No wmp plug in in FF on Vista machine

Skwurl · Post by **Skwurl** » March 29th, 2007, 7:20 am

Ok this time i tested the fix myself multiple times, it works get the new fix <a href="http://www.datafilehost.com/download.php?file=7135a915">here</a>.

Skwurl.
P.S. I put this one together myself because the files needed can't all be found in one place.

dickvl · Post by **dickvl** » March 30th, 2007, 1:59 pm

See the links here on where to get the WMP plugins:
Restoring the Windows Media Player plugin
WMP:_Missing_plugin_(KB)

Old richard mitnick · March 30th, 2007, 6:15 pm

My problem was WMP11, in Vista. I don't think that either of these would be of any use.

Has anyone tried anything with WMP11 in Vista?

::RSM

Alice · Post by **Alice** » March 31st, 2007, 5:15 am

RSM,
The two links dickvl posted explain how to restore the missing WMP plugin files on all Windows versions, including Vista. When the plugin .dll files are missing, as they are in Vista, the usual fix is to download the three files from the links provided and then place them in the Windows Media Player or Mozilla Firefox\plugins folder. Many Vista users have done this with success.

In fact, the official Firefox 2.0.0.3 release notes (under Windows & Windows Vista) tell you:

A Windows Media Player (WMP) plugin is not provided with Windows Vista. As a workaround, in order to view Windows Media content, you can follow these instructions.

If you are satisfied with the MediaPlayerConnectivity solution and prefer not downloading those three .dll files then you don't have to do anything.

Old richard mitnick · March 31st, 2007, 10:50 am

Thanks, all.

::RSM

Guest · Post by **Guest** » April 1st, 2007, 12:36 pm

I am seeing this on Vista Business 32-bit. Digging through the docs, I found this workaround.

Install the "MediaPlayerConnectivity" add-on extension:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/446

Then, when you get embedded Windows Media content, you just click on it, and it plays in the WMP application as opposed to being embedded in Firefox. This add-on is terrific and works great for me.

BTW, it appears this was a deliberate move by Microsoft, because IE 7 can still play Windows Media content in with its embedded WMP plugin.

Alice · Post by **Alice** » April 1st, 2007, 12:44 pm

Thanks for the details on using the MediaPlayerConnectivity extension, Guest.

Internet Explorer (since IE5.5sp2, I think) no longer detects Netscape-style plugins and uses the WMP ActiveX control instead for embedded media. Firefox 1.5 versions have an Mozilla ActiveX plugin available that allows you to use the Windows Media Player ActiveX control (details here and here) but the Mozilla ActiveX project hasn't come up with a version for Firefox 2. I don't know if one is being planned or not.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » April 1st, 2007, 1:00 pm

Interesting. Thanks, Alice.

Even though it's at Microsoft's expense, I hate to be sardonic, but I thought Microsoft was finally moving away from ActiveX.

In any case, thank you Alice. I appreciate hearing the detail that you provided.

Alice · Post by **Alice** » April 1st, 2007, 1:14 pm

You're welcome.

P.S. In case my comments about Internet Explorer's use of Netscape-style plugins was confusing, I'll clear it up by saying that Internet Explorer 5.5.sp1 and earlier IE versions were capable of using either a Netscape-style plugin or an ActiveX control for embedded media. Starting in IE5.5sp2, support for Netscape-style plugins was dropped. Ref:
http://support.microsoft.com/directory/ ... US;Q303401
Netscape-Style Plug-ins Do Not Work After Upgrading Internet Explorer

For whatever reason, Microsoft did not include the Windows Media Player plugin files in Windows Vista, which is bad news for Vista users who prefer using a browser other than Internet Explorer. Hopefully the Mozilla developers will come up with a solution, possibly including something like the MediaPlayerConnectivity extension as an optional component of Mozilla browsers.

Old richard mitnick · Post by **Old richard mitnick** » April 1st, 2007, 1:22 pm

I may have said this above, I took this problem into the WMP Community Boards, and some WMP-MVP came back with, hey, well , you know this is from Netscape 3, and so pretty old. Well, that's a ridiculous answer. If what was there for use in the past is obsolete, then replace it.

This is just more of Mother MSFT being arrogant. In Vista, just try going into WMP11 and un-selecting file types. Not gonna happen.

::RSM

Alice · Post by **Alice** » April 1st, 2007, 1:36 pm

Richard,

Instead of "un-selecting" file types in WMP11, did you try setting another program (WinAmp, Quicktime Player, Real Player or whatever) as the default for the filetypes in THAT program's options? That's what I do when I want WinAmp, for example, to take over the default for a Windows video file (avi) and that type is checked in WMP10. I tried it just now by going to WinAmps preferences for File Types and selecting AVI. Once I opened Windows Media Player's Options for File Types, the AVI box was unchecked. This is getting off-topic, though.

Old richard mitnick · Post by **Old richard mitnick** » April 1st, 2007, 7:04 pm

Hi, yes.

