Netflix, being the most veteran streaming service ever available, is almost always the first go-to option to fuel yourself up after a completely tired and pushy day. And there’s, of course, nothing more frustrating than knowing Netflix is not working on your laptop.

Well, because nothing happens without a reason, there may definitely be a motive for this as well. So what might that glitch be? And how to fix the scenario then? Let’s explore the answers in detail below.

Why is Netflix Not Working on My Laptop?

There may be countless reasons why Netflix might cease to work but some of the most common and widely encountered causes for Netflix not working on your laptop include:

1. An outdated or somehow corrupted Netflix app
2. Poor internet connectivity
3. Outdated or non-compatible device drivers – particularly network and graphics drivers
4. Incorrect date, time, and region settings on your laptop
5. Some soft conflict between your device’s OS and the app
6. Netflix app might have got blocked from using your laptop’s graphics chip
7. Drastic DNS cache and Microsoft PlayReady files buildup
8. Lots of pending cumulative OS updates
9. Your Netflix account might be wanting a reboot – sign out and try a fresh login back
10. Netflix servers may be down countrywide.

How to Fix Netflix Not Working on Windows 10 Laptop?

So as we now know all the most possible reasons why Netflix may open up to a black screen or show error codes on your laptop, let’s check out how can such a scenario be fixed.

Note though, if you haven’t given your laptop a fresh reboot, lately, simply restarting it may also solve such issues by flushing out all the customary system bugs which accrued because your OS is running beak-free 24-7. Also, restart the Netflix app as well. If that doesn’t work, proceed down.

#1. Try Updating the Netflix App

There may be some sort of file corruption or your Netflix app may possibly be gasping for updates if it has started showing glitches of late. Here’s what to do:

1. Press the Windows logo key, type Microsoft Store in the search bar, and hit Enter to launch the app.
2. Tap on Library from the left-side panel inside the (store) app. (If you’ve an older version of Microsoft Store, you can click on three horizontal dots on the top right corner of the app window and select Downloads and updates).
3. Therein, you can check for and update all your installed apps. Check out the Netflix app in the list and see if it says “Update available”. If yes, hit the Update button, let the process complete, and then see if the issue is resolved.

#2. Make Sure Your Internet Connection is OK

Sometimes, the issue may happen because of a slow broadband speed impeding your device’s communication with Netflix servers. Check out and ensure that’s not the issue on your end. To be on a much safer side, you may be better off completely restarting your network.

To do so, simply unplug your WiFi router/modem and let it rest, and repose for a couple of minutes. Set things up back again and see if Netflix got well and running now.

#3. Keep Your Device Drivers and OS Updated

Make sure your Windows is up-to-date by going to your device’s Settings menu (press Windows logo + I both keys at once) and selecting Update & Security next. If you see some pending updates there, make them not wait anymore by initiating the update process.

You may also need to check your display and network drivers for updates. Here’s how:

1. Press the Windows logo + X both keys at once and select Device Manager from the list.
2. Therein, first, navigate to Display adapters, double-tap to expand it, right-click on what drops down (your display driver), and select “Update driver”.
3. Secondly, also seek out Network adapters in the main Device Manager interface and repeat Step 2 to do that respective update as well.

You can easily learn how exactly the complete process of driver update goes through by looking at some other posts, for example, this (how to fix weak WiFi signal on HP laptop) – Method 4 here, to be precise.

#4. Confirm that Your Device’s Date/Time/Region Settings Are Correct

A disruption in your laptop’s date, time, and time zone (which may happen due to whatever reason) may also create certification and other such conflicts ultimately blocking you from visiting some websites.

Check if all these settings are correct on your device. If not, that might highly likely be the reason for Netflix not working on your Windows 10 laptop. You can easily put right your date, time, and region settings from the Control Panel menu or your system settings as well.

Once everything gets correct, go and check if the Netflix issue is resolved. If not, proceed down.

#5. Perform the Windows Advanced Netflix App Reset

Follow the steps given below:

1. Go to your System Settings (press Windows logo + I at once) and select Apps from the main menu.
2. Next up, navigate to Netflix in the list of apps found (or simply search it using the box placed above), tap on it, and click Advanced options.
3. You can then find these three options on the next screen: Terminate, Reset, Uninstall. Read the descriptions under each one to know what option does what and tap the one you deem appropriate.

For the scenario in question, I’d recommend going for the Reset option. Or go with the option you think might work well for you then.

#6. Run the Corresponding Windows Troubleshooter

If this also doesn’t seem to work for you, try running the Windows troubleshooter. Here’s how:

1. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot (from the left pane).
2. Click on Additional troubleshooters on the right side.
3. On the next interface, navigate to the very bottom of the page and find out Windows Store Apps.
4. Tap on it and hit the Run the troubleshooter button.
5. Windows will automatically troubleshoot for potential bugs and glitches and will prompt you to the necessary actions required.

Hopefully, this may absolutely solve the scenario for you, and Netflix may start working well on your laptop.

#7. Let Netflix has Access to Your GPU on Priority Basis

1. Go to your Settings menu and select System.
2. Glide the slider on the right-most side of the screen and click on Graphics settings on the bottom of the screen (make sure Display is selected on the left pane).
3. Select Universal app using the dropdown box under Choose an app to set preference and select Netflix in the next box.
4. Tap the Add button placed under that box.
5. Finally, when the Options button shows up, tap on it, check High performance in the next box and click Save.

You may hopefully get the Netflix crashing and not working issue fixed now.

#8. Try Flushing Out DNS Cache and Changing the DNS Server Address

Let’s see if tweaking the IP addresses storage location works.

1. Press the Windows logo key, type cmd in the search bar, and open Command Prompt by clicking Run as administrator.
2. First, type ipconfig/flushdns and hit Enter. Next up, type netsh winsock reset and hit Enter again.
3. When the success messages appear, come out, and reboot your Netflix app. It may go fine now.

To Change the DNS Server Address:

Go to Settings > Network & Internet > click “Network and Sharing Centre” on the bottom of page > select your WiFi and click “Properties” > select “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” from the list and click “Properties” again > check “Use the following DNS server addresses” and enter 8.8.8.8 in the box before Preferred DNS server, whereas 8.8.4.4 in the Alternate DNS server box. Make sure to save the changes and come out.

#9. Wipe Out All Existing Microsoft PlayReady Files

1. Press the Windows logo + E both keys at once to open File Explorer.
2. Select your main system drive i.e. disk (C:).
3. Utilizing the search box at the top right corner, search for mspr.hds.

When the search finishes and a list of files appear, select all of them and hit the Delete button. Reboot all over again and see if Netflix is working now.

#10. Check for Netflix Server Letdowns or Issues with Your Account

Lastly, if nothing worked, you may want to check out if it’s only you who’s facing the issues or the whole service is down countrywide due to some technical defects. You can find that out utilizing the Netflix help center page.

If the issue is only with you, try a fresh login to your account or simply uninstall and reinstall the app from scratch. I hope that may work for you.

Final Thoughts

Netflix crashing and not working properly is pretty much one of the most common issues for laptop users, especially for those on Windows 10. But if you have a clear understanding of what typically causes this mishap to happen, you can get things fixed absolutely within seconds.

This article gives you in-depth knowledge regarding the most possible and weightiest causes even such a biggie streaming service may stop working on your laptop. Besides, there are ten sure-fire fixes for such a scenario given above as well.

Read it all and let me know if you finally got the answer to that long-overdue question “why is Netflix not working on my laptop?”. And if you still have some confusion in mind, feel free to catch up in the comments below.