I don't know if this is the correct area for this post. I'm having issues with Windows Media Player. I am not able to click on something while online and have it pop up in WMP and start playing. I always get an error that says something to the affect that it can't find the right program. It gives me an option to close it or get web help. Further, I just subscribed to MLB.tv and I cannot access the games. It worked flawlessly on another computer. Something is preventing me from accessing it. I'm thinking it has something to do with WMP. Further, there is something on my computer that prevents me from downloading Real Player. A message comes up about a security issue blocking the file. Again, I think it comes back to the WMP problem. I am not computer savvy enough to know if there is some sort of security feature hampering the performance. Thanks for any help.

Rob

Are you running Windows XP and, if so, is it Windows XP Service Pack 2?

You can see this by right-clicking My Computer (either on your desktop or Start Menu) and selecting Properties. The "General" tab will show your Windows version at the top.

Windows XP SP2 has a lot of built-in security features that try to stop you doing almost anything interesting

DJNafey,

Yes, I am running XP SP2. Is there any hope to fix this problem?? Thanks.

Originally Posted by robrahm

I am not able to click on something while online and have it pop up in WMP and start playing

Could you find the link that you're trying to click on, right-click it and select Properties from the context-sensitive menu? Then copy and paste the URL that it is looking at onto here so that we can see what the link is trying to open?

It might be that WMP genuinely doesn't support whatever it is that you're trying to open or it might be that, if we try the link ourselves, someone here will be able to determine what setting it needs that you've got switched off.

Alternatively, combined with the other Internet issues that you're having (such as being stopped from downloading Real Player), someone might know of a general setting or feature of XP that's causing all of the issues.

This is the message I get:

"Windows Media Player cannot play the file. If the file is located on the Internet, connect to the Internet. If the file is located a removable storage card, insert the storage card."

I have a cable connection to the Internet. This is the same message I'm getting anytime I click on something. This is the link I clicked on this time. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/as...423061033.aspx
Then click on the Microsoft Onenote Tips and Tricks.

As for the MLB.TV, it requires a logon and password that I don't want to give out. That works on another computer though. I'm thinking the MLB.TV problem is the result of the WMP issue I'm having. Thanks for the help.

Yes, you're absolutely right - don't give out your usernames and passwords on a forum.

I've followed that link and clicked on 'Microsoft OneNote Tips and Tricks' and the actual URL that it then opens is http://www.microsoft.com/office/onen...dtricks256.asx. This is a 320x240 video streaming over my broadband connection at 247Kbps. I don't know much about video stuff to be honest but it looks fairly standard to me. I have RealPlayer installed but it was Media Player that opened the video automatically on my PC. The properties of the video show that my PC is using 'Windows Media Video 9' as the video codec and 'Windows Media Audio 9 Voice, 20Kbps, 22KHz, Mono' as the audio codec.

Are you running Media Player 9?

You might actually find it better if you go to http://www.microsoft.com/downloads and get Media Player 10, which is now available just for Windows XP SP2 users. I suspect that they're only making it available to XP SP2 users to push everyone onto this latest Windows version. However, there could be a technical reason for it, i.e. to stop problems such as those that you're experiencing perhaps.

If you're still experiencing the same problem after that, I would suggest that you go to the Tools menu in Internet Explorer and select the Options menu item. In the Internet Options screen, go to the Security tab and click the Internet zone icon. Click the Custom Level button. If there are any settings referring to ActiveX controls or streaming content that are set to 'Disabled', try setting them to 'Prompt' instead. If Internet Explorer encounters any of those technologies when you try to run the video, it should then, in theory, ask you if it's OK to run it.

Finally, if that still doesn't help, you should check whether you have a firewall application (such as Zone Alarm or Norton Internet Security) that is stopping one program (Internet Explorer) from launching another program (Media Player). There is, of course, an updated Windows Firewall built into XP SP2 but I don't know whether there are any settings that you can change on that.

Hope that helps

I'm using WMP 10. The steps you suggested didn't work. Although, how can I check to see if a firewall is blocking it? I turned the firewall off and it still didn't work, so I'm assuming that's not the culprit. I don't know though. I'm ready to karate chop this desk in half, punch a hole in the monitor, and then drop the cpu off a roof. Thanks for your help.

http://www.utmem.edu/helpdesk/sp2/sp2firewall.htm To disable the windows sp2 firewall. What firewall and antivirus do you have?

I'm using Norton. The Windows firewall has been off. I noticed that in the past couple of days my cable internet is running slow as well. Thanks.

Sounds like spyware to me

Owen, our security/virus/spyware guru has written steps to detect and remove such problems. It's rather lengthy but very good: http://www.d-a-l.com/help/showthread.php?t=605