Not an OCC problem so much as a general computer problem.
 

I'm not sure this is something I am supposed to ask here but I am having a problem w/ my computer in general. I know this isn't exactly what this is for but I know there are some pretty computer knowledgable people on the site. So could i use this space to try and fix my problem. If not, that's fine. I will wait and read the reply before getting into anymore detail.

Here goes
 

OK. Well thank you. I am also on a pretty new (a used one that's new to me) computer. I bought it a week ago and just got Windows XP reinstalled on it. Most everything works great and it's quite nice to go from Windows 98 to XP. BUT I'm having some trouble getting some videos/graphics to load on my computer. To be quite specific I am unable to view full episodes of shows from NBC, FOX, and ABC.com. On Fox when I try all I get is like the spinning circle/spiral that never ends. On NBC all I get is a black screen (I know from friends' computers there are background graphics/pictures) w/ the woprds select an episode to view and when I click that a box opens to the right and that is supposed to contain a picture and text describing the show but it also is just black. On ABC I try and I just get a done but w/ errors on page message. My thoughts on this is it could be some weird setting somewhere that I couldn't figure out and I have looked around but my knowledge is limited on this thing OR maybe my graphics card that came w/ this machine is crap. I've checked and I can play the videos on CBS and CWTV.com just fine. I have tried shutting down all my antivirus, pop-up control, firewall, accpted all cookies, lowered my Internet security., and downloaded Adobe Flash. I'm still stuck and unable to view these videos. I can give any more information to anyone willing to help me although I may need help getting it. Does anyone have any ideas as to what I can do to view these graphics/videos?

Does it do that anywhere else? Are you looking at in Firefox or IE?

Well it's the onmly places I've noticed so far. I'm working w/ IE7 which I recently updated too, but it also did the same w/ IE6.

I guess you are reffering to streaming videos and not downloaded videos. I also assume that you flashplayer is all upto date. Have you checked youi device manager to check all drivers are installed. I wouldnt have thought this could cause your problem, but ya never know with modern computors.

go to your desktop, right click on my computor, left click properties, click the hardware button at top, then click the device manger button below. Maximise that screen and check to see if you have any yellow question marks. If you do, then you will need to update or install that driver.
regards
CP.

.

Well it's not just video. It's also certain graphics. For instance I know on nbc.com there are background pics after you click watch episodes and then click on the show. Those don't come up at all. I checked and all my drivers are OK. And to really confuse everything further just for the heck of it I hooked up my other computer which runs Windows 98 and the NBC videos play and the graphics appear too. So I'm thinking it's a setting somewhere or a file/program I need to download that I don't already have. So I am probly more lost after doing that. Very frustrating!!!

Oh, and yes, so far my downloaded videos seem to work just fine.

...
 

Did you update to service pack 2 w/ XP when you installed it and did you let the machine update automatically? Did you download and update Java? Did you upgrade WMP to WMP 10? It sounds like you are having a problem with explorer; if certain images and video (streaming) do no show up on html pages and you have updated Java and Flash you are having a general problem with explorer. [ FYI, your old win98 PC is going to work the same it did when you unplugged it; the problem is with the software in your new winXP machine not the HTML pages you are visiting...]

If it was a driver problem, which you say it is not, odds are the computer would flat out crash when it attempted to process any file that created a conflict with the OS and drivers for your graphics card, so if you can watch the video independently with no problems, i.e. an avi, wmv, mpeg etc. but not on a web page it is problem with your software.

Solutions:

(1) update to service pack 2 + security updates & WMV update

(2) update Java

(3) for the f*ck of it try using Mozilla instead, odds are this won't fix your problem but I don't know how independently mozilla firefox operates from explorer.

(4) Bite the bullet and call the evil empire and ask them kindly, more soup please :D j/k. You can call MS tech. support and link your PC to a tech. support rep. and they will diagnose the problem and fix it for you. IF you bought your XP you have 2 free phone calls to them for help, but use them wisely because after that it is like $50+ for tech support (they really bend you over so be forewarned.)

