While watching videos online, it’s likely to encounter some video playback errors. One of the issues that trouble many is error code 224003. If you’re facing the same problem, don’t worry. In this guide, we’ll show you how to fix This video file cannot be played (Error Code:224003) error easily and quickly.

What is error code 224003?

The error code 224003 is a common issue that occurs when users try to play a video on a browser. This error can happen due to a variety of reasons such as an outdated browser, third-party extension or add-on, poor internet connection, cache files and cookies, etc.

How to fix error code 224003?

Here are a few fixes that have helped many other users fix error code 224003. You may not need to try them all; just work your way down the list until you find the one that works for you.

1: Update your browser

2: Clear cache and cookies

3: Disable all extensions

4: Turn off hardware acceleration

5: Reset your browser settings

Bonus tip: How to repair corrupted or damaged video files?

Fix 1: Update your browser

An outdated browser can cause many issues, like error code 224003. So before you take any drastic steps, make sure that your browser is up to date.

To update Google Chrome:

  1. Open Chrome. At the top right, click More > Help > About Google Chrome.
  2. Chrome will automatically check for updates. If an update is available, click Relaunch to update Chrome.

To update Microsoft Edge:

  1. Open Edge, click Settings and more.
  2. Select Help and feedback > About Microsoft Edge.
  3. Edge will automatically check for updates. If an update is available, it will download and install the update.

To update Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Firefox, click the menu button and click Help.
  2. Select About Firefox.
  3. Firefox will check for updates and download them automatically. When the download is complete, click Restart to Update Firefox.

To update Safari on Mac:

  1. At the top left corner of your screen, click the Apple menu, then select System Preferences….
  2. Click Software Update.
  3. Wait for your Mac to check for updates. If there’s an available update, click Upgrade Now.

If your browser is up to date and the video is still unplayable, go ahead with the next fix.

Fix 2: Clear cache and cookies

Cache and cookies are created when you use your browser to visit a website. They make your online experience easier by saving browsing data. However, your browser’s cache and cookies can also bring some issues, like video not playing. To fix the problem, you need to clear the cache and cookies or other browsing data.

For Chrome:

  1. Open Chrome. On your keyboard, press Ctrl + Shift + Del to open the Clear browsing data window.
  2. At the top, select a time range. If you want to delete everything, select All time. Then check the box next to Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, and Cached images and files. Click Clear data.

For Edge:

  1. Open Edge. Then press Ctrl + Shift + Del to open the Clear browsing data window.
  2. Select a time range, choose the types of browsing data you want to clear, and click Clear now.

For Firefox:

  1. Open Firefox and press Ctrl + Shift + Del to open the Clear Recent History window.
  2. Next to Time range to clear, select Everything. Under History, select all the entries. Then click OK.

For Safari:

  1. On your Mac, open Safari and select History > Clear History.
  2. In the Clear field, choose all history. Then click Clear History.

After clearing your browser’s cache and cookies, check if error code 224003 is resolved. If not, check out the next fix.

Fix 3: Disable all extensions

The extensions installed on your browser may conflict with the video you wish to play and cause the error code 224003. In this case, you can try disabling all extensions on your browser to check if it fixes the issue.

Chrome:

  1. At the top right, click More > More tools > Extensions.
  2. Disable all extensions by clicking the switch icon next to them.

Edge:

  1. In the toolbar, click the Extensions icon and select Manage Extensions.
  2. Click the toggle next to the extensions to disable them one by one.

Firefox:

  1. In Firefox, press Ctrl + Shift + A to open the Add-ons Manager window.
  2. Select Extensions. Then turn off all your extensions.

Safari:

  1. Open the Safari menu and select Preferences…. 
  2. Click Extensions, then deselect the checkbox next to all extensions.

After disabling all extensions, reopen your browser and play the video to check if the error code 224003 is fixed. If the problem has gone, try enabling extensions one by one to find the culprit.

Fix 4: Turn off hardware acceleration

Hardware acceleration is a feature that allows your browser to use your computer’s GPU to display graphics-heavy web content such as videos or games. However, this feature can sometimes prevent the video from playing. To fix the problem, try turning off hardware acceleration in your browser.

Chrome：

  1. At the top right, click More > Settings.
  2. Select System. Then turn off Use hardware acceleration when available and click Relaunch.

Edge:

  1. Open Edge. Type or paste edge://settings/system into the address bar and press Enter.
  2. Under System, turn off Use hardware acceleration when available and click Restart.

Firefox:

  1. Open Firefox. Type or paste about:preferences into the address bar and press Enter.
  2. In the General panel, under Performance, uncheck Use recommended performance settings, then uncheck Use hardware acceleration when available.

Safari:

Users are not allowed to turn hardware acceleration on and off in Safari.

After turning off hardware acceleration, relaunch your browser and check if the video plays back normally. If not, move on to the next fix.

Fix 5: Reset your browser settings

Another way to fix the error code 224003 is to reset your browser settings to default. This will turn off all extensions and delete cookies and other temporary data. Your bookmarks, history, and saved passwords won’t be affected.

Chrome:

  1. Open Chrome. At the top right, click More > Settings.
  2. Click Reset and clean up > Restore settings to their original defaults.
  3. Click Reset settings.

Edge:

  1. Open Edge. Type or paste edge://settings/reset into the address bar and press Enter.
  2. Click Restore settings to their default values. In the pop-up window, click Reset.

Firefox:

  1. Open Firefox. Type about:support into the address bar and press Enter.
  2. Select Refresh Firefox….

  3. In the new window, click Refresh Firefox.
  4. Click Finish.

Safari:

Unlike Chrome, Safari doesn’t have a Reset button. To reset Safari to default settings, you can follow the above steps to clear browser history and disable all extensions.

If the above methods didn’t help, try using another browser to play the video.

Bonus tip: How to repair corrupted or damaged video files?

Some people may prefer to download videos for offline viewing. If you find the downloaded video corrupted or unplayable, don’t worry. You can use a video repair tool to fix it.

Stellar Repair for Video is an efficient video repair tool that can fix various video playback errors. It can repair 17+ video file formats including MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, and more. With this powerful tool, you can repair your corrupted videos in three simple steps:

  1. Run Stellar Repair for Video and click Add File to add videos that you want to repair.
  2. Click the Repair button to start the repair process.
  3. Once the process is completed, you can preview the repaired videos and save them to the desired location.

That’s all for now. Hopefully, this post helped you fix the error code 224003. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to drop us a line below.

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