3 Quick Ways to Fix DirecTV Player When it's Not Working

If your DirecTV Player isn't working anymore, follow the steps below

Reading time icon 5 min. read


Readers help support Windows Report. We may get a commission if you buy through our links. Tooltip Icon

Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help Windows Report sustain the editorial team. Read more

Key notes

  • If you can't watch DirecTV on the computer, the answer is probably plugin and cache issues.
  • Quickly solve the DirecTV player if it won't install on the device by clearing the browser data.
  • Deleting the cookies will also quickly eliminate the DirecTV not working on your computer.
  • One last thing you can do is switch to another faster, better, and bug-free browser. 
fix directv issues

DirecTV is an excellent TV service offering thousands of channels and many other excellent features for you and your family.

The direct broadcast satellite service is number one in features and functionality in America, including RVU services compatible with smart TVs, recording, re-watching, and much more.

Enjoying your free time with your family has never been easier thanks to this service, which is compatible with most devices, offering your children movies, shows, sports, and cartoons.

Even better is that the service is available for multiple platforms, not just TVs. This means you can watch your favorite shows on a PC, tablet, or laptop.

Why does the DIRECTV player not work?

Several DirecTV users running the latest Windows 10 complain that they can’t watch the shows in the service or the app stops working several times a day.

If any of these sound familiar to you, here are some quick solutions you can try:

  • Check for software updates and install them accordingly (Feel free to use specialized driver updater software that automatically handles this task for you).
  • Close all other programs that may be running in the background.
  • Clear the cookies and cache on your browser (While you’re at it, ensure the browser does not block pop-ups and cookies altogether).
  • Restart or reset your current browser. Alternatively, you can try a different browser.
  • Restart the DirecTV app/DirecTV player or uninstall and reinstall it if the first attempt does not work.

If you can also not watch DirecTV on your device, don’t imagine it is incompatible with Windows 10.

This post will offer a few workable methods to change that, so we invite you to follow them in the given order.

Can I watch DirecTV on my laptop away from home?

The company responsible for the product has changed some things regarding streaming, so keep that in mind.

Only mobile devices can stream DVR content outside of the home. Why do you ask? The reason is that your mobile device is registered to your receiver, while the computer is not. 

This is precisely why your computer needs to be on the same network as your receiver, just so there is no confusion.

Quick Tip:

Use an alternative if you don’t want to troubleshoot your current browser. A good option that is known to have a minimal error rate is Opera One.

Opera One is private, performance-driven, and optimized for playing videos and streaming without buffering, lags, or interruption. Its integrated VPN lets you access content from anywhere in the world.

Opera One

Enjoy unlimited DirecTV streaming with this fast and secure browser!

How do I fix the DirecTV player when it’s not working?

1. Restart your device

  1. Press the Windows Key and bring up the Start Menu.
  2. Click the Power button.

  3. Select Restart and let your PC finish the process.
  4. After the computer is back on, check to see if this has fixed the DirecTV issue.

If your DirecTV player won’t download or install, don’t think of the worst and try out a simple restart procedure first.

Your device will reboot next. If you have any open programs, chances are you’ll be prompted to close them before the power gets interrupted.

2. Delete cookies on your Windows 10 device

  1. Open the menu in the top right corner—click Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy and Security and select Cookies and other site data.
  3. Delete your cookies and try again.
  4. If that does not work, open Settings.
  5. Scroll down to the Privacy & Security section and select Clear browsing data.
  6. Then hit Clear Data.
Note icon NOTE
The steps above apply only if the DirecTV player is not working on Google Chrome. They might vary slightly depending on your browser.

Don’t fool yourself into thinking that cookies are the same as your cache or browser history. While cache temporarily stores web documents, cookies store your information.

Even if the purpose is to create a personalized experience, there are also times when clearing browsing data is inevitable.

You may also delete browsing history and cookies from Control Panel.

  1. Go to Control Panel.
  2. Select Network and Internet.
  3. Then, click Delete browsing history and cookies and follow the given prompts.

3. Enable plugins to run on your browser

  1. In the address bar, on the right-hand side, you’ll see a small icon that looks like a shield popping up.
  2. Click on it right away and select Manage exceptions.

Other users describe another working solution that you may consider as well. For example, most web browsers these days load Flash and other plugin content the second you open a web page.

However, a little interference from your part is sometimes needed, so make sure to allow plugins to run on your browser, too.

The steps above apply to the IE browser. In the case of using a newer version of Google Chrome, for example, you may find a similar setting called Let me choose when to run plugin content.

Restarting your router/modem and completely reinstalling DirecTV from scratch are options.

Now, if you want to install a DirecTV player, or can’t watch DirecTV on your computer, or the DirecTV video player is not working, you better understand the situation.

You might also encounter annoying situations when the DirecTV player is not working on Chrome, the DirecTV player is not working on Firestick, or YouTube is not working on DirecTV.

We hope that by following these procedures, you managed to fix the DirecTV issues in Windows 10. Also, let us know if you have other suggestions for readers experiencing the same problem.

User forum

2 messages