Basic Troubleshooting

• Double-check that you meet the System Requirements
• Restart your computer
• Close all other applications except your web browser (even virus checking programs and other applets that run in your system tray)
• Make sure you have the most recent version of Windows Media Player
• Test your Windows Media Player and audio system with another video file

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Help for Netscape Users

• Empty both the Netscape memory cache and the disk cache; then close and restart your browser.
• Try starting Windows Media Player before you open Netscape
• Upgrade to the newest version of Windows Media Player
• If you are still using Netscape 4.x reinstall the Windows Media Player plugin. Downloads are available at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/plugin.aspx.
• Upgrade to a newer version of your browser. If you're a Netscape user, try version 6.2 or newer. If you want to try Internet Explorer, get version 6.0 SP1 or newer.
• If none of the above corrects your problem, we suggest that you contact Netscape directly for support.

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Instead of a video, there is a box with a puzzle piece in it.

Download and install the latest version of Windows Media Player.

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Windows Media Player opens, but content won't play.

Your current connection speed may be less than 37Kbits/sec due to your phone lines or Internet traffic. This can happen even if you have a faster modem or Internet connection. Network congestion may also cause the player to time out. Try connecting again when the network is less congested.

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Content plays, but the quality is poor.

Windows Media Player content is encoded for specific bandwidth ranges. If Internet traffic is heavy, your connection speed may be less than 37Kbits/sec. This is similar to a "bad connection" on the telephone. If your connection speed is too slow to get a high quality video stream, the quality of the video content may be poor. We have reduced the speed requirement for our slow speed files so that almost anyone can play them over a dialup connection. Please keep trying until you get a better connection. Also, be sure to check your Windows Media Player settings to be sure you have selected the proper modem speed. There are fields for minimum and maximum speeds, which if incorrectly set will limit the amount of bandwidth the incoming video stream can use.

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Content plays, but there are pauses in the playback and the player says "buffering".

You are either experiencing network congestion or attempting to play content encoded for a bit rate too high for your current bandwidth. A minimum connection speed of 37Kbits/sec is required. Windows Media Player buffers because it is waiting to receive more data to play back. Try connecting again when the network is less congested.

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The computer crashes when trying to view the video.

As with all programs and plug-ins, Windows Media Player and/or your web browser can freeze or crash your computer. This should not happen on a regular basis. When using a demanding application like a streaming video player try not to have others programs running that might be using system resources. If it seems that the player you are using is causing continual problems, please contact Microsoft Windows Media Player Support at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/support.aspx.

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Audio is OK, but there's no video.

If you have a dialup connection and select a high speed video file, your computer will not be capable of displaying the video being broadcast and you will only hear the audio portion of the program. In addition, if you select the high speed video file, and your actual connection speed drops below 256Kbits/sec, you will only hear the audio portion of the program.

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Video is OK, but there's no audio.

This is most likely due to network traffic, either on your local network or the Internet. The best thing to do in this situation is to try listening at another time. You may also have selected a clip that requires more bandwidth than your Internet connection can deliver. Try a smaller version of the file, if available.

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There is no audio OR video.

• Check the Basic Troubleshooting steps
• Restart your computer and try again
• If you connect to the internet through a firewall, contact your network administrator to determine what is required for you to receive streaming media over the internet.
• There may be network or server congestion. Wait a while and try again.
• Is some other software interfering with your Windows Media Player? Be sure to close all other applications including virus scanners and other applications that run in your system tray.
• If you haven't recently done so, reinstall Windows Media Player.
• Check your sound card and speakers. Make sure they are they working, and that you have the latest drivers.

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When trying to play a video, it starts to load, but never finishes.

This problem occurs in Internet Explorer when your browser settings prevent ActiveX components from loading. To check this setting, select the "Tools" menu at the top of the Internet Explorer menu bar. Next select "Internet Options", then "Security", then click on "Custom Level" at the bottom of the window. Review the settings, make sure that "Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins" is enabled. If it was already set to enabled, you should consider downloading the latest version of Windows Media Player. Downloads are available at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/en/download/default.asp.

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