Links will not open or play online .wmv files

Anonymous
2009-06-02T21:32:56+00:00

IE8 won't play WMV video files from links

With IE8, under Windows7 RC, in a webpage there is a link such as: http://.../file.wmv

If I click on it, an error page immediately appears, saying: Internet explorer cannot display the webpage.

Further description of the error is about 'internet connectivity lost', or 'error in link' etc..

But if I just right click on the linkand 'save as', the wmv file downloads, get saved, and opens and play flawlessly in WMP by default.

The system just has WMP as player, configured with all defaults, I double checked.

I have identical problem on another machine with IE8 on Vista, with Divx and VLC Player installed (but all defaults to WMP)

I found reports of similar problems on the internet, but really no true identification and solution of this problem (just the usual bunch of 'use firefox!' or 'download winamp!' comments..)

Any help here?

THANKS!

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Music, photos, and video

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Anonymous
2009-06-12T07:58:21+00:00

fix: open notepad paste these lines in:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.avi]

@="WMP11.AssocFile.AVI"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.asf]

@="WMP11.AssocFile.ASF"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.wmv]

@="WMP11.AssocFile.WMV"

save file to your desktop 'filename'.reg -- make sure you change it from saving as a .txt file to a "." file open the file, agree to adjust registry, open your movies

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Anonymous
2009-06-06T17:59:03+00:00

Hello, Corry

Does this affect all sites or just a certain one?

If it’s just a certain website, there may be a server side error.

You may also be able to find others with a similar problem on the Windows 7 Support Forums: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/category/w7itpro

David

Microsoft Answers Support Engineer

Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think.

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  1. Anonymous
    2010-03-30T19:14:10+00:00

    check for updates www.allwithtech.com

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-03-24T15:57:22+00:00

    I have Windows Vista with IE8 which stopped playing all audio/video links, too, a while back.  I followed all fixes posted here and elsewhere and nothing worked until I found Vincenzo Di Russo's blog on Troubleshooting Windows Internet Explorer (extensive list) posted on this Forum.   What worked for me was his suggestion of resetting IE8 back to its defaults*, then go to Tools, Manage Add-Ons and enable your Java and Adobe settings, then go to any video link in your browser (for me it is Yahoo) and click on one and if it does not play, it will tell you to download the latest version of the Adobe Flash Player (which is 10).  This is what did it for me because when you reset your IE8 back to its defaults, it goes back to an earlier version and still would not play anything until I did this.   My links and YouTube all started playing again.  I had fooled with trying to fix this situation for a week.   Nothing worked until I did the above in that order.  Once you reset IE 8 back to defaults, don't forget to readd your favorite tool bars, etc. 

    After your links start to work, then you can start enabling other addons and see if links to videos still play.  Mine did.  I didn't enable all of them, but I did most (I'm almost afraid to, haha).  That was just one miserable experience.  Something must have gotten messed up when IE8 updated.   Why Microsoft has not released a fix for this is upsetting.  I am seriously considering getting a computer with a Mac OS as a back-up computer.  I am sick of every time Microsoft sends a major update it messes up something that works.  (when they issued IE7, my media player lost all audio.  I had video - no audio.   All my friends had the same thing happen.  It wasn't long and Microsoft issued a fix on it after everyone screamed and hollered about it (at first, they wouldn't acknowledge it was their fault).  But they are not doing that this time and I feel sorry for people who are not very computer literate and will either pay a fortune taking it to a shop for repairs or get rid of their computers.  

    Good luck on trying this.  It worked for me. 

    *1. Close all Internet Explorer or Windows Explorer windows.

    2. Open Internet Explorer by clicking the Start button, and then clicking Internet Explorer.

    3. Click the Tools button, and then click Internet Options.

    4. Click the Advanced tab, and then click Reset.

    5. Click Reset.

    6. When you are done, click Close, and then click OK.

    7. Close Internet Explorer and reopen it for the changes to take effect.

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-03-03T13:24:46+00:00

    update

    tested and found it was VLC that i installed that over rode WMP

    so follow my post above to get links back to playing  WMP

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