Netscape crashes after playing music

I use NS 4.75. Whenever I access a web page that has embeded music or I click on a music link in a web page, the music will play but when I leave the page, NS crashes with an "illegal operation" message. I have to close the browser and reopen. It seems to happens with .WAV and .MID files. I can download the files A-ok but if I play them and then leave the page, crash. If the music is embeded, I also crash when I leave the page, even on my own web site. I can play streaming MP3 files..no problem. Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks

 

What are the details of the Illegal operation error message?

What player is opening when you play embedded wav and midi files or click on a .wav or .midi link?

Look in Help | About Plugins
For a plugin that shows as Enabled for wav and mid, midi files. For example, I show the
LiveAudio...Sound Player for Netscape Navigator, v.1.1.1515 Enabled for:
audio/x-wav and audio/wav (wav files)
audio/x-midi and audio/midi (mid and midi files)

You may have more than one plugin for different Mime Types, some enabled and some not.

 

When NS crashes there appears a drop down window with the following message:

"This program has performed an illeagal operation and will be shut down.
If the problem persists, contact the program vendor."

There is also a 'CLOSE' button and a 'DETAILS' button. Clicking the 'DETAILS' button gives the following message:

"NETSCAPE caused an invalid page fault in
module KERNEL32.DLL at 0167:bff87ede.
Registers:
EAX=c00309c4 CS=0167 EIP=bff87ede EFLGS=00010216
EBX=0472ff88 SS=016f ESP=0462ffd8 EBP=04630044
ECX=046301f8 DS=016f ESI=81d34f10 FS=12bf
EDX=bff76855 ES=016f EDI=04630220 GS=0000
Bytes at CS:EIP:
53 56 57 8b 30 83 7d 10 01 8b 4e 38 89 4d f8 75
Stack dump: "

Checking the About Plugins, I find the following listings relating to .wav and .mid files.

QuickTime Plug-in 4.1

File name: C:\PROGRAM
FILES\NETSCAPE\COMMUNICATOR\NETCAST\PROGRAM\plugins\npqtplugin2.dll

Mime Type Description Suffixes Enabled

audio/mid...MIDI.....midi,mid,smf,kar......Yes

audio/x-midi..MIDI...midi,mid,smf,kar......Yes


QuickTime Plug-in 4.1

File name: C:\PROGRAM
FILES\NETSCAPE\COMMUNICATOR\NETCAST\PROGRAM\plugins\npqtplugin.dll

Mime Type Description Suffixes Enabled

audio/mid.....MIDI.......midi,mid,smf,kar...Yes

audio/x-wav...WAV Audio....wav..............Yes

audio/wav.....WAV audio....wav..............Yes

LiveAudio

File name: C:\PROGRAM
FILES\NETSCAPE\COMMUNICATOR\NETCAST\PROGRAM\plugins\npaudio.dll

Sound Player for Netscape Navigator, v.1.1.1515

Mime Type Description Suffixes Enabled

audio/x-wav....WAV........wav.........No

audio/wav......WAV........wav.........No

audio/x-midi...MID.......mid, midi....No
audio/midi.....MIDI......mid, midi....No

I should mention there are other audio formats listed (AIF, AU, etc) as well listed under both Quicktime and Live Audio. There are also a number of image file types (tif, png, pic, etc.) that are enabled under Quicktime.

I have used NS for years and never experienced this particular problem. I added the Quicktime plugin about 4 or 5 months ago. While I can't be absolutely sure, it seems my problems may have started about that time as well. I have heard that Quicktime can cause problems with Windows audio programs and that it will override all other audio settings when installed. Don't know if there is any truth to that? Unfortunately, I learned all that after I installed Quicktime. Thanks for your help.

 

Welcome to the Forum!

Hi washoe,

I have had a very negative experience with QuickTime. However, many users find it an excellent program.

Try disabling QuickTime and see if Netscape continues to crash. With Netscape closed, browse to:

C:\Program Files\Netscape\Plugins

Locate the npqtplugin.dll and npqtplugin2.dll files.
Place an X at the beginning of the file name:
Xnpqtplugin.dll
Xnpqtplugin2.dll

If Netscape no longer crashes, then you have found the culprit. Post back and let us know the results.

