you must have the "Use a fullscreen window..." option turned on, disable Aero, either globally on the PC with the selection of a basic theme, or just for Kodi, with the "Disable desktop composition" option, in the compatibility tab of Kodi.exe's file properties.

Video stutters due to audio misconfiguration
Link
  • Some users reported that video may stutter in Kodi version 12 because of audio misconfiguration.

Video plays in half/quarter of the screen
Link
  • This happens for certain settings with nVidia graphics cards/integrated chipsets and hardware decoding. To fix this, go in the 3D settings of the nVidia Control panel and stop forcing antialiasing to be used (set "Antialiasing - Mode" to Application-controlled or Off). To avoid changing the setting globally and to preserve it for other applications, you can alternatively create a program profile for Kodi and only disable antialiasing in that profile.

DVD player does not work/"please insert disk" message
Link
  • Please check if you have more than one ejectable media drive in your system. If that's the case you must be sure that you insert the disk in the drive that has the first drive letter, as Kodi will fail in all others. You may need to swap driver letters in your Windows installation.

Chinese/Asian text as unrecognized squares
Link
  • For example, using the YouTube add-on to search for Chinese media video content, the Kodi displays the retrieved media video title Chinese text as unrecognized squares. The reason is that the default font pre-installed with Kodi does not support Chinese Unicode Font display.
  • To make Kodi to display proper Chinese Text, you need a True-Type Font (.ttf) that supports Chinese Unicode. Below steps guide you on how to install the required font:
    1. Navigate to Windows -> Fonts directory, select an Unicode ttf font file that supports Chinese characters display e.g.KaiTiRegular, copy the font file.
    2. Navigate to the Kodi user directory i.e. C:\Users\<your_user_name>\AppData\Roaming\Kodi\media\Fonts (Windows 7)
    3. Create the Fonts sub-directory if it does not exist.
    4. Paste the copies Chinese font .ttf file into this Fonts sub-directory.
    5. Rename the newly copied .ttf file to arial.ttf.
    6. Launch Kodi and navigate to System -> Appearance -> Skin
    7. Change the Fonts selection to 'Arial based'.
  • You should now be able to see the Chinese font display properly.
  • Note: Your Windows system must have the Asia Fonts support pre-installed. Otherwise you may not be able to find any Chinese .ttf font file in Windows -> Fonts directory.

No text in Kodi with AMD GPU
Link
  • AMD Catalyst 12.10 and 12.11 drivers have a known issue where they will cause all Kodi GUI text to show up as scattered dots (or nothing at all). A fix has been published by AMD with the 12.11 Beta 11 Catalyst drivers.
  • Base Windows + Kodi Install, no text forum discussion

Getting IR remote working on Windows Server 2008 & WHS 2011
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Audio issues and/or slow video playback
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  • Make sure that your audio settings are correct. Wrong audio settings will have severely negative effects on video playback.
  • Check to see if your speaker setup is really correct
  • If passthrough: make sure you only enable the audio codecs your receiver supports.
  • Select the correct audio output device for analog and passthrough.
  • Most user can fix their issue by just switching to "DirectSound" in the audio settings. See Windows_audio for more in-depth information.

ERROR: Unable to create GUI. Exiting.
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  • If you are getting this error when trying to start Kodi, make sure you have specific and updated graphics card drivers installed. Generic graphics card drivers might not work with Kodi.
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