unable to open wav files direct from internet

Hi all

I've lost the ability to open wav files directly from links on web pages

I get the download dialogue box but "open from location" is greyed out

tried a web page which has background sound wav file - that works fine

local wav files play OK

have just installed zone alarm, could this be the cause? - first time I have used it...

checked "access data source across domains" is set to "prompt "

perhaps this should be in the IE forum? if so apologies... I'm running W98 (not SE)

Thanks in advance, Hugh.

 

Hi PeteC

thankyou for replying - ZA setup crashed right at the end, and all sorts of weird ensued

also when the very first ZA popup window appeared it wouldn't dismiss; but that sorted itself when the next popup window came on it banished the first one. Since then it seems to have been working OK though

I tried going back to a backup set from a few days earlier and that didn't help - and with ZA seemingly stable now, and the rest seemed fixed too...

have now changed the setup so that I don't get ZA automatically on startup so doing what you suggest is not hard; will do it soon as I can, and write back. PC is a bit busy at the moment

umm, sorry for asking the really basic one but: pls check me that I should actually have that option - for wav files - of opening them direct from source?

I'm almost sure I could once - it's not a thing that matters a lot per se - more that I want to get the rebuild "clean" or go back and do it again - can take several backups at various stages (have done) but the only other one that's "earlier" goes way back, would have to put ISP stuff on again.

from the time trail: a little prior to this, I'd gone to the M$ site to put the updates / patches onto IE, OE; if anything else were a candidate for a change, then it has to be that

FWIW:
IE: 5.50.4807.2300IS SP2;Q818529;Q330994;q313829
(customised but nowhere near as heavily as some, stuck with it <= ISP)
OE: 5.50.4807.1700 (came with IE)
Windows98 (not SE) 4.10.1998

although the wav files don't matter so much in themselves, I worry that it may indicate something's a bit wrong; this PC gets horribly overgrown with software, I like to have a backup of the "core stuff" that I can depend upon; as I have a spare partition or two I really have an opportunity now, and don't want to miss out... if I have to back and do it all again, then that I will do.

many thanks again for replying to a rather basic query, and best wishes, HJ

 

If you have ZA version greater that 2.6, that thing does cause problems, plus it does not uninstall properly each time. I would recommend Kerio Personal Firewall.
It has several pluses over ZA, ZA adds about 10 system files, one VXD, eight DLL's, and one TDR file. Then it loads three executables. Not to mention the Internet Log folder under C:\Windows.
Kerio installs zero DLL's, zero VXD's, and one executable when running. Another will appear when you enter into Administration. Disable the Auto Update feature and the Enable DNS Resolving [for it's own logging] and you will have very little impact on resources and bandwidth. I believe my dialup connection runs a bit faster since switching.
If you decide to keep ZA, I have found if you do not enable logging of alerts, you can disable minilog.exe from starting up with no adverse affects, but leave the other two. I came across this when checking the affects of loading at startup and starting ZA manually. When manual, the minilog wasn't loaded.

 

mark: thankyou for valuable information; even though the ZA is v2.1.44... Kerio sounds more the thing, particularly considering what you say about resource usage - I'm somewhat "challenged" (!) in that department... I will look it up...

PeteC: well spotted! I'd sort of got round to assuming that everyone on the BBS would be on the other side of the world and didn't think to check... If you are ever over this way drop in for a cuppa!

regarding these wav files from source: although I'm very fond of music, streaming etc isn't what I'm into - dialup not broadband! - I did try awhile back: can just about do a low bitrate mp3 on a good day.

the real matter was the ?changes to setup; it caught me unawares... wish I could track it down more accurately, also that I was more certain of the behaviour beforehand.

from memory: it went much as lines PeteC suggests: the file would d/l to temporary location (gets AV as it opens and closes) and then go to - usully Winamp at the moment, but can be others. (local wavs still behave normally)

now, however: when I click on the link a separate instance of IE fires up, and promptly produces the download dialogue box but "Open from location" option is greyed out.

the wav file I first noticed it on was on the BBS here ~30% down the page

I think this is where it is going wrong. The key seems to be the separate IE firing up... and I don't know what controls whether you launch a new IE or stay in the same window... a right click on the link gives a menu with "Open" and "Open in new window ", neither greyed; but they both do the same thing.

having recently bought new HDD I have spare partitions (have 14 x 5GB partions: 2 HDDs 30GB split into 6 and 40GB split into 8) to make backups; so if disaster strikes I can go back a notch; in general I prefer not to uninstall. Rather, to go back to a trusted machine state, and reinstall, trying to learn from what happened before.

so I did this. and went back, and back, and back: and thus ruled out almost everything, apart from:

the Microsoft update patches. And I can't go back before them easily. I posted the machine status (after the M$ patches) earlier on this thread. I have an awful feeling it has to be this.

