Do I need a CODEC?

Running 3GHz CPU, 2 G RAM, WinXP Pro SP3, hi speed internet (Comcast).

I've asked about this problem before with lots of help but no resolution. (I
think the thread was Repairing IE8). IE8 has been working just fine on my
computer for years. IE8 about four months ago started not loading videos
from *some* sites like http://Marketwatch.com. It does load YouTube and
videos from other sites and .swf files from my hard drive. I have the same
setup on two other computers and they work fine. I've compared
Tools/Internet Options on all computers and they are the same. I have the
latest Adobe Flash player.

When I say it doesn't play videos I mean instead of the video, I get a black
box where the video should be but there is text on the site I'm trying to
play the videos on. IE8 otherwise works fine. It shows all sites and plays
the audio files and shows text on the sites, but not the video files.

I put Chrome on my computer and it does the exact same thing as IE8; it
doesn't play videos from the same sites as IE8. Otherwise it also works fine.

During the last time I got help here, I made a new account and IE8 worked
fine under the new account. The problem with that is I have many programs on
my computer and it would take a lot of work to get them all moved to a new
account.



My question from all this, considering all the things that have been tried in
the past, is am I missing or have a bad CODEC ? If I remember correctly, each
site requires different CODECs. As an example, my IE8 works perfectly on
http://comcast.net .

Thanks

Henry


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Hi,
1. On the affected webpage, go to (IE Menu Bar) View> Webpage Privacy Policy
(Show: All websites.) Do any cookies show as blocked?

2. If any content is blocked, check the HOSTS file.
Make sure that Windows is showing hidden files and is not hiding file
extensions for known file types (Control Panel> Folder Options> View)
navigate to the HOSTS file at [C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc]

Open the HOSTS file with notepad. Are there any sites/URLs in the HOSTS
file? Anything other than the default content (shown below?)
- - - -
# For example:
#
# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host

127.0.0.1 localhost
- - - -
If the HOSTS file is blocking required cookies, you can place a # in front
of that/those entries then click Save (Notepad) to disable that block or
delete all URLs, leaving just the default text.

3. Uninstalling/reinstalling Flash Player may help- steps 3 & 4 here:
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/191/tn_19166.html

Don

"Henry" <> wrote in message
news:jbibqo$14s$...
> Running 3GHz CPU, 2 G RAM, WinXP Pro SP3, hi speed internet (Comcast).
>
> I've asked about this problem before with lots of help but no resolution.
(I
> think the thread was Repairing IE8). IE8 has been working just fine on my
> computer for years. IE8 about four months ago started not loading videos
> from *some* sites like http://Marketwatch.com. It does load YouTube and
> videos from other sites and .swf files from my hard drive. I have the same
> setup on two other computers and they work fine. I've compared
> Tools/Internet Options on all computers and they are the same. I have the
> latest Adobe Flash player.
>
> When I say it doesn't play videos I mean instead of the video, I get a
black
> box where the video should be but there is text on the site I'm trying to
> play the videos on. IE8 otherwise works fine. It shows all sites and
plays
> the audio files and shows text on the sites, but not the video files.
>
> I put Chrome on my computer and it does the exact same thing as IE8; it
> doesn't play videos from the same sites as IE8. Otherwise it also works
fine.
> [snip]
>
> My question from all this, considering all the things that have been tried
in
> the past, is am I missing or have a bad CODEC ? If I remember correctly,
each
> site requires different CODECs. As an example, my IE8 works perfectly on
> http://comcast.net .
>
> Thanks
>
> Henry

Don Varnau wrote:

> Hi,
> 1. On the affected webpage, go to (IE Menu Bar) View> Webpage Privacy Policy
> (Show: All websites.) Do any cookies show as blocked?

There are many many websites shown, some with nothing after them.
Marketwatch.com is shown as accepted. Any other with marketwatch.com in them
that are shown as blocked, when you click on Summary, "Always allow this site
to use cookies" is dotted even though shown as blocked. I don't understand this.


> 2. If any content is blocked, check the HOSTS file.
> Make sure that Windows is showing hidden files and is not hiding file
> extensions for known file types (Control Panel> Folder Options> View)

That is how mine is set up.

> navigate to the HOSTS file at [C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc]
>
> Open the HOSTS file with notepad. Are there any sites/URLs in the HOSTS
> file? Anything other than the default content (shown below?)
> - - - -
> # For example:
> #
> # 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
> # 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host
>
> 127.0.0.1 localhost
> - - - -
> If the HOSTS file is blocking required cookies, you can place a # in front
> of that/those entries then click Save (Notepad) to disable that block or
> delete all URLs, leaving just the default text.

My HOST file just shows 127.0.0.1 localhost without a # in front of it and
looks exactly like your example.


> 3. Uninstalling/reinstalling Flash Player may help- steps 3 & 4 here:
> http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/191/tn_19166.html

This does not help.

