How to Fix Video Error Code 224003: Cannot Play the Video File Error

Stuck with the error code 224003 video playback issue on Windows 10? Well, this usually pops up while streaming videos online on any web browser.

In this post, we have covered a detailed guide on how to fix the video playback issue, why this error occurs on your system and everything else that you need to know.

Also read: How to Fix 0xc10100be Video Error on Windows 10

What is Error Code 224003? Why Causes it?

The error code 224003 comes followed with a message “This video file cannot be played” thereby interrupting your video streaming experience. The error code 224003 can occur at any instance on your device while you’re watching videos or streaming media content on any online platform, including YouTube, Netflix, or any other service.

Some of the most common reasons that may trigger the “Video file cannot be played” issue on your device include:

• Connectivity issues.
• Unstable internet connection.
• Outdated web browser.
• Corrupt cache files or cookies.
• Incompatible browser extensions or plugins.

Let’s learn about some of the most effective solutions to resolve the “error code 224003” issue on Windows 10 devices.

Also read: YouTube Videos Not Playing/Showing Black Screen Error: How To Fix It

How to Fix “This Video File Cannot Be Played” Issue on Windows?

1. Update Google Chrome

Updating your web browser is the best hack to get common errors and bugs. Once you update the web browser, you can not only overcome technical glitches but also enhance your browsing experience on the same hand. To update Google Chrome, follow these steps:

Launch Google Chrome on your Windows PC.

Tap the three vertical dots icon placed on the top right corner of the window.

Head on to Help> About Google Chrome.

Check for any available updates and then hit the “Update Google Chrome” button to update the web browser to its latest version.

Once you’ve successfully updated the web browser, relaunch it and check if you’re still facing any issues while streaming the videos.

Also read: Videos Won’t Play: How To Fix Error Code 0xc00d36c4 (2021)

2. Delete Browsing History, Cache, and Cookies

No matter which web browser you use for surfing the Internet, a lot of cache files, cookies, browsing data get collected on the browser over an accumulated period. Hence, our next workaround to fix the “Video file cannot be played” issue guides you to delete the cache files, cookies, and browsing history stored on the web browser.

Launch Google Chrome and tap the three-dot icon placed on the top right corner. Select “Settings”. Navigate to Advanced> Privacy and Security. Tap on the “Clear browsing data” option.

You can also switch to the “Advanced” tab to pick a time range for deleting browsing data.

Check on all the items that you need to delete, including cached images and files, downloaded items, browsing history, passwords, and sign-in data, etc.

After making the selection, tap the “Clear Data” to remove browsing history from Google Chrome.

Whether you use Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Opera, or Microsoft Edge, you can dig into the browser’s settings and try deleting the cookies and browsing history to fix the video playback error.

Also read: How To Clear Browser Cookies And Delete Browsing History?

3. Remove Plugins and Extensions

The third step to resolve the “Video file cannot be played” error is by removing the unwanted plugins and browser extensions. By removing the external components, you can easily fix the video playback issue on any web browser. Here’s what you need to do.

Launch Google Chrome and tap the three-dot icon, and navigate to More Tools> Extensions.

Quickly take a look at all the installed plugins and extensions. Remove the suspicious/unwanted items.

Save your recent settings. Exit all windows and try reloading the video again to check if the issue persists.

Also read: Video Scheduler Internal Error on Windows 10

4. Reset Web Browser

Tried the above-mentioned methods and still no luck? The next workaround to fix the error code 224003 is to reset the web browser’s settings to start on a clean slate. Follow these quick steps to reset Google Chrome.

Launch Chrome on your Windows PC, tap the three-dot icon, and then select “Settings”. Scroll down on the settings page and tap on “Advanced”.

In the “Reset and clean up” section, tap the “Restore settings to their default settings” option.

5. Disable Hardware Acceleration Feature

Google Chrome features a unique “Hardware acceleration” option that improves the browsing experience when you’re performing graphic-intensive tasks to minimize the load on GPU. To disable the hardware acceleration feature on Chrome, here’s what you need to do.

Launch Chrome> Settings> Advanced.

Toggle off the “Use hardware acceleration when available” option in the settings.

Exit all windows and relaunch Chrome. Try playing the video to check if you’re still stuck with the “This video file cannot be played” error.

Also read: 5 Ways to Fix Google Chrome White Screen Error? Here’s How To Fix It (2021)

Conclusion

Here were the 5 most simple yet effective solutions to fix the error code 224003 video playback issue on Windows. You can use any of these workarounds to resume an uninterrupted video streaming experience on any web browser.

Good luck!