Alex Ruben
How To Fix Video Stuttering and Lagging Issues in Windows 11/10
If videos keep jumping, stuttering, or just won’t play smoothly, it’s totally annoying — especially when you’re trying to binge something or get work done. Sometimes it’s just a matter of tweaking a few settings or running some built-in tools. This guide covers different ways to troubleshoot and hopefully fix those pesky video playback hiccups on Windows 11 or 10. The goal is to get smoother video, whether you’re streaming online, playing local files, or using media apps.
How to Fix Video Playback Problems in Windows 11/10
Method 1: Use the Built-In Troubleshooter for Video Playback
Windows has a pretty decent troubleshooter, and it can sometimes identify what’s causing your video stuttering. It’s worth a shot first because it often detects issues with display drivers, playback settings, or network problems. Plus, it’s super easy to run:
- Head into Settings by clicking the Start menu or pressing Windows + I.
- Go to System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
- Scroll down to find Video Playback — or it might be called something similar like Video & Sound.
Click the Run button next to it.
This kicks off a scan that can pinpoint driver or configuration issues. Not sure why it works sometimes, but on one setup it caught a corrupted driver, on another… not so much. Least it’s quick to try.
Method 2: Check and Update Graphics Drivers Manually
If the troubleshooter doesn’t do the trick, outdated or buggy graphics drivers are usually the culprit. Since Windows auto-updates drivers, but sometimes they lag behind or get corrupted, updating can fix this:
- Right-click on the Start button and pick Device Manager.
- Expand the Display adapters section.
- Right-click your graphics card (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel) and choose Update driver.
- Pick Search automatically for drivers. If Windows finds an update, install it—then restart.
For more control, or if Windows doesn’t find anything, head over to your GPU manufacturer’s site (like [NVIDIA](https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx), [AMD](https://www.amd.com/en/support), or your laptop/pci card manufacturer’s page). Download and install the latest driver version manually. It sounds obvious, but updating drivers often fixes flickering, stuttering, or lagging.
Method 3: Adjust Video Settings & Power Settings
Sometimes Windows or app settings are to blame. Here’s where you can fiddle around:
- Go to Settings > System > Display. Then, look for Graphics or Graphics settings.
- Under Graphics performance preference, pick the app you’re using (like VLC, YouTube, or Netflix) and set it to High performance. This forces Windows to prioritize your GPU for that app.
- Alternatively, open Control Panel > Power Options and set the power plan to High performance. Game mode can help too, so toggle that on in Settings > Gaming
On some machines this fails the first time, then suddenly works after a reboot. Weird, but worth a shot.
Method 4: Tweak Streaming Settings for Smoother Playback
If your problems happen mostly online — like buffering or lag on streaming sites — try turning on network options that reduce bandwidth hogging:
- In Settings, go to Apps > Video Playback or look for Streaming Settings.
- Enable options like Save network bandwidth or Limit data usage for streaming apps. These often throttle background activity and can help videos buffer less.
Again, these are kinda like Band-Aid fixes, but they do make a difference sometimes when your network is flaky.
Extra Tips & Common Issues
- Make sure Windows is fully updated — go to Settings > Windows Update and install everything available.
- Update your graphics driver, as mentioned above. Even a slightly outdated driver can cause major headaches with video playback.
- Close background apps that might be hogging CPU/RAM, like browsers with many tabs open or streaming downloads.
Wrap-up
Once all that’s done, your videos should play a lot smoother. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of a few tweaks, or rebooting after updates. Not exactly rocket science, but Windows can make it harder than it needs to be. Still, resolving these issues is often simpler than expected.
Summary
- Run the built-in troubleshooter for quick diagnostics.
- Update your graphics drivers manually or from manufacturer’s site.
- Adjust display, graphics, and power settings for better performance.
- Try tweaking streaming options if watching online.
- Keep Windows updated and close unnecessary apps.
Final thoughts
Hopefully, some of these tips help improve your video playback. It’s kind of annoying when issues persist, but with a bit of troubleshooting, they usually get fixed. Sometimes it’s just a driver update, other times it’s system settings, but don’t give up. Fingers crossed this helps — worked for me on a bunch of machines, so maybe it’ll do the same for yours.