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General discussion

Downloading Flash files

Dec 13, 2003 4:51PM PST

Win98se

My wife enjoys sending e-cards from the Hallmark site.
Recently she has been unable to compose cards that are marked: Flash. (All the other cards present no problem) The box in which the card is composed comes up and the download proceeds until one item remains. It then stops and no card appears.

Can anybody help as she blames me for anything that goes wrong on the computer

Thanks

Discussion is locked

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Re:Downloading Flash files
Dec 13, 2003 7:24PM PST

Just a few thoughts:
1. In IE (I've 5.5, but it will be comparable in 6.0, I think): Tools/Internet Options/Advanced, go down to multimedia and see if "play animations" (and "video's"?) is checked.
2. Download and install (or reinstall) flash 7 player and shockwave player from www.macromedia.com/downloads.

The coding in the hallmark-page shows it to need shockwave, and it works with me. However, I can't get to the download page of shockwave at the moment for some reasons (page not found), which might be the cause of your problems also. It seems to me the page will ask you to download shockwave (if you haven't done so already), and maybe this goes wrong if the site can't be reached automatically.

If I try by hand: the download link at http://www.macromedia.com/software/shockwaveplayer/ points to http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/, which gives 'page not found'.
So tell your wife it's macromedia's fault (not yours) if you can't get to it either. And keep trying. It should be repaired by them.

Kees

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Re:Downloading Flash files
Dec 13, 2003 11:26PM PST
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(NT) Also gives 'page not found' (with me) (at the moment).
Dec 14, 2003 12:07AM PST

.

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Re:(NT) Also gives 'page not found' (with me) (at the moment).
Dec 14, 2003 4:00AM PST

Kees, Just tried the link I posted and got right in.

Larry

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hosts!
Dec 14, 2003 6:03AM PST

Larry,

It turned out I had the site in my hosts file. Don't remember where I got it from, but I think I followed a recommandation by Bob Proffit. The comment above it quite rightly says "entries may prevent update". I'll comment them out.
This just maybe might be the problem with Basil. I think Explorer should offer to download Shockwave-plug in when needed, but if it doesn't this could be the cause.

Basil will surely tell how he fares, I think.

Thanks for putting me on the right track.

Kees

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The plot thickens.
Dec 14, 2003 7:09AM PST

OK, fellas, I installed Flash 7 and Shockwave, but it made no difference. Tried a Flash Awesome card (hippo):

http://www.marlo.com/help/favorite.htm

and although the picture appeared, the download stopped with one item remaining, just like the Hallmark site.

http://www.hallmark.com/hmk/Website/hallmark_home.jsp

However the Flash cards at:

http://www.riversongs.com/

worked without a hitch.

I received an e-card from Australia.

http://web.icq.com/shockwave/0,,4845,00.swf

I have my internet security Active X settings with Run AX controls and plug-ins, on prompt, and with this setup the thing would not download. I changed the setting to enable and it would download but only after I used the refresh button.

I tried the Hallmark and Awesome Flash cards with all the Active X settings on enable but it made no difference.

Hope the added info is some help.

Thanks

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The usual list.
Dec 15, 2003 2:24AM PST

Basil,

Sorry, but all these interesting and varying experiences don't ring a bell. So the usual list of things to try and research that might help, but probably will not.

- Not a too old version of IE (mine is 5.5)?
- Tried repair IE from Config Panel?
- Hosts file? Rename to check.
- Run Bob Proffit's anti-parasite suite (5 programs in all)
- Ad-blocker, popup-blocker, firewall? Disable, turn off, inactivate and try again.
- Download Mozilla Firebird from www.mozilla.org (zip-file, unzip to a new folder in Program Files, and run exe-file) as an alternative browser. It might work, and you might like it.
- Turn to the browser forum.


Kees

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Re:The usual list.
Dec 15, 2003 4:12AM PST

Thanks Kees,

I am going away for a while this morning and will try your suggestions later. It is too small a glitch to do anything drastic and I may just leave it.

I will inform the forum if I find anything that works.

Thanks again.

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Re:The usual list.
Dec 17, 2003 6:07PM PST

Kees, I updated my IE from the 5.5 to the 6 version, and I am now able to access Flash cards on the Hallmark site.