(5) Shareware problem solve: download a program such as TuneUp Utilities 2008 use it for free for 30 days and let an app. try to fix the problem for you ( I recommend TuneUp 2008 cause I use it and feel it gets good results.)

(6) Clean install (run and hide the children!!!) If it was me, and I did all of those things and still got zip I would do a clean install before a gave Microsoft a nickel of my money, but that’s me. There is a strong chance XP just plain out f*cked up when it was installing, it happens, even a MS tech rep. once admitted it to me. If this is the case your dead in the water if you don't do a clean install because the problem is unfixable and the tech rep won't even be able to ID what the hell is going wrong, and even if he/she could there would be nothing that could be done but a clean install. Since it is brand spanking new PC a clean install won't be that much of a ball buster because you haven't really done anything yet, and you should still have all your install disks and drivers so it is just a matter of install time.

Hoped that helped, if you provide more info more solutions will arise :D

mozilla and java
 

since the thread is about support..


does anyone have issues with java when using Firefox? I find that the browser hangs quite often but IE works fine.

No just use IE :D

Mozilla Firefox & IE
 

Personally, I dislike IE 7; I feel it is bulky and slow overall when compared to Mozilla Firefox. IE 7 is more user friendly because it a integrated part of the Win OS's so Java will update automatically without having to upgrade the entire app. but that being said, it is an integrated part of the OS so it is bulky and slow. Mozilla requires a tad bit more effort in terms of keeping things up to date but it runs fast and is extremely stable.

"Note that JavaScript is not Java and that the Microsoft Java VM installed on some older Windows systems only works with Internet Explorer while Sun's Java will work with IE and Mozilla browsers."

"Mozilla applications are regularly updated for security and stability; however, Mozilla does not provide updates for plug-ins. Plug-ins can cause crashes and hangs and may contain security vulnerabilities."

Updates for Java:

Java 1.6.x
Java 1.5.x
Java 1.4.x

New York Fuckin' City :cool:

Help...
 

would be GREATLY appreciated.

Problem: I don't have any sound from web page media...like NBC, YouTube, Dailymotion, etc. However, I can play video on my computer and I have sound using all media players except Windows Media Player. It seems odd that I can't get sound from WMP but I can get sound from VLC, Winamp or whatever else I use. However, that issue is relatively minor compared to not being able to hear sound through web media.

I have searched endlessly on the internet trying to find something that would cure this issue, but to no avail. I did see back on post 10, that eaze187(I know it's been about 5 years since eaze187 posted) suggested that if you can hear sound off your computer then it's a software problem. If that's the case, what software would that be?

Okay, let's see if I can remember all what I've done...unfortunately I'm not a computer guru and I know just enough to be dangerous on the computer...in other words I can go to places that once I get there...I wonder what heck I'm supposed to do. Anyhow...

What I've done:
-I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling Adobe Flash
-I went to RUN - REGEDIT - then followed to instructions to double check if the windows sound was set on Automatic...it was.
-I did something through RUN - msconfig...but I don't remember exactly and whatever I tried to doing...it didn't work.
-I downloaded a driver updater and updated the majority of my drivers...except for one involving my mouse which works just fine...none that fixed my sound.
-I tried on a whim to run CCleaner to see if that would help fix the problem...NO
-I have also double checked my volume and the volume on YouTube and other places to make sure it's turned on

As far as I can recollect, that's about all I have done. However, I open to trying any suggestions.

One more thing, my computer has been giving me sound fits for about the last month or so. Prior the month plus the sound worked fine.

I guess that's about it. If any of you computer guru's on OCC have any questions, feel free to ask.
Thank you for any help that can be offered.

Do you use speakers or a headset ? and what ever you do use, have you recently swapped to something else ?
The reason i say this, is because if you have been using the jack plugs for sound, and swap to USB headset, it can overide some of the soundcard settings.
Have you tried doing a system restore to an earlier time ?

CP.

.

Thank you...
 

