Having trouble streaming videos on YouTube? Playback id error making life miserable for you. Well, there is absolutely nothing to worry about anymore. This is very common error users can face and can be solved easily. I have prepared this easy guide to help you resolve the video streaming problem on Google Chrome.
Youtube is kind of like the stable for any present generation. People of ages use YouTube on a daily basis for entertainment, solution, professional and many other purposes. The websites handle the traffic of millions of users every hour of each day. You can stream any content of your favorite subject and it is absolutely free.
So if you are an avid YouTube user or a budding YouTuber the playback id error can be a really irritating problem. Luckily I am here with the easiest fix. I have faced this issue a number of times myself and have devised these solutions exactly for playback related errors on Google Chrome.
Simply go through the article to know about the different solutions.
Solving YouTube Playback ID Error
YouTube is probably the most stable and widely chosen streaming platform in existence. But sometimes videos can get stuck and generate a black screen with playback id error messages. So let’s move ahead with the primary and alternatives solutions for the problem.
First, start off by clearing Google Chrome cache.
Clear Google Chrome Browsing Data
Clearing Cache memory often fixes errors and problems with the software. Frequently accessed and recently used links are logged by Google Chrome to give you faster access to the required content. These are stored as ‘temp’ or temporary files with your saved user data.
If not cleared at the right time, Cache memory can grow up to more than 500 MB and cause problems. This can limit the functionality of Google Chrome, just follow these steps to clear Cache memory of Google Chrome.
- Open a new tab in Google Chrome
- Click on Menu and click on settings.
Look for the button with three vertical dots on in the top right portion of the Windows. - Now scroll down and click on Advanced
- Keep scrolling down and select ‘Clear Browsing Data’
It is the last option in the Privacy and Security section of Advanced Chrome Settings - A new pop-up window will open, select Basic
- Select all three option – ‘Browsing History’, ‘Cached images and files’ and ‘Cookies and other site data’
- The click on Clear Data.
Google Chrome will now erase all the saved data and links used for easy connecting with frequently used links and services. The YouTube playback id error should be solved now, try streaming a video on Youtube to check whether the problem was fixed.
If done then fine, else you should carry on with the alternative solutions the YouTube playback error on Chrome. If you want any further information on Cache memory and its functions, go through the description below or skip ahead to the next solution.
Browsing Data – An Overview
Browsing Data more popularly known as Cache Memory is a very integral part of your Google Chrome browser. It is not only with Chrome, a cache memory is maintained by most software that interacts with the internet in real time.
Google Chrome Browsing Data includes both cache memory and cookies.
Cookies are created everytime you visit a website, it is basically a log of all the pages you visit from that system. It tracks how you interact with certain websites and saves detail to give you a better experience. Cookies are the details of these frequently visited pages. Chrome saves a copy of images and links to the web pages you access often to give better and faster surfing experience.
Clearing browsing data almost reset Chrome by removing preferences to give an error-free Chrome. So if you were able to fix the playback id error by clearing cache and cookies, well done. But if the issue remains, move on to the next solution.
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Update Google Chrome
Since clearing cookies and cache memory did not solve the YouTube playback error, let’s try updating Google Chrome.
Google Chrome has an inbuilt auto-update feature that keeps your browser up to date by itself but you can still check and install any pending updates. Past updates or downloaded/ installed add-ons (extensions or apps) can have bugs and glitches, updating Chrome removes all bad sectors.
Just follow these steps to update Google Chrome Browser.
- Open a new tab
- Click on Menu
- Then, move the mouse pointer over ‘Help’ and select ‘About Chrome’
Chrome will now connect to its servers to check for updates. This can take anything between 10 seconds to a couple of mins depending on your internet connection. Install any available pending updates of Google Chrome. Keeping your browser not updated does not only produce playback id error but a lot more.
When done updating Google Chrome, restart the browser. Simply close the running browser window and exit all Chrome processes from the system tray. Then, start Google Chrome with a fresh window and access YouTube.
Try streaming a video on YouTube, check if you still receive the playback id error when streaming a video. If it works fine, then you are done. You have successfully resolved the YouTube playback error, else let’s just move on to the next solution.
Before moving you can check out this short guide to see the advantages of keeping Google Chrome updated.
5 Reasons Why You Should Update Google Chrome
- Error and Bug fixes. Your present version of Chrome can have bugs or errors, installing the latest updates overwrites these codes
- More compatibility. The internet and the online services are changing every day, Chrome updates keep the browser compatible with the latest services
- Prevents crashes. Chrome crashes at times and SSL connection errors and ‘aw snap’ webpage time-out messages. Updates solve these problems.
- Added features and functions. The developers at Google often integrate newer tools and features to give even better browsing experiences, these are included in the Google Chrome update packages
- New extensions and apps. New add-ons are released every day in Chrome web store, some require the latest version of Chrome to be installed
These were just some of the advantages of keeping your Google Chrome browser updated.
Now, if you still are facing the playback id error code when trying to access YouTube complete this next alternate solution.
Reinstall Google Chrome
As updating and clearing browsing data came to no positive use, it’s better to go for a fresh setup of Google Chrome. Your Chrome browser can still have problems after updating, these are bad sectors or bugs from previous updates and old extensions.
Just follow these easy steps to reinstall the web browser. Remember the uninstallation processes in Windows 10 and Windows 7 is a bit different, follow the exact guide as per your installed operating system.
Now let’s take the tutorial for Windows 10 systems.
Reinstalling Google Chrome on Windows 10
- Click on Start and select Settings
- Then select Apps
- Scroll through the list and select Google Chrome
- Now uninstall Google Chrome browser.
Remember to remove all preferences and saved user date
Now that you have removed the Google Chrome browser from your Windows 10 system, let’s move on to downloading it. Just finish the steps below.
- Open Google Chrome downloads page. You can click the link below to do the same
https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/desktop/index.html - After the page loads, click on the ‘Download Chrome’ button. Wait till the download completes
- When downloaded, run the Chrome installer. The software will now connect to the servers to fetch the latest version Chrome for installation
When done installing, log in with your Google ID to import saved bookmarks and apps.
If you are using a Windows 7 or 8 operating system follow the guide below. This absolutely easy and any person can do it.
Reinstalling Google Chrome on Windows 7
If you are not being able to fix the playback id error youtube on your Windows 7 system just complete the guide below to fix the error.
- Click on Start and open Control Panel
- Then click on Uninstall a Program
- Scroll through to look for and select Google Chrome
- Now click on the Uninstall button available just above the list. You can also simply double-click on Google Chrome
- Now remove Chrome from your PC. Remember to remove all preferences and saved user data for complete uninstallation
Now you have successfully removed the Google Chrome web browser from your system. Continue with these last few steps
- Open Google Chrome download page. Just click this link to directly open the required page.
https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/desktop/index.html - Click on ‘Download Chrome’ button and wait for the download to finish
- Run the installer and let the software connect to its servers to get you the latest version of Google Chrome.
After installation completes, just log in to the Google Chrome user profile with your Google account. Now, try streaming a video on YouTube, the playback id error problem is now definitely fixed.
Playback id errors, especially YouTube playback errors can give you a lot of trouble but pretty easy to resolve.
YouTube Playback ID Error Fixed – Final Thoughts
Playback ID error problem is a pretty common issue users face with YouTube streaming. The playback id error message generated can be for a random reason. Check the error code, no two YouTube playback errors codes are the same.
The solutions are also pretty basic, to solve the playback id errors all you need is a good internet connection and some patience. So, I hope this step-by-step tutorial has helped you solve the irritating problem, happy streaming.
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