Thanks for your help.

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Re:The usual list.
Dec 17, 2003 7:39PM PST

Basil,

This is one of the many mysteries encountered here, I should say. I suppose your wife did express her thanks about your quite ably solving this little problem? It's so nice to have an expert in the house in cases like this Happy.


Kees

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Re:The plot thickens.
Dec 18, 2003 4:16AM PST

Just a few extra points for the record. Before upgrading to IE6, at the end of boot-up the black screen MSDOS PROMPT would appear and then minimise. This no longer happens. Another anomaly was the appearance of an explorer pop-up which told me there had been an error and I should shut down (which resulted in items vanishining from the task bar, including the online icon). This has gone also.

However, now at the end of the boot-up, the Windows system page opens and I have to click it off, and when going into certain sites I get a message to download visual basic scripting support. It seems the last one is a MS error and I just click cancel and ignore it.

Oh, the joys of owning a PC.

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Re:Re:The plot thickens.
Dec 18, 2003 4:48AM PST

1. Windows system page opens and I have to click it off

I'm unsure just what this system page is. Care to elaborate please?

2. when going into certain sites I get a message to download visual basic scripting support

a. This doesn't make much sense since the MSKB article, "Summary of Components That Are Installed When You Install Internet Explorer 6," states that Visual Basic Scripting Support (version 5.6.0.6626) is included.

b. However it can always be downloaded here.

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Answers for the Cowboy
Dec 18, 2003 9:57AM PST

Howdy cowboy.... it is C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM that appears on the screen at the end of the boot-up.

I have lost the URL, but the Visual Basic Scripting Support download advice is a glitch known to microsoft and they say to ignore it.

By the way, after the initial success with the updated browswer, I am back unable to open Hallmark Flash cards but able to open Flash cards from other sites. Decided to live with it.

Thanks.

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Windows Explorer Screen at startup
Dec 18, 2003 9:58PM PST

This is a known problem. On the old forum, Cursorcowboy had a ready made answer for this: some registry hack. I'm sure he can reproduce it here.

Background, and if he doesn't:
If you shutdown with a Windows Explorer screen open, it will reappear after a boot. It's not shown in msconfig Startup Panel, but it will do so. Apparently, it's elsewhere in the registry. And stuck, somehow.
Try: shutdown with Explorer screen open at another folder. Then that folder should appear after a boot. Then shutdown again with explorer closed and see what happens at boot. Maybe it's unstuck. If the same folder appears, it's time to experiment. Make a folder with a name that you're sure does not appear in the registry, like "basilabc". Shutdown with Explorer open in that folder. If it reappears after a boot (as is to be expected), go into regedit, and see where that string appears. This should give a rather clear indication of what to delete in the registry. Or simply rename the basilabc folder (to basilxyz) and see what explorer does if it can't find it. Be sure you know how to rename it back after booting into MS-DOS (rename \basilxyz \basilabc) if the change turns out to be fatal.
Of course, it's better to wait for detailed instructions by Cursorcowboy. It's a pity you can't search any more on the old forum (nor on the new, by the the way).


Kees

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Explorer
Dec 19, 2003 7:27AM PST

Kees, when I had IE5, a msdos prompt, black screen would appear at the end of the boot-up and immediately minimise itself. Now, after installing IE6 it is C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEMS that appears (hundreds of names and icons) which I have to click off.

When I hold down Ctrl/Alt/Delete, immediately after boot-up and before going on line, I find Explorer on the list. Is that normal or has it something to do with the problem, as I thought everything on that list had to be actually running???

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Quite normal.
Dec 19, 2003 5:18PM PST

In fact, Explorer is not only the process that shows you the contents of folders, but it also shows the desktop. If you end the explorer-task on the ctrl-alt-del screen, it means a shutdown. All advices on running Scandisk and Defrag if they continually restart include the tip to end all background task, but NOT Explorer (and Systray).
It's just a question of a window opened because Explorer finds something in the registry. Find out what it is, delete it, and everything will be OK (in this respect).

