To stop PotPlayer from resuming videos at the last watched point, you must disable the "Remember playback position" setting within the program's configuration menu. This change applies to both individual files and entire playlists, ensuring every media item starts from the beginning. The process involves accessing the preferences through a specific key combination or menu option, navigating to the correct tab, and unchecking the relevant box.
Accessing the Preferences Menu
PotPlayer offers two primary methods to open its main settings window. The fastest approach is using the keyboard shortcut
F5. When you press this key while the player is active, the large preferences dialog opens immediately. Alternatively, you can right-click anywhere on the video playback window to open the context menu. From there, select
Preferences located near the bottom of the list. Both methods lead to the same configuration interface where all advanced options are managed.
It is important to ensure that the "Simple Mode" is not active when trying to find these settings. If the interface looks simplified, you may need to toggle it off first. Press
F5 again to enter the full detailed view. This view contains multiple tabs on the left side, allowing for granular control over audio, video, and playback behaviors.
Navigating to Playback Settings
Once inside the full preferences window, look at the tree structure on the left-hand side. You need to expand the category labeled
Playback. Under this main header, locate and click on the sub-item named
General. This section controls fundamental behaviors related to how files are opened and processed by the engine.
Do not confuse this with other tabs like
Filter Control or
Video Renderer, as those handle codec and rendering issues rather than state management. The
Playback > General path is the standard location for memory-related features in recent versions of Daum PotPlayer. If you do not see these exact names, your version might be slightly older, but the logic remains consistent across updates.
Disabling Position Memory
In the right-hand pane corresponding to
Playback > General, scroll down until you find the checkbox labeled
Remember playback position. This option is often checked by default to provide convenience for users who pause and resume content later. To prevent this behavior, click the checkbox to remove the checkmark.
Some users report seeing an additional option called
Save playlist position. If available, ensure this is also unchecked if you want to reset playlist states entirely. After making these changes, click the
Apply button at the bottom of the window to save the configuration without closing the dialog. Then click
Close to exit.
The changes take effect immediately for new files. Existing open files will continue playing from their saved positions until closed. Restarting the player ensures no residual state interferes with fresh sessions. For more details on managing video states, see
How to detect if a video is being started in a specific program?.
Verifying the Change
To confirm the setting works correctly, play any video file and let it run for a few seconds. Pause the video and close the application completely. Reopen PotPlayer and load the same file. It should start from zero seconds rather than jumping back to the pause point. Test this with a playlist containing multiple items to ensure each track begins independently.
If the feature persists, check for conflicting plugins. Third-party extensions sometimes override core settings. Disable non-essential plugins via the
Filter Control tab and retry. In rare cases, corruption in the registry or user data folder may cause settings to revert. Resetting preferences to default and reapplying the single change can resolve such anomalies.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Users occasionally face difficulties finding the exact checkbox due to language packs or beta versions. If the text differs, look for keywords like "Resume," "Last Position," or "Memory." Ensure you are editing the correct profile. PotPlayer allows multiple profiles; verify that the active profile matches your settings.
Another common issue arises when opening files via external links or drag-and-drop. These actions might bypass some settings depending on how the association is configured. Always test the native
Open File command within the app to validate the behavior. For related playback quirks, check
How to Fix Video or Audio Missing the First Few Seconds on Windows 10.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does disabling this affect subtitles?
No, turning off playback position memory only affects the timestamp of the media file itself. Subtitles remain synchronized based on the file's internal timing or external .srt/.ass files loaded at startup. Your subtitle progress will reset along with the video.
Will this reset my current video if I am watching it?
No, the setting only applies to newly opened files or future restarts. If you pause a video and close the player, it will now start from the beginning next time. Currently playing instances are unaffected until you manually seek or restart them.
Can I set different rules for different folders?
PotPlayer does not support folder-specific playback memory rules natively. The setting is global for the application instance. You would need to use separate profiles or scripts to achieve conditional behavior, which is beyond standard configuration capabilities.
What if the checkbox is greyed out?
A greyed-out checkbox usually indicates that another plugin or skin has locked the setting. Try switching to the default skin or disabling third-party filters temporarily. If it remains locked, reinstalling the software may restore editable permissions to core settings.
Does this work for streaming URLs?
Yes, if you load a network stream or URL, the position memory feature will still apply. However, many streaming services manage their own state internally. Disabling PotPlayer's memory prevents it from saving local cache points, forcing a fresh connection attempt on reload.