Ramona

 

Hi Ramona, thanks for the welcome. I think this forum will be most informative and useful.

I tried the fix you suggested with the result that I get the following error message when I click on a web page link to an audio file or when I visit a page with embeded audio:

Could not load the plug-in 'Quick Time Plug-in 4.1' for the MIME type 'audio/x-midi'.
Make sure enough memory is available and that the plug-in is installed correctly.

 

Hi washoe,

Always delighted to welcome a new member to our Netscape Forum!

This was not really a fix (to disable QT) but just to find out if it was the cause of your crash. Shucks, didn't tell us a thing!

If you want to use the Netscape LiveAudio (npaudio.dll) plugin to play .wav and midi files, then you will need to make some changes in your plugin folder. The following Netscape KB Article will give you guidelines:

How do you enable a plug-in when you have two or more that handle the same file type?

Plug-ins load (and become enabled) in the order they were added to the Plugins folder. When two plug-ins share support for the same file types, the last plug-in to load gets precedence.

Even though LiveAudio is not configured to play the .wav and midi files, QT was the last plugin installed, therefore QT took over as the default player for these file types.

Hopefully QT will not try to take over when you try to play a .wav or midi file, if you follow the above procedure.

Be certain to back up your Plugins folder before doing the edit.

I also wondered why there are two npqtplugin.dll files? I really know very little about QT, therefore not sure why there would be a npqtplugin2.dll file. I have a feeling this file is redundant.

Let us know if you are successful!

Ramona

 

Hi Ramona,

I will try setting up new plug-in folder (as per the Netscape link you provided) and post the results. In the meanwhile, to answer your question "why there are two npqtplugin.dll files? "
Actually there are three. It appears there is a redundancy with the Midi MIMI. Here are the MIME types handled by each .dll file. I imagine you might be able to discern the file extension handled by each MIME:

npqtplugin3.dll

image/x-tiff
image/tiff
image/x-targa
image/x-quicktime
image/x-png
image/png
image/x-pict
image/pict

npqtplugin2.dll

image/x-macpaint
image/x-photoshop
image/x-sgi
application/sdp
application/x-rtsp
audio/vnd.qcelp
audio/mid
audio/x-midi

npqtplugin.dll

audio/midi
video/flc
audio/basic
audio/x-aiff
audio/aiff
audio/x-wav
audio/wav
video/quicktime

Thanks again, hopefully this will solve the issue.

 

Hi Washoe,

I also am not too familiar with Quicktime but I remembered reading that you can disable and enable different MIME types within the Quicktime Control Panel so that might be something to try.

This is copied from the Newsgroups:

Let us know how you make out!

 

Hi Ramona, Well we have what might be classified as a partial success. I followed the procedure outlined in the Netscape KB Article you provided and setup a new Plugin folder, copying the Netscape LiveAudio (npaudio.dll) as the last entry to that folder. And, it works fine for Midi files, both embeded
files and links I manually click on.

Wav files however, are a different story. I used about a dozen random web sites featuring WAV files for my test. I was able to play the WAV files on only about 10% of the sites tested. In 90% of the sites tested, when I clicked on a WAV link I received the error message "Unable to start playing WAV sound ".

Since I saved my old Plugin folder, I reversed the process and tested these same web sites using my original Plugin folder, the one that defaults to the QuickTime Player. I was able to play the WAV files on every web site tested but of course the original problem of NS crashing was again present.

The conclusion seems to be that when I use the LiveAudio (npaudio.dll) as my default audio player, Midi files play just fine with no browser crash, Wav files seem to be a problem. When using the Quick
Time plugin as the player both Midi and Wav files play once, but then crash the browser.

When I downloaded a WAV file that did not play from the web site, it also did NOT play in Winamp giving the error message "Unable to start playback. Missing codec or unsupported format." However,
I could play it on Win Media Player?

