Certain ads freeze videos in MSN

Mark Heath 0 Reputation points
2026-08-15T14:55:17.79+00:00

Some ads (most notably an Oliver's ad) say "Video will play after ad" but the ad doesn't play and the video never resumes. This occurs on two different computers, one running Windows 10 and the other Windows 11, and in both Edge and Chrome. How do I fix this?

Microsoft Edge | Audio and video playback | Windows 11
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  1. Paulo GM 70,980 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-08-15T18:11:59.8866667+00:00

    You're welcome. Just let me know how it goes.

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  3. Paulo GM 70,980 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-08-15T17:17:09.4633333+00:00

    I see. Since you’re not currently using an ad blocker and are still experiencing the issue, then try installing one instead to see if it removes/skip the ads which may prevent the videos to freeze. I suggest you try this one.

    https://microsoftedge.microsoft.com/addons/detail/ublock-origin/odfafepnkmbhccpbejgmiehpchacaeak

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  4. Paulo GM 70,980 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-08-15T15:56:58.7666667+00:00

    Hi,

    You’re not the only one experiencing this issue. It appears to be a problem on MSN's side, as the same thing is happening on Mac and across different browsers. That said, do you have an ad blocker? Try disabling it and see if it helps.

    In the meantime, you may check these threads similar to your issue.

    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5633145/why-does-edge-freeze-on-adverts

    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5738939/why-do-msn-videos-stop-go-black-screen-at-ads

    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5660927/videos-run-from-the-msn-com-site-lock-up-after-pla

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  5. AI answer

    2026-08-15T14:55:29.6366667+00:00

    This usually happens because the ad is being blocked or failing to load, which causes the MSN video player to stall at "Video will play after ad" instead of resuming the news video. Since it happens on both Windows 10 and Windows 11, and in both Edge and Chrome, focus on ad delivery interference and local browser data first.

    Try these steps in order:

    1. Disable ad blockers and privacy extensions for msn.com Extensions or built-in tracking protections can interfere with ad delivery. Temporarily disable them for MSN, then refresh the page and test the same video again.
    2. Clear browser cache and cookies for MSN Corrupted cached site data can prevent the ad or player from loading correctly. After clearing MSN-related cache and cookies, restart the browser and test again.
    3. Test in a private/incognito window If the video works there, the issue is likely caused by an extension or stored browser data in the normal profile.
    4. Make sure the browser is fully up to date Update Edge and Chrome, then retest.
    5. If the problem appears only in Edge, check video playback settings
      • Open edge://settings/system
      • Make sure Use graphics acceleration when available is turned on
      • Restart Edge
      • Open edge://gpu and confirm Video Decode shows Hardware accelerated
    6. If video playback is generally unstable in Windows, check Windows video playback settings Go to Settings > Apps > Video playback.
    7. If multiple monitors are connected, make sure they use the same refresh rate Different refresh rates can cause video playback to stall or repeatedly start and stop.

    If the same MSN videos fail after disabling extensions, clearing site data, and testing across browsers and devices, that points more strongly to an MSN ad delivery problem than to an Edge or Windows setting.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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