Course Taking Issues

If you’re encountering audio or video issues while attempting to watch a course on a browser, this article explains various ways to troubleshoot these problems. Our Support Team will also follow this guide when responding to inquiries regarding video playback. 

Please note:

• A broadband connection with a minimum speed of 5 Mbps is required to watch a Udemy Business course on your device. Review the rest of our system requirements.
• If you're unable to update or modify any settings in your browser, please contact your IT department.
• Need course help? Learn how to troubleshoot course issues.
• Leadership Academy learners: Encountering video playback issues on our cohort learning platform? Review these troubleshooting steps.

How to check if your playback environment’s causing the issue

To determine whether your device, settings or internet connection may be causing the problem, while accessing Udemy Business on a browser, please do to the following:

• Check your network configuration by using Udemy’s system check and follow any troubleshooting steps that are recommended. Please note that the system check is hosted on Udemy.com and externally from your Udemy Business account. You do not need to create a Udemy marketplace account in order to use the tool.
• Try watching another lecture or course.

If you’re able to watch other lectures without any problems, this may indicate there is a technical issue with the original video. Please contact support so our team can investigate further and report the issue.

If you’re encountering playback issues with other lectures, however, then please try the applicable troubleshooting steps below. 

Troubleshooting playback issues on your device’s built-in screen

If you’ve determined the problem is due to an issue with your device’s built-in screen, please do the following:

1. Try watching the original lecture in an incognito window.

2. If the video plays without issue, try checking your extension, plugin or firewall program on your device to see if it needs to be reconfigured or disabled.  

3. If you’re encountering the issue while watching the video on your company’s network, try watching the video on a non-company network instead. If you’re able to watch the video without any issue, please report the issue to your company’s IT team.

4. Try a different browser. If you’re not already using Google Chrome, we recommend using it, as we’ve found it works best to watch Udemy courses. 

5. Clear your browser's cookies and cache and restart it before trying again. 

6. If you have a lot of browser tabs open, close most of them except the one you’re using to watch the course.

7. Check your browser version and update it if needed. 

8. A minimum internet speed of 5 Mbps is required to watch a Udemy Business course on your device. Test your internet connection speed to make sure your environment meets this and that your system meets our requirements.  If your internet speed is low, try lowering the video quality of the lecture, or watching the course during non-peak hours when your internet connection is stronger.

9. Turn off any hardware acceleration on your browser. Note: We recommend consulting with your organization’s IT department prior to doing so.

10. Restart your computer and network devices (modems/switches/routers).

11. In the interim, try watching it offline or on the mobile app.

Limitations for virtual environments

Video playback of Udemy content over virtual environments such as Virtual Network Computing (VNC) or other remote desktop software may not be supported by your VNC or remote desktop software. However, we have found that if you're using a virtual environment, enabling Browser Redirection to your local computer may address the issue.

Troubleshooting playback issues on an external screen

External screen connected to your device through a cable:

1. Ensure you’re using a cable that’s compatible with your device.
2. Check that the cable is connected to your device correctly and that the cable is not damaged.
3. If after confirming your cable is not causing the problem, you continue to encounter issues, please also follow the troubleshooting steps above for your device’s built in screen.

External screen connected via a remote desktop client:

1. Follow the troubleshooting steps outlined for playback issues with your device’s built-in screen, including, turning off any hardware acceleration on your browser. 

• • Note: Please consult with your organization’s IT department prior to disabling your browser’s hardware acceleration, and afterwards, if you continue to encounter issues. 

Connected to a docking station:

Udemy Business does not support video playback on externally connected monitors via docking stations.

However, we have found that video playback should function when plugging in a connector cord, such as an HDMI cable, directly from the monitor to your device. For example, without the use of ports or docking stations. In some cases, disabling hardware acceleration in the browser might resolve the issue.

Encountering audio issues? 

If you can’t hear any audio, double check to see that the course player volume is turned up and that the video is not muted. Check the sound settings on your device.

Are you encountering a “Problem with your system settings” error notification?

Learn how to resolve the “Problem with your system settings” error.

If you’re encountering video issues while attempting to watch a course on a browser, one of the troubleshooting steps we recommend is to disable hardware acceleration that is installed. Please note that we recommend consulting with your organization’s IT department before doing so.

• Review additional troubleshooting steps to resolve video playback issues.

How to disable hardware acceleration on your browser

The instructions below outline how to disable hardware acceleration on either a Google Chrome or Firefox browser. 

• Please note: we recommend consulting with your organization’s IT department before doing so.

Disabling hardware acceleration in Google Chrome:

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Click Chrome > Preferences.
3. Click on "Systems" on the left-hand side to find hardware acceleration. The hardware acceleration option may be referred to as “graphics acceleration”. 
4. Uncheck "Use hardware acceleration when available" or “Use graphics acceleration when available” and restart Google Chrome. 

Disabling hardware acceleration in Firefox:

1. Open Mozilla Firefox; click on the Firefox menu button and select "Settings".
2. On the "General" tab, scroll down to "Performance". Make sure the "Use recommended performance settings" checkbox is disabled and disable the "Use hardware acceleration when available" option.
3. Restart the browser.

If you are accessing the courses via Safari: 

Unfortunately, Safari does not allow users to turn hardware acceleration on and off. If you’re not already using Google Chrome, we recommend using it, as we’ve found it works best to watch Udemy courses. 

This article outlines troubleshooting steps you can take if you’re encountering an error notification while viewing courses, which states there is a problem with your system settings.

• Are you encountering other video playback issues? Please follow these troubleshooting steps.

How to resolve the  “Problem with your system settings” error

If you’re encountering the “Problem with your system settings” error notification, please follow the steps below. Note: Depending on your device settings and permissions, you may need to contact your organization’s IT team for assistance.

1. Update your browser to ensure you’re using the latest version.
2. If you’re on Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge, please verify that you are allowing protected content to play on your device. If any of these settings are disabled, then once enabled, clear your browser’s cache once more prior to checking if video content will now load.

• • Learn how Chrome users can manage protected content. You must allow sites to play protected content. If you are using Google Chrome in a Windows environment, you will also need to allow sites to identify your device.
  • Learn how Firefox users can manage protected content. The Widevine Content Decryption Module provided by Google Inc. must be set to ‘Always activate’.
  • Edge users can navigate to edge://settings/content/protectedContent and ensure that both settings for playing protected content and identifiers for protected content are toggled to the ‘On’ position.

If you're using a supported version of Chrome or Edge, and the above steps don’t resolve the issue, please do the following:

1. If you’re using Chrome, enter chrome://components/ into the URL bar at the top of your browser. Enter edge://components/ if you’re using Edge.
2. Next, navigate to Widevine Content Decryption Module.
3. Update the Widevine Content Decryption Module to ensure you have the latest version.