Microsoft Edge is causing major headaches for many users, who have suddenly found themselves unable to watch YouTube videos in the newly released Chromium-based browser.
The problem seems to occur when a user is also running either AdBlock or AdBlock Plus. As 9to5Google reports, this combination throws up a black screen when you attempt to play a video, with the warning message: "An error occurred. Please try again later."
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Microsoft has accepted responsibility for the bug, and has published a blog post to let Edge users know it's working on a fix. For the time being, it advises disabling AdBlock as a temporary workaround.
"We’d love to know if you’re seeing this error message but not using an Adblock extension, or if the above workaround doesn’t resolve the error," said program manager and community manager Fawkes.
"If so, please submit feedback through Microsoft Edge by holding down Shift+Alt+I within the browser, or navigating to the '…' menu, selecting 'Help and feedback', then choosing 'Send feedback'. Please include a detailed description of what you’re encountering, and select the checkbox to include diagnostic data."
Living on the edge
One of Edge's main selling points is its ability to run extensions like AdBlock that were originally designed for Chrome, so it's good to see Microsoft taking action so quickly – particularly since some of its ads for Edge have rubbed users up the wrong way.
In April, Edge ads began appearing on the Outlook.com website, extolling the browser's virtues to anyone using Microsoft's email service, and more recently, Windows users noticed ads for Edge in the results panel that appears when they use the search box in the taskbar. Microsoft has also targeted Firefox users, suggesting they take Edge for a spin instead.
Many Windows users found these ads intrusive, but Microsoft's willingness to accept and act on feedback may encourage them to give the new browser a try.
- Check out our complete guide to the best browsers of 2020
