How to Fix “This Video File Cannot Be Played” Error?

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Ever try to watch a video only to be met with the frustrating message, “This video file cannot be played”? It’s a common occurrence that can leave you feeling helpless. But fear not, video fans! This article is your one-stop guide to understanding and troubleshooting this annoying error.

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Ever tried to watch a video online, only to be met with the dreaded "This video file cannot be played" error message? It's a frustrating experience, especially with streaming platforms like Netflix and YouTube offering endless video options. But what if the problem goes beyond a simple refresh?

Error messages like 102360, 232011, 224003, 224002, and 232001 can appear while attempting to play a video, each pointing to a specific culprit. These codes can vary depending on your operating system, browser, or media player, but the frustration remains constant.

This article dives into the causes behind the "This video file cannot be played" error, regardless of the specific code, and explores proven methods to fix it so you can get back to enjoying your favorite videos uninterrupted.

Reasons behind Video Cannot be Played (Error codes 224003, 102630)

  • Error code 224003 or 224002: The media player has a problem with decoding a file within the browser.
  • Error code 102630: This error can be displayed on JW Player or when it is embedded in Firefox browser. It indicates that the player could not find any source file to be played.
  • Error code 232011 or 232001: Slow streaming video on the internet can be a result if the JW player finds network problems or the connection is lost while playing the video due to technical difficulties.
  • Cookies and cache data: Your browser accumulates cookies and cache data every time you visit any website on the internet. Due to this, you might find your videos with audio-video sync issues.
  • Other reasons: Some of the other common reasons for video cannot be played error are Outdated browser, unnecessary browser extensions, etc.

How do I fix “This Video File Cannot Be Played” Error?

You don’t necessarily need high technical knowledge to fix the error. However, before trying any of the methods, it is recommended to first check if your internet connection is fast enough to stream the video. Post verifying it make sure that the video is still available on the desired platform. Here are a few fixes that you could try out on your own.

1. Try Playing the Video in Another Browser.

Now, If you were able to stream the video on a different browser, there could be issues with your primary or preferred browser. If you have only one browser installed, update the browser to solve any incompatibility issues.

If your videos could not be played in the current browser, consider playing the same video on another browser. Due to compatibility issues, your browser might not be able to play the video effectively. If the problem still persists after switching to another browser, you can fix this issue by following the steps mentioned below.

2. Fix the video unplayable error by clearing cookies and cache

Clearing the cache and cookies will remove any corrupt files that are obstructing you while playing the video. However, in most cases, the video playback error is fixed by clearing these corrupt files.

clear cookies and cache and fix video playback error code 102630
  • Open the browser and click on the three dots icon from the top right corner, to open the menu.
  • Next, select the History option from the drop-down.
  • Now, select Clearing browsing data from the left column.
  • From the popup window, check the Browsing history and the Cookies and other site data option.
  • Finally, click on clear data to clear the corrupted data on the browser.

Remember, clearing cache or cookies will also delete all the data, such as your login credentials, i.e., your saved passwords and user name. Hence, make sure you make a note of all the important credentials before clearing the data.

Note: If you are using other browsers such as Firefox or Internet Explorer, here are details on how you can clear cookies data from the browser

3. Disable Hardware Acceleration | For error code 224003

Usually, it is the CPU that is responsible for executing any tasks on the computer. But if the CPU is overloaded with tasks, you might find the computer freezing while in operation. Hardware Acceleration is a feature that allows the browser to access the GPU on the computer to share the load off the CPU to facilitate smooth functioning.

Although hardware acceleration is generally beneficial for video playback, there are a few cases where disabling it can help resolve video playback issues. Some of these instances include incompatibility with a particular browser version or configuration, GPU conflicts, and outdated or incompatible graphics drivers.

Disable hardware acceleration on Chrome:

  • Click on the menu icon with three dots in the top right corner and choose settings
  • Scroll down to the bottom and click on Advanced option.
  • Under the System category, find the Use hardware acceleration when available
  • Now, click on the toggle switch to disable hardware acceleration
disable hardware acceleration on chrome and error code 224003

Disable hardware acceleration on Firefox:

  • Click the menu button on the top-right corner and choose Options
  • Next, select General panel and navigate to Performance
  • Uncheck Use recommended performance settings
  • Finally, uncheck Use hardware acceleration when available
disable hardware acceleration on Firefox c

Remove hardware acceleration on Microsoft Edge:

  • Click on the menu icon with three dots in the top right corner and choose settings
  • From the top-left column, click on the menu, and choose System from the drop-down
  • Under the System category, find the Use hardware acceleration when available
  • Now, click on the toggle switch to disable hardware acceleration
disable hardware acceleration on Microsoft Edge and fix error code 224003

4. Disable Proxy Server | For error code 232011

Due to security reasons, some of the browsers do not allow playing videos as they use VPN or proxy network connection. This is one of the primary causes of video file cannot be played error 232011.

By disabling the proxy connection, you can get rid of this error and fix the issue. Here is how you can disable the proxy server.

  • Open Run command by pressing the Windows + R button.
  • Type inetcpl.cpl and hit OK.
  • In the Internet Properties window, choose the Connection tab and click on LAN settings at the bottom.
fix error code 232011 by disabling proxy
  • Now uncheck the Use a proxy server for your LAN option and click OK
Fix this video cannot be played error 232011 by disabling proxy

5. Disable Extensions on browser | For error code 102630

Few extensions block the popups and ads on the browser and do not allow certain videos to be played. It could be possible that these extensions, such as popup blocker, and online security (antivirus) extensions, might be blocking your video from being streamed.

This is when your browser is unable to find or load a video, and you will come across the "video file cannot be played error code 102630" or "This file isn’t playable - 0xc10100be" error code. If you have installed any extensions that block the ads or pops, remove the extension from the browser to overcome this problem.

In order to remove the extensions from Chrome:

  • Click on the menu icon and choose Settings
  • From the left column, choose Extensions
  • Now identify the extension and disable them by clicking on the toggle button

To remove extension on Microsoft Edge:

  • Select the menu option from the top left
  • Choose Extensions from the dropdown
  • Now look for the extension you want to remove and disable it

Remove extension on Firefox:

  • Click on the menu icon
  • Select the Add-ons option from the drop down
  • From the list, look for popup blocker or online security add-ons and hit the toggle button to disable it

Now that you have an understanding of what error code occurs due to what reason, this can certainly help you fix the video file cannot be played error.

At any rate, if an offline video is not playing due to corruption, you need to repair it using reliable video repair software.

You can make use of Remo Video Repair Software, a user-friendly software to fix corrupt MP4, damaged MOV, and other common videos safely. This tool is compatible with all versions of Windows and Mac operating systems, including Windows 11, 10, macOS Mojave, Big Sur, etc. And it also supports repairing videos captured from any brand of camera, camcorder, CCTV, Drone, iPhone or Smartphone, etc. Download this software now!

Conclusion

You can easily fix the video file cannot be played error by following the instructions in the article. Apart from the above steps, you can also fix the error by switching to a different network. Probably a better network connection can also help you stream unplayable videos. If you still have any doubts or questions, kindly mention them in the comment section below.

About the Author: Molly Owen

Molly is the Lead Technical Specialist with distinguished knowledge and understanding of Mac computers and operating systems. Being a veteran photographer and video recovery specialist, Molly’s expertise in video formats and file repair has helped restore a lot of videos and cherished memories of users. As a technical specialist, she also believes in learning and…