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Question

WMP on windows 7

Jan 28, 2015 9:05AM PST

Hi all,

I'm new to this forum and would like to know if someone could help me with fixing my windows media player on windows 7. It freezes and I cannot access anything on the computer for a few minutes. I cant exit out of the window and cant access any other program.

I shows an error message and displays a message " reference memory invalid" or something of the like. I have gone into the admin center and run scripts, I have carried out a disk check , I have tried to install updates but the same thing is happening on there too.

Can anyone help - The local pc fix guys said they can do it for $150. I dont think so!!!

Discussion is locked

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Answer
True.
Jan 28, 2015 9:12AM PST

WMP uses what we call CODECs and it's been an issue since about 1995 when some content can lock up a PC for a time. Some folk can't accept this issue has been around this long but let me share I find VLC Player to handle more content without so much trouble. I rarely use WMP for this reason.
Bob

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Hi Bob
Jan 29, 2015 4:27AM PST

Thanks for your reply and it is very helpful,

Here is the issue. I can't even download the VLC media player or anything else regarding watching or listening to any media content because it says there was a problem with downloading.

What to do?? It's obviously a bigger issue I'm guessing.

Thanks and looking forward for more expert advice.

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Re: downloading
Jan 29, 2015 4:37AM PST

Then download the installer on another PC, save it to a usb-stick and run it from there. That's the fool-proof way to circumvent download errors. But it doesn't help against any other issue you might experience.

PS. If you post again about that error, be sure to type it exactly as it is, without any typo. Then all we have to do is add quotes around it and google the resulting string. That tells much more than ' "reference memory invalid" or something of the like'.

Kees

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WMP issues
Jan 30, 2015 4:38AM PST

Ok sure thing Ill take another look tonight and post back exactly what it is.

Thanks for the tip

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I can't see that error today. Here's why.
Jan 29, 2015 5:02AM PST
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Here is the accurate report of what is wrong
Feb 2, 2015 4:06AM PST

Guys here is what the error message reads like.

wmplayer.exe - Application error
The instruction at 0x000000006E4A6743
referenced memory at 0x000000006E4A6743.
The required data was not placed into memory
because of an I/O error status of 0x0000185

The next error message I get when trying to open PDF files reads like this.
Adobe reader XI
(not responding)

Finally when I tried to play an MP4 video file the message read like this.
G:/Sport/Rickson Gracie
The RPC server is unavailable.

These are all of the errors and messages I am encountering when I am trying to go through the various apps that I use.

Thanks guys.

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I don't want to upset you
Feb 2, 2015 4:11AM PST

But these errors have been kicking around since about 1995. I find that while I used to dive into them the same old issues recur so I learned to use VLC Player instead.

Adobe Reader can have issues too so I installed Foxit using Ninite to avoid getting spyware.

Ninite is at https://ninite.com/

VLC is VLC Player
Foxit Reader is under Documents.
Bob

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Re: errors
Feb 2, 2015 4:14AM PST

I'd start running a RAM test (download from www.memtest86.com on another PC). After that run all other diagnostics from the maker (Dell, for example, has a special function key early in the boot to reach all diagnostics).

With a little bit of luck it's only bad RAM. But it could be you need a new motherboard or a new disk. In that case $150 is cheap! I don't expect that reinstalling Windows will help, but since it's free you might try it before having that new motherboard installed (which needs a Windows reinstall also).

Kees