How to Fix the Error 224003 on Google Chrome?

Fix the Error 224003 on Google Chrome – The error code 224003 can appear while watching videos online on YouTube, Netflix error, or other streaming platforms. It usually pertains to browser issues that hinder smooth video playback. Whether you are using Google Chrome, Safari, Mozilla Firefox, or others, the error code 224003 can occur in any browser.

 Causes of error code 224003?

The ‘this video file cannot be played. (Error Code: 224003)’ message in streaming videos could occur due to many reasons. Some of the possible causes are:

• Poor or no Internet connectivity.
• Third-party software on your system may be stopping the video playback.
• Browser settings such as a plug-in, extensions, etc., may be causing the error.
• The browser is outdated.
• Cache files and cookies are causing online video issues.

How to Fix the Error 224003 on Google Chrome?

It has been observed that Google Chrome users often encounter error 224003. If you also use Google Chrome, you can consider following these suggestions to fix the error code 224003.

Check the Network Connection and the Video Source

Before you take any drastic step, make sure that your computer is connected to a stable internet connection. You can go to its Network Settings to further diagnose this issue. Also, make sure that the website that you are trying to access is not down.

Disable Add-ons and Extension

It has been observed that some add-ons and extensions (particularly ad blockers) could be a reason for the 224003 error. Either the website would have detected an ad blocker’s presence, or the extension can block the video as well. For this, you can go to your Chrome’s Settings > Extensions to view all the installed add-ons. Now, toggle off the option for any extension that you don’t want to work on Chrome anymore.

For Firefox:

1. Click on the menu icon (three horizontal lines on the top-right corner) and click Add-ons.
   
2. Click on Extensions and next to the ad-blocker Extension click on the blue button to disable it and click on the blue button to disable the Extension

For Chrome

1. Click on the three dots on the top-right corner and select Tools and then click Extensions.
2. Click “More Tools” and then click “Extensions”
3. Now click on the blue button next to the Ad-blocker extension to disable it

Turn off Hardware Acceleration on Chrome

Hardware acceleration is a common feature in browsers like Google Chrome that redistributes the processes with the GPU. Though, sometimes the hardware acceleration feature can halt some vital processes, like the playback of videos.

Therefore, to fix the error code 224003, you can try to disable this feature on Chrome. Just launch Chrome and go to its Settings by clicking the three-dot icon from the top. Now, browse to its Settings > Advanced > System and turn off the Hardware Acceleration feature. Afterward, restart your browser and check if it fixes the 224003 error code or not.

For Firefox:

1. Click the menu button on the top-right corner and select Options.
   
2. Select General panel and scroll down to Performance.
   
3. Uncheck ”Use recommended performance settings” and then uncheck “Use hardware acceleration when available”.
   

For Chrome:

1. Click on the three dots icon on the top-right corner and click Settings.
   
2. Scroll down to the bottom and click Advanced and click on the blue switch icon where it says “Use hardware acceleration when available”.

Fix the Error 224003 on Google Chrome  – Update the Flash Player on Chrome

You might already know that most of the videos take the Flash Player’s assistance to be loaded on browsers. If the Flash Player has been disabled or outdated, then it can also cause the 224003 error. You can go to the Flash Player’s official website and install or update it for Chrome to fix this.

Besides that, you can go to Chrome Settings > Content > Flash and makes sure you are not blocking Flash from running on the browser.

Clear Cache and Browsing Data on Chrome

If your Chrome has collected many browsing data and cache, you can also face unwanted issues like the 224003 error code. Thankfully, Chrome has made it pretty easy for us to reset its data. All you need to do is visit Google Chrome’s Settings > Advanced > Clear Browsing History. You can also launch Chrome and press the Ctrl + Shift + Delete shortcut keys simultaneously.

This will launch a dedicated interface for us to select what we wish to delete. It would be better to delete Chrome’s cache, hosted app data, and cookies from here. After that, you need to reload Chrome and check if it fixes the error 224003.

For Chrome

1. Open Chrome and click on the three vertical dots on the upper right side of the screen.
2. Select Settings from the menu.
3. In the Settings window, go to the Privacy and security section.
4. Here, click on Clear browsing data.
5. In the Clear browsing data window, select Browsing history and Cached images and files.
6. You can also choose to clear the Cookies and other site data, Download history, or the Hosted app data.
7. Click on Clear data to confirm the action.
8. This takes a while, so wait till all data is clear, relaunch your Chrome and now you can try playing the video.

For Safari

1. Open Safari and click on the gear icon located at the top right side of the browser.
2. Select Preferences from the menu.
3. In the Preferences window, select the Privacy tab.
4. Now, click on Remove All Website Data next to Cookies and other website data.
5. You will now see a confirmation prompt.
6. Press the Remove Now button to confirm the action.
7. Once it’s done, try playing the video in your Safari browser and the error should not appear henceforth.

Update Google Chrome

Last but not least, you might also get the error code 224003 if you are running an old or outdated version of Chrome. To update your browser, launch Google Chrome and go to its options by clicking on the three-dot icon from the top. Now, go to Help > About Google Chrome and check the latest available version. This will give you an option to update Google Chrome to its latest version and relaunch it afterward.

Also Read: How to Fix Server Execution Failed Error in Windows Media Player?