Henry

> Don
>
> "Henry" <> wrote in message
> news:jbibqo$14s$...
>
>>Running 3GHz CPU, 2 G RAM, WinXP Pro SP3, hi speed internet (Comcast).
>>
>>I've asked about this problem before with lots of help but no resolution.
>
> (I
>
>>think the thread was Repairing IE8). IE8 has been working just fine on my
>>computer for years. IE8 about four months ago started not loading videos
>>from *some* sites like http://Marketwatch.com. It does load YouTube and
>>videos from other sites and .swf files from my hard drive. I have the same
>>setup on two other computers and they work fine. I've compared
>>Tools/Internet Options on all computers and they are the same. I have the
>>latest Adobe Flash player.
>>
>>When I say it doesn't play videos I mean instead of the video, I get a
>
> black
>
>>box where the video should be but there is text on the site I'm trying to
>>play the videos on. IE8 otherwise works fine. It shows all sites and
>
> plays
>
>>the audio files and shows text on the sites, but not the video files.
>>
>>I put Chrome on my computer and it does the exact same thing as IE8; it
>>doesn't play videos from the same sites as IE8. Otherwise it also works
>
> fine.
>
>>[snip]
>>
>>My question from all this, considering all the things that have been tried
>
> in
>
>>the past, is am I missing or have a bad CODEC ? If I remember correctly,
>
> each
>
>>site requires different CODECs. As an example, my IE8 works perfectly on
>>http://comcast.net .
>>
>>Thanks
>>
>>Henry
>
>

1. From Safety on the IE Command Bar, uncheck InPrivate Filtering.
2. From IE> Tools, if the pop-up blocker is enabled, disable it.
3. Just to verify... there are no URLs in the HOSTS file other than the
sample text, right?
4. Verify that the computer's date, time and time zone are correct. This can
affect cookie handling.
5. Internet Options> Privacy, try a setting of Low or Accept all.
6. Try placing the affected sites in Trusted Sites. If it's already in
Trusted Sites, remove it to see if there's any change.
7. Try disabling any third-party antivirus or other security program *just
long enough to test* one of the affected sites.

Don

"Henry" <> wrote in message
news:jbiprm$p0u$...
> Don Varnau wrote:
>
> > Hi,
> > 1. On the affected webpage, go to (IE Menu Bar) View> Webpage Privacy
Policy
> > (Show: All websites.) Do any cookies show as blocked?
>
> There are many many websites shown, some with nothing after them.
> Marketwatch.com is shown as accepted. Any other with marketwatch.com in
them
> that are shown as blocked, when you click on Summary, "Always allow this
site
> to use cookies" is dotted even though shown as blocked. I don't
understand this.
>
>
> > 2. If any content is blocked, check the HOSTS file.
> > Make sure that Windows is showing hidden files and is not hiding file
> > extensions for known file types (Control Panel> Folder Options> View)
>
> That is how mine is set up.
>
> > navigate to the HOSTS file at [C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc]
> >
> > Open the HOSTS file with notepad. Are there any sites/URLs in the HOSTS
> > file? Anything other than the default content (shown below?)
> > - - - -
> > # For example:
> > #
> > # 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
> > # 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host
> >
> > 127.0.0.1 localhost
> > - - - -
> > If the HOSTS file is blocking required cookies, you can place a # in
front
> > of that/those entries then click Save (Notepad) to disable that block or
> > delete all URLs, leaving just the default text.
>
> My HOST file just shows 127.0.0.1 localhost without a # in front of it
and
> looks exactly like your example.
>
>
> > 3. Uninstalling/reinstalling Flash Player may help- steps 3 & 4 here:
> > http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/191/tn_19166.html
>
> This does not help.
> Henry


> > "Henry" <> wrote in message
> > news:jbibqo$14s$...
> >
> >>Running 3GHz CPU, 2 G RAM, WinXP Pro SP3, hi speed internet (Comcast).
> >>
> >>I've asked about this problem before with lots of help but no
resolution.
> >
> > (I
> >>think the thread was Repairing IE8). IE8 has been working just fine on
my
> >>computer for years. IE8 about four months ago started not loading
videos
> >>from *some* sites like http://Marketwatch.com. It does load YouTube and
> >>videos from other sites and .swf files from my hard drive. I have the
same
> >>setup on two other computers and they work fine. I've compared
> >>Tools/Internet Options on all computers and they are the same. I have
the
> >>latest Adobe Flash player.
> >>
> >>When I say it doesn't play videos I mean instead of the video, I get a
> >
> > black
> >
> >>box where the video should be but there is text on the site I'm trying
to
> >>play the videos on. IE8 otherwise works fine. It shows all sites and
> >
> > plays
> >
> >>the audio files and shows text on the sites, but not the video files.
> >>
> >>I put Chrome on my computer and it does the exact same thing as IE8; it
> >>doesn't play videos from the same sites as IE8. Otherwise it also works
> >
> > fine.
> >
> >>[snip]
> >>
> >>My question from all this, considering all the things that have been
tried
> >
> > in
> >
> >>the past, is am I missing or have a bad CODEC ? If I remember correctly,
> >
> > each
> >
> >>site requires different CODECs. As an example, my IE8 works perfectly
on
> >>http://comcast.net .

Don Varnau wrote:

> 1. From Safety on the IE Command Bar, uncheck InPrivate Filtering.
> 2. From IE> Tools, if the pop-up blocker is enabled, disable it.
> 3. Just to verify... there are no URLs in the HOSTS file other than the
> sample text, right?
> 4. Verify that the computer's date, time and time zone are correct. This can
> affect cookie handling.
> 5. Internet Options> Privacy, try a setting of Low or Accept all.
> 6. Try placing the affected sites in Trusted Sites. If it's already in
> Trusted Sites, remove it to see if there's any change.
> 7. Try disabling any third-party antivirus or other security program *just
> long enough to test* one of the affected sites.
>
> Don

Sorry, (for me) but none of the above helped.

Henry