Hyperlink in e-mail to video file

[pseudoquas]

An e-mail hyperlink to a *.wmv file (or a *.wma file) will, when clicked,
launch Windows Media Player (WMP) and play the file. However, when I close
WMP, I have found that WMP cannot be launched again until either Outlook is
also closed, or until the WMP process is ended in Task Manager.

I.E. WMP launched in Outlook cannot be closed by X'ing WMP - Outlook keeps
it alive. Is this a bug, or is there a setting at the e-mail sender's side
to avoid locking up the receiver's WMP?

 

[F.H. Muffman]

An e-mail hyperlink to a *.wmv file (or a *.wma file) will, when

clicked, launch Windows Media Player (WMP) and play the file.
However, when I close WMP, I have found that WMP cannot be launched
again until either Outlook is also closed, or until the WMP process is
ended in Task Manager.

I.E. WMP launched in Outlook cannot be closed by X'ing WMP - Outlook
keeps it alive. Is this a bug, or is there a setting at the e-mail
sender's side to avoid locking up the receiver's WMP?

Well, first, are you able to reproduce the problem on your system?

If you are, try creating the URL in Word, clicking it and see what happens
if you try to do the same thing there. If it happens there too, then I'd
say it's something with WMP.

 

[pseudoquas]

Well, first, are you able to reproduce the problem on your system?

If you are, try creating the URL in Word, clicking it and see what happens
if you try to do the same thing there. If it happens there too, then I'd
say it's something with WMP.

Thanks for the reply,

I have tested this by sending an e-mail to myself, with a hyperlink to a
word file and a hyperlink to a video (.wmv) file

If I hyperlink to a word file in an e-mail, and address it back to me, then
click the hyperlink to open the file, then word will open. But unlike
Windows Media Player, when I close Word, I can later reopen word, via the
hyperlink.

Watching Task Manager, I see Winword.exe appear as a process when Word is
launched, and disappear when I "X" close Word.

But when I click the hyperlink to the video file, while watching Task
Manager, I see that wmplayer.exe appears, but will persist as a process after
"X" closing Media Player, even though it appears to be closed from the
perspective of the desktop. As long as wmplayer.exe persists in Task
Manager, a new instance of Media Player will not launch.

Since this problem seems limited to Media Player, I fear that this may be a
real bug.

Your thoughts?

 

[F.H. Muffman]

An e-mail hyperlink to a *.wmv file (or a *.wma file) will, when

I have tested this by sending an e-mail to myself, with a hyperlink to
a word file and a hyperlink to a video (.wmv) file

If I hyperlink to a word file in an e-mail, and address it back to me,
then click the hyperlink to open the file, then word will open. But
unlike Windows Media Player, when I close Word, I can later reopen
word, via the hyperlink.

Watching Task Manager, I see Winword.exe appear as a process when Word
is launched, and disappear when I "X" close Word.

But when I click the hyperlink to the video file, while watching Task
Manager, I see that wmplayer.exe appears, but will persist as a
process after "X" closing Media Player, even though it appears to be
closed from the perspective of the desktop. As long as wmplayer.exe
persists in Task Manager, a new instance of Media Player will not
launch.

Since this problem seems limited to Media Player, I fear that this may
be a real bug.

Your thoughts?

Well, my first thought is that I didn't mean to do anything in Outlook.

I meant create a word document, put in the url to the wmv file, and see if
you can reproduce the same problem you see in Outlook, just doing it in Word.

In other words, I didn't believe Outlook had anything to do with the problem
at all.

If you can reproduce the problem no matter what application contains the
URL, then yes, I'd look at the WMP newsgroups and laying out that you have
a problem when clicking on a linked WMV file and explain what happens. Outlook
is irrelevant. Email is irrelevant.

 

[pseudoquas]

Ahh..I see. As you suggested i placed a hyperlink to the .wmv in a Word file
and also in an Excel file. Both hyperlinks work properly, i.e. the hyperlink
will open a WMP window, which can be closed and reopened (wmplayer.exe toggle
also confirmed in Task Manager). But a hyperlink in Outlook does not work
properly, i.e. the hyperlink will open a WMP window, which can be closed but
can NOT be reopened, until Outlook is closed, or until the wmplayer.exe is
ended in Task Manager.

So it does seem to be specific to Outlook, not to other applications.

 

[pseudoquas]

Ahh..I see. Following your suggestion, I placed a hyperlink to the .wmv in a
Word file and an Excel file. The hyperlink worked properly in both cases,
i.e. it produced a WMP window, which could be closed and reopened repeatedly.
The hyperlink in Outlook did NOT work properly, because a WMP window could
be opened and closed only once. A new WMP window cannot be launched until
Outlook is closed (or WMP closed in Task Manager).

So it does seem specific to Outlook.

 

[pseudoquas]

Ahh..I see. Following your suggestion, I placed a hyperlink to the .wmv in a
Word file and an Excel file. The hyperlink worked properly in both cases,
i.e. it produced a WMP window, which could be closed and reopened repeatedly.
The hyperlink in Outlook did NOT work properly, because a WMP window could
be opened and closed only once. A new WMP window cannot be launched until
Outlook is closed (or WMP closed in Task Manager).

So it does seem specific to Outlook.