A video won't play or display properly on TUAW

Ah, those darn videos. Sometimes they won’t display properly or won’t even play at all. Frustrating, we know. Keep on reading for solutions to your problem. Let’s get you fixed up and back to watching.

First things first: restart your computer. This usually resolves a ton of issues, especially if your computer is running low on memory (which can cause video playback to suffer or fail entirely).

If you're still having problems after a restart you may need to install or update Adobe Flash Player. We try to use HTML 5 video wherever possible to provide the best experience for our iOS-based readers, but in some cases only Flash is available.

Choose your web browser below for instructions on how to install Adobe Flash Player:

• Microsoft Internet Explorer
• Mozilla Firefox
• Google Chrome
• Apple Safari

Microsoft Internet Explorer

1. Visit get.adobe.com/flashplayer.
2. Click Download Now.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions: wait for the information bar to appear, click it and then select Install ActiveX Control. Then click Install. The Adobe Download Manager and Flash Player Installer will appear.
4. Follow the instructions within to install Adobe Flash Player.
5. Once you’re finished, open Internet Explorer and return to the video you were trying to watch. It should now play properly.

Mozilla Firefox

1. Visit get.adobe.com/flashplayer.
2. Click Download Now.
3. The download will automatically start. Once it’s finished, double-click the install_flash_player.exe file and click OK.
4. A Windows Security Warning may display, asking you if you’re sure you want to run the install file. Click Run.
5. The Adobe Flash Player Installer will display. Accept the license agreement by checking the check box and then click Install.
6. Continue with the installation until it’s finished.

Google Chrome

Adobe Flash Player comes pre-installed with Google Chrome. So, chances are if you’re using Google Chrome, you should have the latest version.

To be absolutely sure your version of Chrome is updated, click the Wrench icon and select About Google Chrome. A new window will display informing you if Chrome is up-to-date. If it’s not, click Update. It’ll automatically update and then prompt you to restart. Once you’ve done so, you should be all set. Navigate back to the video you were trying to play, refresh the page and enjoy!

Apple Safari

1. Visit get.adobe.com/flashplayer.
2. Click Download Now. The download will automatically start.
3. Once it’s finished, double-click the install_flash_player.exe file and click OK.
4. A Windows Security Warning may display asking you if you’re sure you want to run the install file. Click Run.
5. The Adobe Flash Player Installer will display. Accept the license agreement by checking the check box and then click Install.
6. Continue with the installation until it’s finished.

Note: If you’re still having issues playing videos, you might be experiencing an issue with your graphics card. Check to see if you have the most up-to-date drivers installed -- the best and fastest way to do so would be to contact your graphics card manufacturer or visit its website.