CP for you imput.

Well, my computer is a laptop. When I'm home I use some speakers which I plug in; when I want to take my laptop with me somewhere, I leave my speakers at home. No, it hasn't been recent. The sound used to be fine with both scenarios.

No, I haven't tried system restore. I'm not overly familiar with system restore. Does it just restore settings to what they were at that time? Or, does it erase content to that I might have added between then and now?

It just restores settings and programs. If there were any updates they will not be there after the restore. Any files or pics are unaffected. Do make sure you back up any important stuff though

Another thing to check.
 

In the task bar at the bottom there is a speaker icon. If you double click it, it should open an advanced volume control. See if any of the sliders are at the bottom or if the mute button is checked. I've been known to mute certain sounds while recording audio into my computer. (Spent 8 years converting a vinyl record collection into digital!) If you go to the options tab, you can also adjust levels for audio inputs. Good luck!

Thanks ivanb and Sparky...
 

After I get back from an appointment today, I guess I'll have to try the system restore method.

I checked everything in the advanced volume control and everything is up.

More questions:

In the advanced volume control under the advanced tab...there are other controls.
-AC3 SPDIF
-PCM SPDIF
I don't remember if I they were unchecked or checked when I begin trying to fix my problem...Should they be checked or not? If it's not to complicated, what's the short answer of what each setting does? Or, maybe it doesn't matter.

Also, my laptop uses SoundMAX Digital Audio. I think I tried analyzing it and the computer said it was okay. However, if I can hear something played on my computer, would that have any affect on playing media from the web? If so, would SoundMAX be corrupt?

regarding system restore,
If you cannot find where this function is, just click the start menu button, then type restore in the search box.
You can read all the pages and follow the instructions. All you data will be fine, BUT it may move files to a different location if you had moved them in the past.
If you have trouble, just type in goggle on how to restore, as there is lots of forums with techincal help and guide lines.

CP.

.

Well...
 

We're pretty sure it's not a hardware issue because you are able to play some sounds. I'm starting to think it's an issue with one of the players. (Windows Media Player, Realplayer, VLC, etc.) Might also be a codec missing. Is it a DVX video? If it is, you can download the codec without having to install their player.

One of the things you can try is to remove media players one at a time until Windows Media Player is the only one left. If you're worried about losing the software, just dump the ones that are easily replaced. Like Realplayer, and VLC player.

If you're a fan of Apple, you might want to skip the next part.

One last thought. Do you use I-Tunes? I-Tunes and Quicktime will convert your files to a format that can only be played in their players. Apple makes nice hardware but their software is hideous! I had a brand new netbook with a ton of my music on it. I loaded I-Tunes onto it so I could load an I-Pod for my son before he deployed. It converted ALL of my muic files and filled my drive with duplicates! It took an entire weekend to convert it all back. Part of the problem was that my machine kept crashing. Since removing I-Tunes, my netbook hasn't had a single problem. It's the number one reason I will never own any of their products! :mad:

Frustrating...
 

to say the least.

I wish I knew the more about the internal workings of the computer than what I know. I don't know why my computer all of sudden over the last month or so decides to be ornery. It's been running just fine over the past several years.

On system restore:
I tried to do that and it if isn't one problem, it's another problem. I tried twice(using an early date and then an earlier date) and both times I get a message, "your computer cannot be restored to an early date."

So, I Googled my system restore issue and(yes, there are lots of forums) I've yet to find one forum that has been overly helpful. A lot them have to do with Norton and I don't use Norton.

With regards to your thoughts Sparky:
No, I don't use DVX video much but I have it installed. Also, I can play videos off of my computer and have sound but nothing I play over the internet has sound. Except when I play videos from my computer on Windows Media Player, I don't have sound. However, on VLC, Quicktime, etc....I do have sound. For example, if I go to NBC to watch an episode of NCIS I don't have sound. As I mentioned earlier, I don't have any sound from any web media outlet like YouTube, DailyMotion, etc.

