You were ready to play your favorite movie, or video content. But then, you received one of the most annoying errors possible. It is ‘If playback doesn’t begin shortly, try restarting your device’ error. Your video was loading but now, you’re stuck with this error.
We all know that once this error surfaces, the playback never plays ‘shortly.’ You will have to restart the device, and even then, it might not fix the error.
This error has become recurring with Windows 10 Fall Creator update. Primarily, you will face this problem on Youtube. But, other stream websites are also prone to it. This leads you to blame a lot of things, but don’t you worry. This guide will help you navigate through all the problems.
This is your roadmap to solving ‘If playback doesn’t begin shortly’ error. From browser settings to hardware acceleration, you will learn about it all.
Basic Solutions – If Playback Doesn’t Begin Shortly Try Restarting Your Device Chrome
As mentioned, the error message itself asks you to restart the device. You can go ahead and restart the entire PC and reconnect with the network setting. If this doesn’t work, then try a couple of these tips:
- Turn off your router, or internet source, and then restart it. See if this solves any connectivity issue. Also, make sure that you have apt data and your connection is working.
- Make sure that you’re getting enough speed to load the Video. Disable the VPN, if you’re using one.
- Change the network profile in the settings to public or private, and vice versa. This can help you solve the issue.
- Change the audio device. If you’re using Bluetooth devices, reconnect. The same applies for the cable or any other option. Make sure that you have them connected properly.
- See if you are facing any significant RAM or processor consumption while the video plays. If so, you can use a different browser. Typically, Google Chrome consumes more RAM than any other browser. You can use Microsoft Edge or some other browser to reduce resource consumption.
- Go to your Browser’s settings. Find clear the history and make sure to clear the cache. Then restart the browser and see if this fixes the problem.
Check for any potential Windows 10 updates from the Control Panel. Make sure that you’re up to date before continuing with the solutions below.
Solutions For ‘If Playback Doesn’t Begin Shortly Try Restarting Your Device’
- Disable Hardware Acceleration In Browser
- Make Changes To The Graphics And Audio Drivers
- Change Default Playback Device
- Use HTML5 Player Extension
- Check For Windows And Browser Updates
- Scan For Malware
- End Some Tasks
Solution For If Playback Doesn’t Begin Shrotly Try Restarting Your Device Safari
1. Disable Hardware Acceleration In Browser
Hardware Acceleration has become a prevalent feature. It is available in almost every app, including browsers. You can allow the PC’s graphic resources to be used for the video performance. Most users will have this feature enabled by default in their browsers.
If you’re running into the playback error, you could go ahead and solve this issue. Remember that each browser will have a different option to disable Hardware Acceleration. Most work on the same blueprint as Google Chrome. So, we are using it as a base with the instructions:
- Launch your Google chrome and go to the Menu option. The menu is at the top-right corner as the three dots option. Click on it and then find Settings.
- In settings, go to the Advanced settings option. Find System and there you will find ‘Use Hardware Acceleration When Available.’ Make sure to turn it off. If it is checked-on, then check it off.
The best way to check if this solution worked is by visiting YouTube. Go ahead and load a video to see if this works.
2. Make Changes To The Graphics & Audio Drivers
Disabling Hardware Acceleration might not work all the time. You might still face the error. If you’ve tried all other solutions and still run into the same error message, check this fix:
- Go to the Search Bar in your Taskbar and type ‘Device Manager.’ Once the option pops, right-click on it. Select ‘Run As Administrator.’ A permission window will pop up, click Yes and continue.
- Now find ‘Display Adapters.’ Expand the option and see all the Drivers available. Right-click on the ones you find relevant. Then, go to the Properties. Select the ‘Driver’ tab from the new window that opens up.
- In the driver tab, you will find countless options. There will be an option to Enable/Disable. It will work by switching the driver on and off, you can give it a try if the option is available. Generally, if the driver is disabled, you should enable it.
- Then, you will see an option to Update. This is the most important option. So, click on it. Then, select an option that allows Windows to search updates automatically. Let the windows find any available update. Make sure that you have an active internet connection.
- If there is an update available, comply. Once you update, restart the PC and launch the Browser to see if you are getting the error anymore.