Kees

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In the 'registry'.
Dec 20, 2003 8:31PM PST

1. The article [Q228502] explains that when the computer is started normally or in safe mode, Windows Explorer may start and display either the contents of the root folder or the Windows folder and can occur if using Internet Explorer version 5.0 and the DesktopProcess key has been set in the system registry. To resolve this issue, delete this value from the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

2. Check the WIN.INI file as follows:

a. Click Start, Run, type win.ini, and then press Enter.

b. Look for the two lines Load= and Run= anywhere in this file and remove any extra spaces between commands, or any which may not be seen that may exist on this seemingly empty command line. Simply place the cursor on the lines and see if it moves. If it does, there are blank spaces which need deleting.

Note: If either or both of these lines exists and appear blank, they may be deleted. Also note, that if any change whatsoever is made to this file the system must be rebooted for the change to take affect.

c. Open Explorer/My Computer and access the folder C:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp. Ensure there is no shortcut(s) causing this anomaly -- or any shortcut which could. As a test, move anything there to a floppy disk and reboot the computer. If the anomaly doesn't happen, something moved out of this folder causes it. Move them back one at a time, rebooting after each, and see which was the culprit.

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Cowboy
Dec 21, 2003 4:47AM PST

I checked wini.ini, only found Load= with a blank line and deleted it. There was nothing at all in the Programs\StartUp file.

No change.

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(NT) Did you do the registry change as in #1 by cowboy? Or only #2 and #c?
Dec 21, 2003 8:40PM PST

.

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Kees
Dec 22, 2003 6:49AM PST

#1 applies to IE5, I have IE6. However, I did look in the registry but found no DesktopProcess registry key in \EXPLORER ???

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Re:Kees
Dec 22, 2003 4:43PM PST

I don't think the difference in IE-version matters.
Did you try the investigation (with a new unique folder name - basilabc and basilxyz) that I suggested in an earlier post. Do it yourself problem solving, that is.

Kees

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Re:Kees
Dec 22, 2003 9:26PM PST

1. Start the System Registry Editor, click Start, Run, type regedit, and then press Enter. We are going to be looking at the information contained at the following addresses:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run


Note: Click the Plus box in front of one of the first words in an above line to expand it -- either HKEY_CURRENT_USER, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, or HKEY_CURRENT_USER. Continue clicking/expanding appropriate folders (each word preceded by a slash) until reaching the last word. Click that word to bold/highlight it.

a. In address #1, you're looking for a key contained in the right window pane labeled DesktopProcess reflecting a value of 1. If this key and that value exist, click the key name and press the Del key on the keypad. I assure you, it is not a necessary item.

b. In address #2 and #3, you're looking for an invalid/stray <u>String value</u> containing only a single quote character ("") entry in the Run addresses. Verify that any values in these keys do not contain any incorrect, incomplete, or null entries and if found, simply delete them.

2. Click Registry in the main menu and select Exit to save the session. Or simply click the x in the URHC of the window to close the Registry Editor tool. Respond with an affirmative to save the editing and to close the editor.

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Kees and Cowboy
Dec 23, 2003 3:39AM PST

Kees, I was not sure of how to perform your suggestion so I will leave it until Cowboy has exhausted his list of fixes.

Cowboy, I found the entry: Taskbar Display controls '"""' in CU\S\M\W\CV\R.

Do I delete it, and if I do, do I delete Taskbar Display controls or just the entry which I can't highlight anyway?

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Re:Kees and Cowboy
Dec 23, 2003 7:41AM PST

Hopefully, you've found the culprit. With Taskbar Display controls highlighted in that address, the double-quotes value shown in the right window pane, press the delete key on the keyboard, and respond with an affirmative (I think it asks). Exit the registry and see if it's isn't fixed.

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GONE!!!
Dec 23, 2003 8:00AM PST

Thank you very much Cowboy. You too Kees.

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BONUS!!!
Dec 23, 2003 9:37AM PST
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Spoke too soon.
Dec 23, 2003 5:47PM PST

Although it does not happen as often and does not happen at all immediately after boot-up, the Explorer error pop-up has returned.

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Please start another thread.
Dec 23, 2003 8:45PM PST

When you do, include all the machine info to include the full text of the error message you find in the details less any alphanumeric addresses.