Next, I am a fan of Apple but I know how self centered they can be with their software and how expensive their products are compared to PC computers and software. Currently, I am on PC laptop...specifically an HP/Compaq nc6000 Notebook PC series. So, I had I-Tunes installed because at one point I had an I-POD before it died. Since I haven't used I-Tunes hardly all since the death of my I-POD, I copied my songs to a folder and deleted it just to see if that would change anything. Unfortunately, it didn't. :(

Other Notes:
I have tried to buy a couple things(although I don't have a lot of money to throw around).
I bought this Driver Performer...ran that to see that would work...didn't help...had my money refunded(had a 30day money back guarantee)
I bought this Driver Manager...tried that...that doesn't seem to do much good...don't think I can get my money back on that one.

I looked into this PC Utility Kit...I ran it and it says I have some issues but you need to buy for it fix the things...like drivers. However, Driver Performer and Manager were both supposed to fix drivers and what not. So, I am not sure if I should gamble and buy it.


That's the latest...

have you checked in your device manager to see if there are any driver problem ?

system restore will show what dates you can choose, as the dates should be highlighted in bold, but did you check is restore was actually turned on ?

have you booted in safe mode and done a full virus scan ?

If your using speakers that have jack plugs, see if any of your friends have a headphone set that plugs into USB and try that instead, as that could solve the problem as the usb will install drivers automatically.

CP.

.

Flash problem
 

Most of the sources you mentioned use Flash or a version of it. (Such as Flowplayer, JLPlayer etc.) You might try un-installing and re-installing Flash. On my machine, I list Adobe Flash, Adobe AIR, and Adobe Active X. I'm not sure about AIR but Flash and Active X are what allows internet videos to stream.

After un-installing, I would run a disc cleanup and de-frag before loading the software back up. The links to Adobe Flash should be on any of the sites you listed. (They want you to be able to use their sites too!)

Lastly, check your security settings. If you have Active X disabled, streaming may not work correctly.

Jeez! I hope this works for you! Best of luck!

one other thought,
have you tried using other browsers ?

.

I've been fighting...
 

with my computer more and I am not winning. :(

CP, about the only thing I haven't been able to do yet is to round up a pair of headphones/speakers with a USB port connection.

More News On What I've Done
~I checked the Sound, video game, and game controllers under Device Manager.
What was listed was: Audio Controllers, Legacy Audio Drivers, Legacy Video Capture Devices, Media Control Devices, SoundMAX Integrated Audio, and Video Codecs

I ran an update on all and the response for all was "could not find a better match than what is installed." I also went to properties on each one and they all said this device is working properly. I think the computer lies. :confused:

On System Restore...I did a check to make sure it was on...it is.

I tried booting in safe mode but I couldn't run a virus check because Bitdefender(what I use) apparently needs access to the internet to run a virus check. So, I ran this Advanced System Care which scans for Malware and System problems etc. while I was in safe mode.

Sparky, I did try to uninstall Flash, then doing a disc cleanup and a defrag...then reinstalling Flash but it didn't help. As far as Active X, I don't use IE. I was using Chrome and then tried switching to Mozilla to see if that made a difference...it didn't. I also have IE as another backup browser and so I tried IE just for kicks but no sound from YouTube or elsewhere.

So, I was searching on the internet and this one forum said to go to the System Info Tool and check the nodes under Hardware...especially the Conflicts/Sharing node. They said you can find out information from the C/S node. Well, some people may be able to but it is all unfamiliar ground to me.