- If you’re still getting the error, you can try the same steps, but this time for Audio. In device manager, you will find ‘Audio, input, and output’ option at the top. Select it and follow through with the same update procedure.
- You can also go to ‘Sound, Video, And Game controllers’ option at the bottom of the list. Expand it and repeat the same updating process.
- Now launch the Browser and see if this solves if.
Even if the problem isn’t solved, you should always update the drivers. With the latest Windows updates, it is wise to keep drivers updated. But, if the updates are causing problems, there is another option in the driver’s tab. It is ‘RollBack.’ You can select this option if any updated driver is causing problems for you.
3. Change Default Playback Device
You have already tried to change the audio devices and fix the problem. But maybe, the default playback device isn’t changing. You might have to check it manually:
- At the bottom-right corner of the taskbar, right-click on the Speaker Icon. Select ‘Sounds’ from the options.
- Go to the ‘Playback’ tab. There, you will see all the Playback devices available.
- Right-click on the one that you currently want to use. Make sure that it is connected to the PC. Select ‘Set as a Default Device’ option.
- This will set that Playback device as a default device. Now, reload the Video and see if this fixes the issue.
4. Use The HTML5 Player Add-On
Some Videos might use the HTML5 embed code. This could lead to the same problem that you’ve been facing. If that’s the case, you can try to install a third-party HTML5 Video player plugin. These are extensions available for your Browsers. They are available for all browsers. All you might have to do is search for them on Google or the individual store.
For instance, search for HTML5 player in Firefox store, or Microsoft Edge store. You can also do the same for the Chrome Web Store.
The typical search to use is either Flash Player or Flash Video Player. But, Flash Player is not supported much. So, you might not have too much luck with it.
HTML5 is not compatible with older versions of browsers. So, make sure that you have the Browser up to that.
5. Check For Windows And Browser Updates
The final resort for you is to check for potential Windows and Browser updates. For the browser, you can go to the ‘Settings’ and click on the ‘About’ option for the Browser. Usually, it will scan and tell you if there is the latest version available for you to download.
You can also go to the Microsoft store or the Browser’s official website. There, you will find any information on the latest version.
As for Windows 10 update, follow these steps:
- Press Windows Key + I key on your keyboard to launch Updates & Security.
- Now, click on ‘Check For Updates’ option. If there are updates, download and install them.
- You can also check for any other essential updates available.
- If unsure, you can also visit the official catalog website to download the updates.
- Restart the PC after installing the updates and see if this solves the issue.
6. Scan For Malware
If none of the above-given solutions worked, there’s a possibility of Malware infestation. A malware or virus could slow down your PC. It could hinder the connectivity and cause various errors. So, you might have to run a scan on your PC.
Microsoft Windows Defender is great for the task. But, if you want premium options, you can use Avast or Malwarebytes. Make sure to scan your PC entirely for any malware. See if this fixes the issue.
7. End Some Tasks
As you might have guessed, the problem is related to hardware. So, if you don’t have the capacity, you can try a couple of things to ease the load off the PC. The best option is to end some tasks:
- Press CTRL + Shift + ESC to open the Task Manager.
- You will find the list of programs with the status next to them.
- See the ones that are consuming the most. Right-click on them and End Task.
- Make sure not to do that for any Microsoft process. Avoid it for any hardware manufacture process too. How will you find that? They will have the name of the company in the process.
- Once you end the tasks, see if this takes a load off your PC.
Don’t fall for the third-party Cleanup or booster tools. They do nothing for the PC. If the problem persists, you can reinstall Windows. Make sure to upgrade your PC once every five years.
Conclusion – Fix Playback Doesn’t Begin Shortly Error In Windows 10
So, make sure to consider – Which web browser are you using when this occurs? That will make a little difference in the steps. Apart from that, these were all-sufficient to help you fix the issue. So, next time you ask a question ‘How to fix the problem?’ You know that this guide will have you covered.
These are the top 5 best solutions to help you out. If none of these work, you might want to upgrade your PC or Internet connection. Often, it is related to hardware problems. You can also try to reinstall the Windows, but that would be an extreme step. So, just stick to these solutions.
Given below are some FAQs that could further help you with the error. So, take a look.