QuickTime 7.4: Downgrade working for many users; remove components for playback issues

[Tuesday, January 29th]

QuickTIme 7.4 has proven one of the more problematic updates released by Apple in recent memory. To recap, serious issues caused by the release include no video, only audio in movies, incompatibility with third-party applications (such as After Effects), inability to playback some file formats, and more.

Fortunately, downgrading to QuickTime 7.3.1 is a relatively easy process and is proving successful at resolving all the aforementioned issues for a number of readers.

Again, the easiest method is to use Pacifist. Download Pacifist and install it, then download the version of QuickTime 7.3.1 for your system:

• QuickTime 7.3.1 for Leopard [10.5.1]
• QuickTime 7.3.1 for Tiger [10.4.11]
• QuickTime 7.3.1 for Panther [10.3.9]

Drag the QuickTime 7.3.1 package onto the Pacifist icon, or choose "Open Package" from the File menu in Pacifist and select the QuickTime pacakge.

With the package open, select its name (the top entry in Pacifist), click "Install" and follow the on-screen prompts, making sure the "Use Administrator Privileges" box is checked.

If you have problems with the Pacifist downgrade method, try the previously mentioned Archive and Install downgrade method.

MacFixIt reader Doug Ashley experienced success with this procedure. He writes:

"A client stumbled into a serious problem after choosing to update to Quicktime 7.4 using Automatic Updates. Working on a Mac G4 1.2 ghz with 10.3.9, she has an extensive library of client files maintained in InDesign CS2. After applying the Quicktime 7.4 auto update, she no longer was able to save ANY changes to an existing ID CS2 file. She could open the file and make her changes as usual, but when she chose the standard "Save" command she was instead presented the "Save as..." dialog screen. If she tried to then save the file anyway and overwrite the existing file, her Mac reported that she did not have "permission" to make changes to the file.

"I used Pacifist to downgrade her to Quicktime 7.3.1, as suggested on one of the MacFixIt pages, and the problem immediately disappeared, (As a precaution, after installing QT 7.3.1 using Pacifist, I then installed QT 7.3.1 again using the standard Apple installer. My first time needing to use Pacifist. Kudos -- and my shareware fee -- to its authors!)"

Remove components for playback issues If you are experiencing problems playing back specific media, particularly MP4 files, try removing potentially problematic third-party playback components.

Look in the following directories:

• ~/Library/QuickTime
• /Library/QuickTime

and temporarily remove any third-party components (those that don't begin with "Apple") and restart.

One reader, Matt Carrell, who experienced success with this method writes:

"I found that after installing 3ivx software and then removing the 3ivxMediaImporter.component pluging from the quicktime library folder, I was once again (under Quicktime 7.4) to open and play .mp4 files in quicklook and Quicktime."

Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.

Previous coverage:

• QuickTime 7.4: Downgrading, no video only audio, After Effects issues, more
• QuickTime 7.4 video playback problems: more solutions
• QuickTime 7.4 breaks movie playback, how to fix
• Video not playing after QuickTime 7.4 update
• QuickTime 7.4 released: security holes plugged

Resources