Does the following mean anything or tell you anything about my sound issue?
I/O Port 0x00000000-0x00000CF7 PCI bus
I/O Port 0x00000000-0x00000CF7 Direct memory access controller

I/O Port 0x000003C0-0x000003DF Intel(R) 82855PM Processor to AGP Controller - 3341
I/O Port 0x000003C0-0x000003DF ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9600 Series

IRQ 10 ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9600 Series
IRQ 10 Intel(R) 82801DB/DBM USB Universal Host Controller - 24C2
IRQ 10 Intel(R) 82801DB/DBM USB Universal Host Controller - 24C4
IRQ 10 Intel(R) 82801DB/DBM USB Universal Host Controller - 24C7
IRQ 10 Intel(R) 82801DB/DBM USB2 Enhanced Host Controller - 24CD
IRQ 10 O2Micro OZ711M3 MemoryCardBus Controller
IRQ 10 O2Micro OZ711M3 MemoryCardBus Controller
IRQ 10 O2Micro OZ711Mx MemoryCardBus Accelerator
IRQ 10 O2Micro OZ711M3 MemoryCardBus Controller
[U]
I/O Port 0x00002000-0x00002FFF Intel(R) 82855PM Processor to AGP Controller - 3341
I/O Port 0x00002000-0x00002FFF ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9600 Series

IRQ 11 Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection
IRQ 11 SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio
IRQ 11 Agere Systems AC'97 Modem

Memory Address 0x98000000-0x9FFFFFFF Intel(R) 82855PM Processor to AGP Controller - 3341
Memory Address 0x98000000-0x9FFFFFFF ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9600 Series

Memory Address 0xA0000-0xBFFFF PCI bus
Memory Address 0xA0000-0xBFFFF Intel(R) 82855PM Processor to AGP Controller - 3341
Memory Address 0xA0000-0xBFFFF ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9600 Series

I/O Port 0x000003B0-0x000003BB Intel(R) 82855PM Processor to AGP Controller - 3341
I/O Port 0x000003B0-0x000003BB ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9600 Series

Memory Address 0x90300000-0x903FFFFF Intel(R) 82855PM Processor to AGP Controller - 3341
Memory Address 0x90300000-0x903FFFFF ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9600 Series

I underlined the Resource column(1st column) to make it more easy to tell between the two columns because they won't stay separated when I did a preview post. You probably know, but in case you don't; the second column is the Device column.

I don't know I may be exhausting all possible options. I might be getting to the point of being up a creek without a paddle other than pay some technician big money to diagnose my problem or buying a new computer through Ebay or something.

Thanks again CP and Sparky and anybody else that is a computer guru that might have a suggestion.

I just found this. maybe it could help you.

http://en.kioskea.net/forum/affich-2...nd-on-internet

and when ever i get a problem with my PC, i just backup everything and then reload windows.

CP.

.

Thanks CP...
 

I'll give the suggestion from that link you found a whirl.

As far as, backing up and reloading Windows...I don't have the original windows software because I bought this laptop off Ebay a few years ago. It's been a great laptop other than the last month in half or so.

just check your laptop.
it may have a partition where you dont need a CD to reload. You may be able to use the F keys on boot up and it may reload itself.
Type the name and model into google and see what other forums say about backing up or formatting.

CP.

.

Bummer!
 

I HATE fighting with my computer too! I'm struggling to keep a 12 year old Gateway tower alive. I can sympathise with your struggle. Sadly, I'm out if ideas for what to try next.

CP is right about newer laptops. Many have the system restore data hidden behind a partition. Excellent advice on looking it up on the web to see how to access it.

Best of luck!

Sparky...
 

by the way, I was going to add this onto a post but I keep forgetting...Anyhow, I really like your quote. I don't if you penned the quote yourself or it came from some military general/individual.

Question...
 

I was just about to start looking on Google to see if my computer had a partition where I could reload Windows.

Anyhow, I was looking on the bottom of my laptop and there is a proof of licensing sticker with the Product Key for Windows XP Professional.

If I am not successful at finding something on Google, would I be able to go through Microsoft since I have the Product key and have the software downloaded?

Just wondering if you happen to know off the top of your head.

Depends.
 

If the previous owner registered the key under his name, the license belongs to that person. I think you would have better luck with the manufacturers website. (They want it to work so you'll buy another one of their products.)

The quote isn't original. I did pick it up during my time with the USMC, but I sure don't remember who said it! We'll save that as a last resort of we can't get your computer up and running right!