Here is my experience. I am in Vista, with RealPlayer , Winamp amd WMP.

With WMP unchecked in Default Programs|Choose...|Set...|WMP|Set.., and with either RealPlayer or Winamp selected as my default if I launch an mp3 stream from Shoutcast or from my local NPR station (WNYC2), I will get a dialogue box asking what program I want to use and showing me that default.

However, with the same settings among the players, if I launch a specialized music service to which I belong, Music From the Hearts of Space (hos.com), which uses .wma file type, and launch a program from the web site, it will open without question or without asking me in WMP11.

Now, for me, actually, this is of little import, because I never launch from a web site.First, I have my own library of mp3 fdoles, about 20 gigs of classical and popular music, and I have web streams from Puboic Radio and Shoutcast saved as Favorites, bookmarks, and playlists respectively. So, I just launch from whatever player I want to use on any given day.

But, my point is, in WMP11 in Vista, one either selects WMP11 as the default or one selects something else. One can not select specific file types in WMP11. All you can check or uin-check is one box, "Select All". There is in Vista, another page in which every conceivable file type on the computer is displayed. On thqat page, one can change anything, but it is an arduous task to go through all of that stuff just to change a few file types. That is what i mean by saying that MSFT is being arrogant.

::RSM

::RSM

Alice · Post by **Alice** » April 1st, 2007, 8:06 pm

In Windows XP SP2 I also have Windows Media Player, Real Player and WinAmp listed in "Set Program Access and Defaults" under "Custom -> Choose a default media player", but I've never paid any attention to that. I set my individual file associations in each player since I use different players for different file types.

.WMA files are specifically "Windows Media Audio" files and I wouldn't think of associating them with anything but Windows Media Player, although WMA is listed in WinAmp's possible filetypes. The Windows Media Player plugin "npdsplay.dll" is set to handle .wma files since those are included under the audio/x-ms-wma MIME type, as seen in my about:plugins list. From past experience and other reports like this one if you change the system default for .WMA or .WMV files to Real Player or WinAmp (using RP or WinAmp's preference settings for FileTypes) an error can occur when opening a direct link to those "Windows Media" wmv or wma files in Firefox, even though the WMP plugin should hand the file over to the system default player, as described here. Just keep that in mind if you ever install the WMP plugin.

About your problems with .wma files on the "Hearts of Space (hos.com)" site. You said that "if I launch a specialized music service to which I belong, Music From the Hearts of Space (hos.com), which uses .wma file type, and launch a program from the web site, it will open without question or without asking me in WMP11. ". Im not clear of what you meant by 'launch a program from the web site". Do you mean opening a direct link to a .wma file on the hos.com site?

What happens when you try another direct .wma link like this one? http://wymette.home.att.net/files/sample.wma

If the above link opens automatically in WMP then do you see an entry for WMA files in your Firefox "Tools -> Options -> Content / File Types -> Manage..." Download Actions listing? If so, can you change WMA files to another player by selecting .WMA from the list clicking "Change Action" selecting "Open them with this application" and then browsing to your winamp.exe program so that they open in WinAmp? See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Changing_medi ... ad_actions

As far as changing the system default player for other file types, can't you set AVI, for example, or any other filetypes in WinAmp's Options -> Preferences -> General Preferences -> FileTypes so that .avi files are no longer associated with WMP and automatically open with WinAmp? That's what I do when I want to change individual file associations to WinAmp.

dickvl · Post by **dickvl** » April 2nd, 2007, 9:07 am

It could be the difference between a MIME type specified and a missing MIME type and only the file extension present. With a MIME type Firefox will open the url in the associated player and ask what to do if the MIME type is not specified.

Old richard mitnick · Post by **Old richard mitnick** » April 2nd, 2007, 9:08 am

Alice-

You wrote, ".WMA files are specifically "Windows Media Audio" files and I wouldn't think of associating them with anything but Windows Media Player,"

I don't know why you would feel that way. Winamp and Real will both play WMP file types just fine.

I am lucky to control the music in my office. The reason I choose to select streams through a player is so that I can quickly switch away from one stream to another if what is being streamed annoys another employee. Winamp has been my default. WPRB in Princeton NJ has an excellent classical music program Mon-Sat 6:00AM-11:00AM. I stream their WMP multibit stream. If suddenly there is some caterwalling soprano, or John Cage's music, I need to get out of there in a hurry. So, I may go to a Shoutcast stream which is enveloped in a .pls file, which WMP can not play.
Along with Winamp, Real can play anything, so sometimes I use Real. Real will play more file types than Winamp, but I try not to use Real because I do not like Rob Glazer. WMP and MusicMatch have the shortest list of file types, so only rarely woule I be using one of them st stream in my office.

I mean, sure, you can do exactly what you want, but I don't think that you gain anything by what you are doing.

Thanks for all of the comments.

::RSM