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Why can't I view videos on Youtube after updating to Firefox 58?

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After updating to Firefox 58 I was no longer able to view videos on Youtube. Whenever I tried to load a video, the video box would have the rotating circular bar in the center to show that it was loading. After waiting for a few seconds a message in transparent text saying "if playback doesn't begin, please restart your device." I've tried restarting. I've tried updating my laptop. I've tried disabling my add-ons. I've also just tried resetting Firefox to its default settings. The only thing that has worked for me is to restart Firefox in safe mode. Can anyone tell me how to fix this issue?

After updating to Firefox 58 I was no longer able to view videos on Youtube. Whenever I tried to load a video, the video box would have the rotating circular bar in the center to show that it was loading. After waiting for a few seconds a message in transparent text saying "if playback doesn't begin, please restart your device." I've tried restarting. I've tried updating my laptop. I've tried disabling my add-ons. I've also just tried resetting Firefox to its default settings. The only thing that has worked for me is to restart Firefox in safe mode. Can anyone tell me how to fix this issue?

Chosen solution

'I found this solution in another feed. It seems to have solved my problem with the streaming video issue.


Chosen solution

Another thing to try : Try disabling graphics hardware acceleration in Firefox. Since this feature was added to Firefox it has gradually improved but there are still a few glitches.

You will need to restart Firefox for this to take effect so save all work first (e.g., mail you are composing, online documents you're editing, etc.,) and then perform these steps:

In Firefox 54 and below:

  Click the menu button New Fx Menu and select Options (Windows) or Preferences (Mac, Linux).
  Select the Advanced panel and the General tab.
  Uncheck Use hardware acceleration when available.
  Close Firefox completely and then restart Firefox to see if the problem persists. 

In Firefox 55 and above:

  Click the menu button New Fx Menu and select Options (Windows) or Preferences (Mac, Linux).
  Select the General panel.
  Under Performance, uncheck Use recommended performance settings. Additional settings will be displayed.
  Fx55Performance-disableHWA
  Uncheck Use hardware acceleration when available.
  Close Firefox completely and then restart Firefox to see if the problem persists. 

Did this fix your problems? Please report back to us!

If the problem is resolved, you should check for updates for your graphics driver by following the steps mentioned in these Knowledge base articles:

  Troubleshoot extensions, themes and hardware acceleration issues to solve common Firefox problems 
  Upgrade your graphics drivers to use hardware acceleration and Web
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All Replies (1)

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Chosen Solution

'I found this solution in another feed. It seems to have solved my problem with the streaming video issue.


Chosen solution

Another thing to try : Try disabling graphics hardware acceleration in Firefox. Since this feature was added to Firefox it has gradually improved but there are still a few glitches.

You will need to restart Firefox for this to take effect so save all work first (e.g., mail you are composing, online documents you're editing, etc.,) and then perform these steps:

In Firefox 54 and below:

  Click the menu button New Fx Menu and select Options (Windows) or Preferences (Mac, Linux).
  Select the Advanced panel and the General tab.
  Uncheck Use hardware acceleration when available.
  Close Firefox completely and then restart Firefox to see if the problem persists. 

In Firefox 55 and above:

  Click the menu button New Fx Menu and select Options (Windows) or Preferences (Mac, Linux).
  Select the General panel.
  Under Performance, uncheck Use recommended performance settings. Additional settings will be displayed.
  Fx55Performance-disableHWA
  Uncheck Use hardware acceleration when available.
  Close Firefox completely and then restart Firefox to see if the problem persists. 

Did this fix your problems? Please report back to us!

If the problem is resolved, you should check for updates for your graphics driver by following the steps mentioned in these Knowledge base articles:

  Troubleshoot extensions, themes and hardware acceleration issues to solve common Firefox problems 
  Upgrade your graphics drivers to use hardware acceleration and Web