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5 Ways to Fix Videos Not Playing in Microsoft Edge

Quick Tips
  • Try restarting Microsoft Edge on your computer and check your internet connection to ensure it’s working properly.
  • If Microsoft Edge is unable to play videos on a specific site, the issue may be related to that site.
  • Consider clearing browsing data or resetting Microsoft Edge settings if nothing else works.

Fix 1: Disable Extensions

Third-party extensions can occasionally disrupt browser processes, leading to such issues. If one of your extensions is interfering with video playback functionality in Edge, disabling your extensions can help you verify this.

Type edge://extensions/ in the address bar at the top and press Enter. Then, disable the toggles next to the extensions.

Disable Extensions in Edge

If this solves your problem, re-enable your extensions one by one to identify the one causing the issue.

Fix 2: Turn Off Hardware Acceleration

When you enable hardware acceleration, Edge assigns graphics-intensive tasks to your GPU instead of the CPU. However, if you are having trouble loading videos, consider disabling the hardware acceleration feature in Edge.

Step 1: In Microsoft Edge, click the three-dot icon in the top right and select Settings.

Open Settings Menu on Microsoft Edge

Step 2: Use the left pane to navigate to the System and performance tab. Then, toggle off the switch next to Use hardware acceleration when available.

Disable Hardware Acceleration in Edge 2

Fix 3: Disable SmartScreen feature

Microsoft Defender SmartScreen is a handy feature in Edge that offers you a safer browsing experience by scanning web pages before they load. But sometimes, this feature can also interfere with Edge and falsely block websites that are safe.

Try disabling SmartScreen momentarily to see if that gets videos to play.

Step 1: Open the Settings menu in Microsoft Edge.

Step 2: Switch to the Privacy, search, and services tab. Scroll down to the Security section and turn off the switch next to Microsoft Defender SmartScreen.

Disable Edge SmartScreen Feature

Fix 4: Clear Edge Cache and Cookies

Clearing browser cache and cookies is an effective way of fixing most browser-related issues, including this one. Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete to access the Clear browsing data panel. Use the drop-down menu under Time range to select All time. Tick the Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files checkboxes. Then, hit Clear now.

Clear Browsing Data in Microsoft Edge

Fix 5: Reset Microsoft Edge

If nothing else works, you can consider resetting Microsoft Edge as a last resort. Doing so will disable all the extensions and reset browser configurations. Rest assured, your saved passwords, bookmarks, and browsing history won’t be affected.

In Edge, type edge://settings/reset in the URL bar and hit Enter. Click Restore settings to their default values and hit Reset to confirm.

Reset Edge Settings 3

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Last updated on 19 May, 2024

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