Troubleshooting Video Error Code 224003: Solutions for Playing Unplayable Video Files

Experiencing error code 224003 video playback issues on Windows 10? Well, this usually pops up while streaming a video online on any web browser.

In this post, we have detailed how to fix video playback issues, the reasons why this error appears on your system, and everything else you need to know.

What is an error code 224003? Why does it lead to it?

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Error code 224003 followed by a message that says “This video file cannot be played”, interrupting your video streaming experience. Error codes 224003 can appear on your device in any situation when you watch a video or streaming content on any online platform, including YouTube, Netflix, or any other service.

Some of the most common causes that can trigger the “Can’t play video files” issue on your device include:

  • Connectivity issues.
  • Unstable internet connection.
  • Outdated web browsers.
  • Corrupted cache files or cookies.
  • Incompatible browser extensions or plug-ins.

Let’s learn about some of the most effective solutions to fix the “Error Code 224003” issue on your Windows 10 device.

How to Fix “This Video File Can’t Play” Issue on Windows?

Update Google Chrome

How to Fix Video Error Code 224003? Updating your web browser is the best way to get common errors and errors. By updating your web browser, you will not only be able to overcome technical glitches but also enhance your browsing experience at the same time. To update Google Chrome, follow these steps:

Launch Google Chrome on your Windows PC.

Click on the three vertical dots icon in the top right corner of the window.

Go to Help > About Google Chrome.

Check for any available updates and click on the “Update Google Chrome” button to update your web browser to the latest version.

Once you have successfully updated your web browser, restart it and check if you are still experiencing any issues while streaming videos.

Delete browsing history, cache, and cookies

Error codes 224003 Solutions for video files not playing: No matter which web browser you use to surf the Internet, a large amount of cache files, cookies, and browsing data accumulate on your browser. So, our next workaround to fix the “Can’t play video files” issue will guide you to delete cache files, cookies, and browsing history stored on your web browser.

Launch Google Chrome and click on the three-dot icon in the top right corner. Select Settings. Navigate to Advanced > Privacy & Security. Tap on the “Clear Browsing Data” option.

You can also switch to the Advanced tab to choose a time frame for deleting browsing data.

Check all the items you need to delete, including cached images and files, downloaded items, browsing history, passwords, login data, and more.

Once you have made your choice, tap “Clear Data” to delete your browsing history from Google Chrome.

Whether you use Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Opera, or Microsoft Edge, you can drill into your browser’s settings and try to delete cookies and browsing history to fix video playback errors.

Remove plugins and extensions

How to Fix Video Error Code 224003? The third step to fix the “video file cannot be played” error is to remove unwanted plugins and browser extensions. By removing external components, you can easily fix video playback issues on any web browser. Here’s what you need to do.

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

Get a quick view of all installed plugins and extensions. Delete suspicious/unwanted items.

Save your most recent settings. Exit all windows and try to reload the video to check if the problem persists.

Reset your web browser

Error codes 224003 Solutions to video files that cannot be played: Have you tried all of the above methods or still won’t work? The next workaround to fix error code 224003 is to reset your web browser’s settings to start from scratch. Follow these quick steps to reset Google Chrome.

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

In the “Reset & Cleanup” section, tap on the “Restore settings to default” option.

Disable the hardware acceleration feature

How to Fix Video Error Code 224003? Google Chrome has a unique “hardware acceleration” option that improves the browsing experience when you’re performing graphics-intensive tasks, minimizing the load on your GPU. To disable hardware acceleration on Chrome, you’ll need to do the following.

Launch Chrome > Settings > Advanced.

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

Quit all windows and restart Chrome. Try playing the video to check if you’re still experiencing the “Unable to play this video file” error.

Error code 224003 workaround conclusion for video file cannot be played

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

Good luck!