Not sure this is revelant but my daughter uses IE 5.5 configured to default to Winamp for playing Wav, Midi, and MP3 files. I had her test the same web sites I did with the results that she too was unable to play the Wav files on the same sites I had problems when I was using the LiveAudio (npaudio.dll). She got the "Unable to start playback. Missing codec or unsupported format." when trying. She was able to play the same web site files I could.

I don't know what you are using for a player, but if it is of any value, here are two of the sites I tested:

This site I can play: http://www.purpledemon.btinternet.co.uk/ (use the Country Mix button)
This site I can not: http://amysrefuge.homestead.com/Myrefuge.html

Sorry for the long post. I trust I have not hopelessly confused the issue. I am currently using the new plugin folder I created which defaults to the LiveAudio (npaudio.dll). Your advice has been great and much appreciated. Thanks.

 

Hi Alice, Thanks for the suggestion. The QT version I have (regrettably) is 5.0.2 and I had already done exactly what was suggested in the newsgroup posting. I had disabled all MIME types in QuickTime that had anything to do with audio. In my case it didn't make one iota of difference. I am guessing that if the QT plugin is the last audio device installed in the NS plugins folder, Netscape just defaults to that plugin regardless of what the settings are in QT. Quick Time is VERY persistant in wanting control of audio MIME types, in all applications. (See my last post to Ramona)

 

Hi washoe,

This is one of those things that make you go hmmmmmmmmm!

O.K., I tested the two links you listed. This site: http://www.purpledemon.btinternet.co.uk/
does not work for me. It requires Windows Media Player, which I have disabled for the Internet. I noted that my Java console opened, as the webmaster of the site is using Java for the music files. This could be a site problem, not necessarily yours. Netscape 4.75 doesn't have the newer Sun Java Plugin which is included in 4.79, which I use. There is also a Netscape 8 which was just released. See here: ftp://ftp.sillydog.org/pub/ns4/w32/cc32d48.exe


This site: http://amysrefuge.homestead.com/Myrefuge.html
worked for me, and brought up the Netscape LiveAudio player.

I use Crescendo for midi files, Netscape LiveAudio for .wav files, and MusicMatch for MP3 files.

I'm sure you have gone into the configuration for each of your media players to ensure that you have not duplicated any settings?

I ask because of this statement:

When I downloaded a WAV file that did not play from the web site, it also did NOT play in Winamp giving the error message "Unable to start playback. Missing codec or unsupported format." However, I could play it on Win Media Player?

Which player is the default for playing local WAV files? Unless you have enabled Winamp as the default player, that is why you get the error.

I'm not sure I helped here.

Ramona

 

Glad to hear of your success in enabling the Netscape LiveAudio Plugin for midi and wav, using the method in the link Ramona gave you.

As for Quicktime, I'm glad I never installed it! I considered it, even downloaded the standalone QT 5.0.5 installer from Apple's site but decided to enable Netscape's LiveAudio for Mozilla instead (by copying it to the Plugin folder from Netscape 4.79) even though it's not perfect.

You might want to repost your question about Quicktime crashing Netscape in another forum, or check with Apple support. I'm also wondering, since you say your Quicktime Plugin shows as version 4.1 in About Plugins, since you say your Quicktime version is 5 ??? Possibly some of the files in your Netscape Plugins are older versions, from an earlier Quicktime install? I'm afraid I don't know enough about Quicktime to help you much but you might consider clearing out all Quicktime plugins from your Netscape Plugins folder and reinstalling Quicktime (get a second opinion first!)

