How to Fix Disney Plus ‘Error Code 42’
Some Disney Plus users are encountering the ‘Error Code 42′ while attempting to stream content. For the vast majority of users that are dealing with this problem, the issue is intermittent.
As it turns out, there are several different causes that might trigger this particular error code. Here’s a shortlist of potential causes that will trigger the ‘error code 42’ with Disney+:
- Audio Only glitch – According to a lot of Disney Plus users, the streaming service is still plagued by a weird glitch where only the audio works while the screen remains black (eventually this error code pops up). This particular problem can typically be resolved by restarting the device that’s streaming the content on Disney.
- Disney+ Server issues – It’s also possible that a server issue is determining this particular error code. In this case, all you can do is identify the issue and wait for the developers to fix the issue.
- Insufficient Internet bandwidth – As the error message states, this problem is often associated with insufficient bandwidth to sustain the streaming job. You need to make sure that you have at least 5 Mbps for regular resolution and 25 Mbps for 4k streaming.
- TCP or IP Inconsistency – If this problem is caused by a problem with the IP or TCP values assigned by your router, you should be able to fix the error code either by rebooting or resetting your router.
Method 1: Refresh the streaming attempt
If this issue is intermittent for you and on top of this error, you also encounter situations where only the audio plays, it’s possible that your Internet connection barely meets the minimum requirements that Disney+ expects.
Some users that encountered the same problem have managed to fix this problem simply by closing the Disney+ browser tab or power-cycling the device where you’re streaming Disney+.
- On Apple TV, you can do this by going to Settings > System and then clicking on Restart.
Restarting Apple TV - On Android TV, use the main dashboard to access the Settings tab. Next, access the About tab and use the Restart button from the Power menu.
Restarting Android TV - On a mobile Android device, hold the power button to bring up the power menu. Next, from the list of available options, choose Restart and wait for your device to boot back up.
Restarting Android Device - On a mobile iOS device, press and hold any of the volume buttons until you see the power off slider appearing. Next, drag the power slider all the way to the right and wait for your device to turn off. Once the device no longer shows signs of life, turn it back on normally.
Restarting iOS device - On Windows, click on the start button (top-left corner) and click on the power icon from the list of available options. Next, choose Restart and wait for your computer to boot back up.
Restarting the Windows computer
After you do this, it might help to disconnect any non-essential devices that are currently slowing down your internet connection.
Next, open Disney+ again and initiate streaming to see if you still end up seeing the error code 42. In case the same problem is still not resolved, move down to the next potential fix below.
Method 2: Checking for Server issues
If restarting your device didn’t have an effect in your case, the next thing you should investigate is a widespread issue that might be affecting Disney+ servers.
As several affected users have confirmed, they started seeing the 42 error code while a widespread server issue was happening with the Disney Plus service in their area.
If you suspect that this scenario might be applicable in your case, the ideal place to start is by using services like DownDetector or IsItDownRightNow seeing if other users in your area are currently reporting the same error code.
Note: If DownDetector and IsItDownRightNow both contain recent reports from users encountering the same error code, it’s clear that the problem is widespread and beyond your control. In this case, the only thing you can do is wait for Disney+ to fix their server problems.
In case your investigations didn’t reveal a server issue, move down to the next method below.
Method 3: Testing your Internet speed
If you previously confirmed that you’re not actually dealing with a server issue, your next step should be to check whether your Internet connection is sufficient to sustain streaming from Disney Plus (Disney+).
At a bare minimum, you’ll need at least 5 Mbps to maintain a stable streaming job. But if you are forcing 4k playback, you will need at least 25 Mbps.
In case you’re afraid that your internet connection is not strong enough to support Disney+ streaming, you can run a simple test to verify this scenario.
You can use SpeedTest.net or any other Internet Speed test to test your Download speed. But before you do so, ensure that you close out an application that might take up precious bandwidth and disconnect any non-essential device from your home network.
Once the results are generated, check the Mbps value of Download. If it’s over 5 Mbps, then your Internet speed is not to blame for this problem.
If your internet test is more than sufficient, move down to the next method below to treat a potential TCP or IP inconsistency having to do with your router.
Method 4: Restarting or resetting your router
If you’ve burned through all the investigations above, you should take the time and see whether a network inconsistency is actually causing the problem. Most commonly, this problem will occur when the ISP assigns a dynamic IP from a range that was previously by Disney+.
If you’re unlucky enough to have this happen to you, you can force your ISP to assign you a new IP address by using 2 different methods:
- Restarting your router – This operation is the quickest and easier way to refresh your TCP and IP connection. Doing this will force your ISP to assign a different IP.
- Resetting your router – If this issue is rooted in the setting stored by your router, a simple restart might not be enough to fix the problem. In this case, the best thing you can do is to reset your router back to their factory state.
A. Restart your router
A router restart will essentially is the equivalent of a power-cycle on different devices and it will force your router to assign TCP and IP data without actually clearing any custom settings that you might have previously established for your router.
To go for this operation, you need to use the On/Off button on your router (typically located on the rear of your router). Press it once to cut off the power, then physically disconnect the cable and wait for a full minute to ensure that the power capacitors are cleared.
Once the restart is complete and the internet connection is reinitiated, wait until Internet access is back, then attempt to stream content from Disney+ to see if the problem is now resolved.
B. Reset your router
If the restart procedure wasn’t effective in your case, it’s likely that a more serious network inconsistency is causing the problem. This variation cannot be resolved by a simple network reset.
In this case, your best chance at fixing a network inconsistency rooted in your router settings is to simply reset your network device back to their factory settings. But keep in mind that this operation will clear any custom settings that you have since established for your router (this includes ISP login credentials for a PPPoE connection).
If you understand the risks and you want to go forward with this procedure, you can initiate ar outer reset by pressing and holding on the Reset button on the back of your router.
Note: With the vast majority of router models, you will need a sharp object to reach the Reset button.
