QuickTime 7.4: Downgrading, no video only audio, After Effects issues, more

Major problems continue.

CNET staff

Sept. 2, 2009 2:18 a.m. PT

5 min read

Thursday, January 24th

Reminder: Downgrading to QuickTime 7.3.x QuickTime 7.4 is causing so many serious problems for so many users (no video, only audio in movies, incompatibility with third-party applications, inability to playback some file formats) that many are choosing to downgrade to QuickTime 7.3.1 (as previously noted). This obviously eliminates any security fixes and other refinements brought about by the update, but generally restores normal functionality.

There are two methods for downgrading:

Archive and Install This is the method we recommended early on in our QuickTime 7.4 coverage; it's the safest, but also more tedious. Here's how to do it:

First, make a backup of your current Mac OS X installation with QuickTime 7.4 applied, problematic as it may be. If there is an issue along the way, your valuable data will be safely intact in its current form. Next, you'll need to perform an Archive and Install process to remove all of the QuickTime update's (and potentially problem-causing) components, and replace them with the components of the older release. Unfortunately, this means you will lose some system settings and some or all third-party system add-ons.

To begin the process, insert your Mac OS X CD or DVD. Restart your machine and hold down the "C" key to boot from the newly inserted disc. Follow the on-screen instructions, and after accepting the license agreement, click "Options." Select "Archive and Install," and check the "Preserve User and Network Settings" option if you'd like to do so.

After the installation process is complete, you will be left with an earlier Mac OS X system that (hopefully) does not suffer from the problems generated by QuickTime 7.4.

Next, download and install the latest version of your OS (Leopard [10.5.1], Tiger [10.4.11], or Panther [10.3.9]) from Apple's download page. Finally, download and install QuickTime 7.3 from one of the following links:

Use Pacifist This method is easier, but can also potentially cause problems with system stability. Here's the method:

If you don't have it already, download Pacifist and install it.

Download the version of QuickTime 7.3.1 for your system:
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.

No video, only audio One of the most pervasive problems with QuickTime 7.4 is one in which movies play audio but no video. Sample reports:

"Sorry that I updated to QuickTime 7.4 - I can no longer play MP4 videos with QuickTime Pro. MP4 videos play as audio only. I tried downloading QuickTime 7.4 and reinstalling, repairing permissions, removing ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.quicktime.plugin.preferences.plist [Ed.- One of MacFixIt's recommended fixes etc. without success."
"I have QT Pro and just installed QT 7.4 (92) to MacOS X 10.4.11. Downloaded several MP4 files and got sound only"
"Quicktime 7.4 breaks playback of streaming video (plays audio only) eg in Lynda.com. Published fixes aren't proving effective"

Removing QuickTime Plugin.webplugin Removing the file /Library/Plug-ins/QuickTime Plugin.webplugin continues to prove succesful for resolving these issues. MacFixIt reader Steve writes:

"As well, I wasn't able to get Quicktime video playback after the 7.4 upgrade. But I removed the QuickTime Plugin.webplugin from the internet plugins folder and that has solved my problem"

QuickTime content not playing in Safari Users continue to experience problems playing QuickTime content in Safari.

One reader writes: "I just started having issues with Quicktime 7.4 as did a few of my clients. A movie would begin then just freeze at a particular frame. I the instance of one movie I created, and streaming from a clients website, the movie was playing then stopping at the poster frame and not continuing."

The same reader fixed that issue thusly:

"What I ended up doing was, emptying the cache in Safari, then quitting Safari. I then opened the QuickTime system preference, went to the Browser tab. I emptied the download cache and then unchecked 'Save movies in disk cache.' I opened Safari went back to the website and the movie played normally.

Continued After Effects issues We previously reported serious After Effects issues, of which reports continue to pour in. To reiterate: After Effects causing all renders to crash within 10 minutes of starting them. The error message reads, After Effects error: you do not have permissions to open this file (-54) very bad for folks producing material in After Effects."

This problem appears to be related to new DRM restrictions enacted in QuickTime 7.4.

Again, a downgrade, as mentioned above, appears to be the best current solution for this problem.

Expressions Media problems A number of users are having problems with Microsoft's Expressions Media, an asset management tool. The primary issue is that, post-QuickTime 7.4, when users import anything to Expressions Media from a file or folder, or when attempting to update an existing catalog folder, the application creates a brand new location and sends the items there.

A Microsoft representative says:

"We suspect that this issue is related to QuickTime 7.4. The duplicate catalog folders should not occur in new catalogs, only those which were created prior to installing QuickTime 7.4. To work around this issue, import the items from your existing catalog into a new catalog using the following steps to import Items into a New Catalog

Launch Expression Media

Click File > Import Items > From Catalog File

Locate the existing catalog file and click Open

Save the new catalog with a different name

"You should not see the issue going forward with this new catalog. Please let me know if this procedure works for you."

Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.

Previous coverage:

Resources

previously noted

recommended

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]

Pacifist

serious After Effects issu...

Late-breakers@macfixit.com

QuickTime 7.4 video playba...