Here is what I found out from the links you posted, for what it's worth:

I have Netscape's LiveAudio enabled in both Netscape 4.79 and Mozilla for .wav so I first tried http://www.purpledemon.btinternet.co.uk in Netscape 4.79 but it hung up (Netscape not responding) so I closed it with a CAD, end task and opened Mozilla:

Trying your second link, the one you say didn't work for you, http://amysrefuge.homestead.com/Myrefuge.html loaded Netscape's LiveAudio Player and the embedded .wav file Boogie Woogie 1943 played fine.
(I later went there in NS4.79 and had the same success) Checking the frame source on the page shows this as EMBED src=files/BigBand/T.D___His_Orchestra_-_Boogie_Woogie_-_1943.wav so this is a direct wav file download which is then saved to your cache and played In the browser with the plugin used for .wav files. The direct link would be:
http://amysrefuge.homestead.com/files/BigBand/T.D___His_Orchestra_-_Boogie_Woogie_-_1943.wav

So, this does NOT play for you using LiveAudio?
EDIT:
I saved some of the other wav files from that site, and noticed when I r-clicked the wav file and checked the properties, details, all the formats were MPEG Layer-3. I mention it because this is not a normal codec for wav files...it creates wavs that are much smaller (similar to an mp3 file). Go to
Control panel, Multimedia, Advanced, Audio Compression codecs. Do you see Fraunhofer IIS MPEG -Layer 3 codec (Professional)? I do, but then I remember installing an MPEG3 codec myself awhile back, to let me compress wav files using Sound Recorder. Just a thought.

So, save any more wav files that don't play for you and check the properties, details, codec used for similarities.

Trying your first link (again in Mozilla) http://www.purpledemon.btinternet.co.uk first loaded Sun's Java but the site never completely loaded up so I had to stop the data transfer. Then I clicked the country mix link,
http://www.purpledemon.btinternet.co.uk/country/mix.htm which brought me to a page with a big white rectangle and small blue icon that said, "click here to ge the plugin ". Right-clicking that, I got the message:
"Plugin not loaded ". Requires a plugin for:
application/x-mplayer2. Navigator can retrieve the plugin for you from: (microsoft mediaplayer website)
This would be the Windows Media Player Plug-in, npdsplay.dll which I have installed in NS4.79 (came with Windows Media Player 6.4) and which is enabled for application/x-mplayer2 among other mime types.
npdsplay.dll doesn't work correctly as a Mozilla plugin so I don't use it.

So, I tried the page again in Netscape 4.79 using a direct link to http://www.purpledemon.btinternet.co.uk/country/mix.htm and the Windows Media Player plugin loaded. The Rose Garden clip didin't play at first (r-click, error msg told me to verify the path and filename) so I tried the next song, "Banks of the Ohio, which played fine. as did D.I.V.O.R.C.E. I went back to Rose Garden and then it played. These files are not direct .wav downloads, by the way, as they would have taken a lot longer to download if they were, and secondly, I have Netscape's LiveAudio plugin enabled for wav. These .wav files are played as streaming media, sort of like when you use WMP or RealPlayer to listen to a radio station. The wav files are actually on the website's server and you never actually download them to your hard drive. You only listen to the music stream. Checking the page source, (page created using Front Page Express, btw, so you know it's optimized for IE) it shows:
<script language= "JavaScript ">

var streams = new Array();
streams[0] = new makeStream( "http://web.ukonline.co.uk/crazydemon/magic/rosegarden.wav ", "Rose Garden ");

streams[1] = new makeStream( "http://web.ukonline.co.uk/crazydemon/magic/banksoftheohio.wav ", "Banks Of The Ohio ");

streams[2] = new makeStream( "http://web.ukonline.co.uk/crazydemon/magic/divorce.wav ", "D.I.V.O.R.C.E ");

(snip) - Thse .wav links, for example, http://web.ukonline.co.uk/crazydemon/magic/divorce.wav will download the actual wav file and should use the LiveAudio plugin if that's what you have enabled for .wav files.

 

FYI

Hi washoe,

A few links for you:

QuickTime

QuickTime for Windows Discussion Forum

QuickTime for Windows FAQ

Ramona

 

Hi Ramona, I'm still digesting the most recent posts from you and Alice as to the next step to try in attempting to resolve this problem. However, one thing does strike me...do you have the Fraunhofer IIS MPEG -Layer 3 codec (Professional) installed as Alice does? I do not.
If you also have it installed I'm wondering if that may be a source for my inability to play what are perhaps compressed .wav files on the sites I have been testing. If you do have it installed, perhaps you or Alice can advise where you found it and any installation hints. I'm also becoming convinced that Quick Time may be behind all this turmoil and probably needs to be eliminated. Thanks to you and Alice for testing those web sites. More later.