In practical terms I don't give two hoots whether I can open a wav from location - that aspect just doesn't matter.

The big worry though came when the ZA setup crashed:
saw a change in ?IE behaviour - what else might I have sideswiped at the same time?
It look worrying: next time I opened Control Panel many of the items had lost their icons, showing a default icon instead. The orders of the items on Favourites, IE QuickLaunch - that sort of thing - all changed. Didn't feel good.

This is the point when I noticed the altered behaviour for the wav files. But it now looks as if that's nothing to do with the ZA problem, it was happening well before that.

After a few reboots the PC had mended itself a bit, the icons reappeared, and when I had reordered the various lists the newer order "stuck" ok... and so far no re-occurrence of the problem

sorry about writing a book! but I really don't know which bit of this matters. ?but as yet I am unsure what caused what - so I give you the history...

The only earlier pre-patches state I can return to will mean putting IE/OE back on and reconnecting to ISP etc - which I will surely try in a day or so. It just needs an hour or two with not too much else on - and if I don't touch any email it won't be awkward.

at the moment the PC is good though - stable, and in heavy use very nearly 24/7. As soon as I can, will try it pre-patches, then will have facts to go on. But if any of this rings bells... any and all advice very useful.

Good Luck and Best Wishes, HJ.

 

Hi PeteC

re backup / restore; I use the "copy entire partition" available as "advanced option" on the Western Digital install utilities; it is on a (bootable) floppy disk. It's meant for copying an old HDD to the new one you are installing. I copy the entire C: to a higher partition (or vice versa) - no data compression involved - seems OK with long names, registry goes with, etc.

At last got some facts today. It looks like there are 2 things going on...

I went back to a clean install of W98 + minimal drivers for sound card and modem; before the Microsoft patches. From ISP (NTL) signup CD I do IE5SETUP to update IE4 to IE5.5; it tries on first run to go to the M$ update site, I didn't let it. As supplied it says SP2 though.

Tried the wav file link. New IE window appeared v. briefly -> download manger (for an instant) -> Media Player -> played the file; whole process was automatic - as you describe.

Now it gets interesting - I reasociated wav with Winamp; behaviour changed: same as above up to where the download manager comes up, but then it paused waiting for me to decide Open From Location or Save To Disk. Neither option was greyed out - and both worked.

Ran out of time, so backed up this onto G: - will return to this next time I can "play" and try the M$ patches next, but there are 20 of them it says are required and I'll have to them do one by one... to try to determine which if any ?grey out the Open From option.

with thanks again for your interest and help, HJ

 

PeteC

thanks for reply. Being able to keep a "test" setup for the PC on spare partition will prove the key to unscrambling here...

apart from the patches, I want to see what happens if (from G: as left) I simply try reassociating wav back to media player (Open With... and using File Types...): will either/both put the behaviour back as if Winamp had never been used?

plus there are different ways to give the wav extension over to the Winamp (BTW all this is *not* using the Winamp agent to maintain file associations)

the greyingout, though - that's a bit more fundmental, I must get a handle on that aspect. That is the real one I'm after.

slow but sure then, and I will post back results - at least like this, I'm independent of the "working" setup for the PC. Will check back in case anyone has thought of other things to try.

Best Wishes, HJ.

 

Hi again

I've now been through the patches and have not narrowed it down to any single one...

I guess it's the old thing of not relying on service packs, patches etc. to operate as intended on a customised browser?

still niggling away at the problem, but have now gone over to IE6 for a working setup - which has a more comprehensive choice of options on the download dialogue

The IE6 was obtained by upgrading from the old IE5.5 at the M$ site; it still describes itself as customised; but patched OK (at least none say that they failed); so I'm sticking with that most of the time.

I still put 5.5 on every now and then, but only need to use it locally so it doesn't need to be patched (checking interoperability for web pages) - hence the delay in replying - got a lot of other stuff to sort out at the moment...

Best Wishes, HJ

 

mark,
thanks for the pointer towards kerio; I finally got round to giving it a go...
and promptly discovered that ZoneAlarm 2.1.44 won't uninstall properly either. Or, if there's a way of doing it, it was beyond me...
best wishes, HJ.
(afterthought - I did find a way in the end: FORMAT C: )