Windows Server - Can't Open Media Files

Asked By Roger Fink

13-Nov-09 09:12 PM

To fix a problem I was having viewing embedded Quicktime movies in Firefox,
I updated Quicktime Alternative to 1.90, the last available version for
Win2000 (I do not have Quicktime installed but this is an alternative way to
play Quicktime files, including embedded ones). That did fix the embedded
problem, as the QT plugins now finally show up in the Firefox directory, but
I have a new one - none of my movie or audio files that formerly opened
normally using Media Player Classic (virtually everything) will open, except
through the right click "Open With" feature. The right click "Open" option,
or a double click, produces a note from Windows telling me to create a file
association, or, if I have already done that, a New Folder box appears. If I
change the association to WMP9 the open function works, but when I change it
back to Media Player Classic it does not. Note that when I did the upgrade it
did say it was registering the file associations.

I am not in big trouble (yet) because I can revert with GoBack to just before
the upgrade, but I'd rather just solve the problem and be able to keep the
benefits gained by the upgrade, so any suggestions appreciated.

17-Nov-09 05:05 AM

Probably, you need to register the file formats in MP Classic:
View/ Options/ Player/ Formats.
Check "Look File extensions first", and check the "All" button or only
the desired formats under "Video" and "Audio" individually.

Perhaps, these format associations need to be first "unchecked" under
WMP9 Tools/Options/File types.

You can try asking at microsoft.public.windowsmedia if it does not solve.

Mohan...

17-Nov-09 09:10 PM

Pretty much as you described it, but just to make sure I used the duck
hunting with a Howitzer approach: associated everything possible with WMP9,
uninstalled QT alt, MPC and K-Lite, reinstalled latest or best Win2K
versions of these, had to restablish file associations one by one to wake
Windows up to what I did. It all works now except that .swf &.flv flash
files do not play too well; hopefully that should be fixable.

All this billable time but no one to bill it to. Thanks for your help.

17-Nov-09 10:01 PM

Pretty much as you describe it I think, but just to be on the safe side I
went duck hunting with a Howitzer:

Changed file associations to WMP9 as far as possible.

Uninstalled QT alt, MPC, and K-Lite. Re-installed latest or best-for-W2K
versions. Had to establish MPC file associations one by one to make OS aware
of what was going on. Everything good now, except that flash files, swf &
flv, do not play well - minor issue, hopefully fixable. Just to put an
exclamation point on things, lost internet connection as I was trying to
post, had to reconstruct this from scratch, this time on WordPad.

Lots of billable time but no one to send it to. Anyway, thanks very much.

17-Nov-09 11:46 PM

Thanks. Best Media Player (bestmediaplayer.com) is pretty good for .flv
(and most a/v formats).

Mohan...