 

While waiting for Ramona to respond, here is a page I found with a little more information, including a link to download the installer, l3codecx.exe, for one version of the codec you are missing.
http://www.soundamerica.com/codec.htm

The Installer I used was l3codecp.exe

If you would care to try it instead of the one available above, let me know. My e-mail address is on my webpage (click the www link) or send me a PM.

 

Hi washoe,

do you have the Fraunhofer IIS MPEG -Layer 3 codec (Professional) installed?

Yes, I do have that Codec. I should add that it was included in my Music Match Jukebox program. Installation is a no sweat proposition. If you run into problems, just post back.

I have also added the CODECS for WMPlayer 7 and 8, which can be installed separately. I run WMPlayer Ver. 6.4.07.1112, and since I don't plan to upgrade, I did installed the above CODECs. They are available HERE, for WMPlayer 7 Codecs, and HERE, for WMPlayer 8 Codecs.

Ramona

 

If you would care to try it instead of the one available above, let me know. My e-mail address is on my webpage (click the www link) or send me a PM.

In the event you conclude the issue by PM or private mail, it would be appreciated if you post results on the Forum for the benefit of others.

Thanks,

Ramona

 

Hellooo Ramona, I also use WMPlayer Ver. 6.4.07.1112. I won't upgrade because later versions can cause conflicts with a lot of CD burning software. Here's the dumb question, if I'm using WMPlayer 6.4, why would I want the codecs for version 7 and/or 8?

The Codec can be found here: Fraunhofer IIS-A

This link seems to be broken.

In the event you conclude the issue by PM or private mail, it would be appreciated if you post results on the Forum for the benefit of others.

I will be sure to post any resolution achieved.

Thanks.

 

Yo washoe,

Try the Fraunhoff link again. Sorry if you tried the link when I first posted. My link was outdated, and the download was no longer there. I replaced the link, but it was a few minutes after I first posted...

if I'm using WMPlayer 6.4, why would I want the codecs for version 7 and/or 8?

Your media player may say that it needs to download some updated files from Microsoft in order to play a specific file.. Depending upon your preferences and your local security and personal firewall settings, you may choose to do this. My preference is to update the Codecs myself, rather than trust MS. Nothing paranoid 'bout me!

Thanks a bunch, and please keep us posted on your QuickTime bad time!

Ramona

 

On Windows Media Player filters and codecs:

I went to http://amysrefuge.homestead.com/The_60s.html and played a few songs there, all mpeg Layer-3 wavs using Windows Media Player 6.4, which is what I have associated with wav files and which is what opens when I click a wav link in Internet Explorer. By the way, all of the wav files played as streaming media, which is something I had forgotten about WMP since I rarely use IE: all wav playback using WMP online is streaming...as long as the download indicator (white line in the seek bar) is ahead of the playback indicator, you're fine...you run into problems if the download doesn't keep up, then playback is jerky.

Anyway, after playing one of these wavs, I went to file, properties, Advanced tab in the WMP console that was still onscreen, and clicked on "MPEG Layer 3 Decoder" in the 'Filters in Use' section, then clicked the Properties button, and it showed:
MPEG Layer 3 Audio Decoder version 1.5 Build 50
Transform Filter for Microsoft Direct Show
Copyright 1998 Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft IIs

If you have any mpeg layer 3 wav files saved, open one with Windows Media Player and see if you have this filter. If you do then you know that Windows Media Player is using it's own internal filter for these wav files which explains why you can play them with WMP but not with other programs (WinAmp) or with Netscape's Live Audio plugin.

The codec I mentioned before, in Control panel, Multimedia, Advanced, Audio Compression codecs, was:
Fraunhofer IIS MPEG -Layer 3 codec (Professional).
When I select it, click Properties, then About, it shows:
MPEG Layer-3 Audio Codec (professional)
Copyright 1996 Fraunhofer Institut

I did some more reading using groups.google searches and found this bit of information: