Vista help please: Can't play movie clips. *Sorted*

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Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 8:33 pm

My new laptop runs (spits) vista. When I go to, for example, youtube, it won't play video clips. It says I have javascript turned off or an old version of flash player.

I have checked my security settings and java seems to be enabled. I tried downloading adobe flash but it just seems to get stuck halfway through, and never completes the download..
I'm also having trouble visiting a photographers website that requires flash. It just won't let me in.

I'm running norton security if it helps. (which I find to be a bit anal about what it will and won't allow).

Anything obvious that I'm doing wrong?

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 8:34 pm

Kill Norton Security, wipe Vista, install XP.

Edit: Seriously, Kill Norton Security and try again, or try with Firefox like Hacker said.

419Eater is my life Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 428

Other than Vista? No. Are you running FireFox?

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 8:36 pm

you aren't running Firefox with the noscript plugin are you?

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 8:36 pm

^^ No, it's running IE.

I can't really wipe vista unfortunately, as I don't have the XP discs. Much as I'd like to. Sad

419Eater is my life Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 428

Try installing Firefox. It can automatically install the Flash plugin, so it might work for you.

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 8:41 pm

Thanks, I'm just removing Norton now, then I'll see how I get on.

Baiting Guru Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 2628

Vista ( gob gob ) is a wee b*gger compared to XP

Spent days getting my mums new laptop to do all the things her old one did in XP

Chech Adobe is really installed

It took me a few trys to install the new Adobe on it for some reason.

There was stupid link kept popping up, oh cant mind what it called itself but it links to the net when installing. Click it off and remove it from showing, it seemed to actually stop Adobe installing

419Eater is my life Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 428

Mugatu said that he/she/it tried to download Adobe Flash, but it gets stuck and never finishes downloading. So no, Nanny, It's not installed.

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:11 pm

Norton removed, java enabled, laptop restarted, and it still won't download flash. I've tried 4 times now, it just freezes halfway through. Sad

419Eater is my life Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 428

Try Firefox, see if it will automatically install Flash.

Baiting Guru Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 2628

My youngest has a laptop with Vista.
He's got VLC media player and seems happy with that.
He's aye watching video clips, downloading torrents etc

See if thats any help

Google VLC media he says

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:35 pm

try this mate
http://netsharc.wordpress.com/2007/03/31/youtube-via-vlc/

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:42 pm

Run the Norton removal tool HUGE LONG PAGE_BLOWING LINKY
(Sorry, don't know how to turn all that into the word CLICKY)
Download the Flash file onto your desktop, right-click the file and choose Run as Administrator.
http://www.softwarepatch.com/internet/flash.html

Just a thought - it's not getting stuck because you haven't allowed the ActiveX part to install, is it? You should see a warning bar across the width of the page between your page and the lowest of the toolbars.

Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 3:15 am

Your problems don't sound Vista related, so I am going to assume its relatd speciically to your browser. Here are a series of checks i would do in this case:

1.) As much as I like Vista, I don't care for IE and would rather have Firefox anyday.

2.) Download CCleaner, clean out EVERYTHING except for your saved passwords.

3.) Make sure Norton is uninstalled because Norton just plain sucks (This is often the actual cause of Internet problems for a lot of people rather than Vista) and grab AVG and get the updated MS Defender. Run both scans to make sure there isn't any malware on your computer. Or you could pay for your own prgrma and do the above.

4.) Renew your IP settings by going to the network icon, selecting Diagnose and Repair, and select "Refresh IP Settings".

5.) Reboot router.

I hope the above helps. I searched around and have found this issue also occurs occasionally on XP and even 2000 usually due to botched network settings and Norton.

A word on Norton: It sucks. It will often call itself protecting your computer by restricting your actions to the point where you can't do anything and this is NOT a Vista seific thing.

Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 3:56 am

I doubt it is an IP router problem because there is access and the download starts but doesn't complete so that would not cause this problem.

I don't know vista but I can diagnose the problem with enough information. I don't think it is a browser problem. I seem to remember something like this when I use vista for a week but can't remember how I fixed it. I seem to remember one time that a download told me it failed but actually it worked but wouldn't notice it.

Is the download a full file download where you run the file after or is it one of those that download the install file which then installs automatically? Norton could cause the install to fail if it see it as not allowed. Of course you also have the nice vista user protection program which is a problem. If there is a auto install, a partial install may have set some register settings and you need to remove them. What does it look like when you think it stopped? Any messages or does it just run the dialog with no progress? I would ask you to read the logs but windoz doesn't use logs. There is one process log. I forget where it is so maybe someone here knows how to find it. Do other downloads work and just this one file is the problem?

One thing would be to look at the list of programs installed in the control panel "install remove programs". If there is some thing like flash player, uninstall it first.

Baiting Guru Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 2628

It was Beyond Adobe that I was trying to remember last night.
It seemed to stop Adobe installing on my mums laptop.
Mind you iI lso had to keep clicking the allow change button
I also uninstalled the Norton free trial she had and installed AVG

Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 12:43 pm

I did a service call like this last week.

Get and install firefox.

Go to tools - addons - get extensions

search for downthemall and install it.

On your hard drive create a directory for downloads, oh lets call it 'downloads' If you want you can make a shortcut to this on the desktop.

Next time you go to download you will have the option of using the downthemall addon. check that box and direct the stream to your downloads folder.

Now when you are installing, Java, flash and so on make sure you READ the little pop ups and don't deny them permission to play in Vista. This is what my last client got wrong. The pluggins had been disabled by the firewall. However in your case I don't think you are even getting that far.

Downthemall is a download accelerator It will speed up downloading by a factor of 5 or so by using multiple ports. If you are still getting cut off go back to the Firefox extension page and get a download manager that will let you resume downloads.

I would also call your ISP and complain. This sounds like an ISP or networking problem .

Good luck.

Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:46 am

Thanks to everyone who has suggested a fix.

In the end, I wiped Norton, removed all the little bits that it leaves behind (the annoying pop ups that tell you you need to download Norton again!) and found that activeX was already installed but not running correctly. I wiped that, then re-installed flash activeX successfully.

Thanks again!

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