[5 Fixes] ‘Can’t play video and audio content’ Error (0x887c0032)

Several users have been reaching us with repair strategies after getting the “Can’t Play (0x887c0032) error message” whenever they try to play a video or audio file through the Movies & TV app, Media Player or Groove. The issue doesn’t seem to be exclusive to a particular Windows version since it’s also encountered on Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10.

What is causing the Can’t Play Error Code 0x887c0032?

We investigated this particular issue by looking at various user reports and the repair strategies that are commonly being used to fix this particular error message. As it turns out, there are several different culprits that might be causing this error message:

Method 1: Performing a restart

As it turns out, the simplest fix is also one of the most efficient methods for the Error Code 0x887c0032. Most affected users encountering this issue have reported that they managed to fix the problem by simply performing a restart.

A restart will resolve the issue if one of the following scenarios is applicable:

• The opened file no longer exists or has been renamed
• The opened file is temporarily unavailable due to maintenance, upgrades or other causes.
• The opened file has been moved to a different location

But keep in mind that even if this works, it’s only a temporary workaround – chances are the issue will return at a later date. So if you’re looking for a quick and painless fix, simply restart your machine and see if you can play videos and audio files without getting the Error Code 0x887c0032 once the next startup sequence is complete.

If you’re still getting the issue or you’re looking for a permanent fix, move down to the next method below.

Method 2: Restarting the Windows Audio Endpoint Builder service

Another potential culprit that is reported fairly commonly is the Windows Audio Endpoint Builder. As it turns out, this service has the tendency to glitch and refuse to provide the necessary dependencies required for video & audio playback.  This is confirmed to occur on Windows 7 and Windows 10.

Several affected users have reported that they managed to resolve the issue by accessing the Services tab and restarting the Windows Audio Endpoint Builder forcibly. Here’s a quick guide on how to do this:

1. Press Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog box. Then, type “services.msc” and press Enter to open up the Services window. When you see the UAC (User Account Control) window, click Yes to grant administrative access.

   

2. Once you’re inside the Services screen, scroll down through the list of services and locate Windows Audio Endpoint Builder. Once you see it, right-click on it and choose Properties from the context menu.
3. Once you’re inside the properties screen, go to the General tab and click on Stop (under Service Startup) to close the Windows Audio Endpoint Builder service.
4. Then, once the Start button becomes available, click on it to Restart the service once again.
5. Close the Services screen and see if the issue has been resolved.

If you’re still encountering the same Error Code 0x887c0032, move down to the next method below.

Method 3: Resetting the app that is causing the issue (if applicable)

If you’re only seeing the Error Code 0x887c0032 with a particular application (Movies & TV app, Media Player or Groove) on Windows 10, chances are you’re actually dealing with a corrupted application. This is only reported to occur on Windows 10, with a handful of UWP (Universal Windows Platform) applications.

Several affected users have reported that they managed to fix this particular issue by resetting the application that was triggering the error message. Here’s a quick guide on how to reset the culprit app from the Settings menu:

1. Press Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog box. Then, type “ms-settings:appsfeatures” and press Enter to open up the Apps & Features screen of the Settings app.
2. Once you’re inside the Apps & Features tab, scroll down through the list of installed UWP applications and locate the app that is causing the issue.
3. Once you see it, click on it once and then click on Advanced options.
4. Inside the Properties screen of the affected application, scroll down to the Reset tab and click on Reset. Then, click Reset at the confirmation prompt once again to reset the app.
   Note: This procedure will clear the cache and delete any files that came after the initial installation, without uninstalling the app.
5. Restart your computer and see if the issue has been resolved once the next startup sequence is complete.

   

Method 4: Updating the video card drivers

As it turns out, a frequent cause of the Error Code 0x887c0032 is an improper or corrupted GPU driver. This can cause issues with every video playback attempt. If you’re encountering the error message with more than one playback application, the chances of having a problem with your graphics card driver are high.

Several users that have also encountered this issue have reported that they manage to fix the problem by using Device Manager to uninstall the current driver. Then, they either use WU (Windows Update) to install a clean driver or they relied on proprietary manufacturer software to install the latest driver version available.

Here’s a quick guide on uninstalling improper drivers and updating the GPU drivers the latest ones available:

1. Press Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog box. Then, type “devmgmt.msc” and press Enter to open up Device Manager. If you’re prompted by the UAC (User Account Control), click Yes to grant administrative privileges.
2. Once you’re inside Device Manager, scroll down through the list of devices and expand the drop-down menu associated with Display Adapters. Then, right-click on the GPU that you’re actively using when the Error Code 0x887c0032 appears and choose Properties from the context menu.
3. When you’re inside the Properties menu of your GPU, select the Driver tab from the top of the window, then click on Update Driver.
4. From the next screen, click on Search automatically for updated driver software and see if the WU (Windows Update) component manages to find an updated version of the current GPU driver.
   Note: If a new version is installed, restart your computer and see if the issue has been resolved at the next startup sequence.
5. If WU didn’t manage to find a new version for your GPU, return to the Driver tab and click on Uninstall Device. Then, click Uninstall once again to complete the uninstallation.
6. Restart your computer and wait for the next startup sequence to complete. When the procedure is complete, download, install and use one of the following proprietary GPU updating software
   GeForce Experience – Nvidia
   Adrenalin – AMD
   Intel Driver – Intel
   Note: These applications will automatically identify and install the latest correct driver version.

If you’re still encountering the Error Code 0x887c0032 even after ensuring that you’re using the latest possible GPU driver available for your graphics card, move down to the next method below.

Method 5: Using a different video player

If none of the fixes above have allowed you to resolve the issue, let’s see if a 3rd party software is capable of mitigating the error. Several affected users have reported that the issue stopped occurring once they made the transition to a 3rd party video player like VCL.

Here’s a quick guide on installing and using VCL media player to avoid the Error Code 0x887c0032:

1. Open your browser and navigate to this link (here). Once you get there, click on Download VLC to download the latest version.
    

2. 

3. Once the downloaded executable is fully downloaded, double-click on it and follow the on-screen prompts to install the 3rd party media player.

   

4. Once the installation is complete, close the installer. Then, navigate to the video/audio file that was previously failing, right-click on it and choose Open With > VLC Media Player.

   

5. If you have no issues playing video & audio content with a 3rd party utility, continue to do while staying away from the built-in applications that are causing the issues.