Odd behavior in Win2K

[Mike Powers]

1/14/05

Greetings:

You should be running Windows 2000 to observe this behavior.

Perhaps this has something to do with Network security in Win2k. When I try
to access an asx file linked to a button it DOESN'T OPEN the file. Next I
right-click the button, choose 'Save Target As...' and save the inked file
to my Desktop. When I double-click the saved file on my Desktop, it OPENS
NORMALLY.

Try it and see if you can figure out what is happening.

Go to http://www.smoothisland.com/bmainpage.php . You can use 'demo' and
'demo' as your user id and password.

Enter the user id and password, then click the sign-in button. Next you
will see a red button. This is the button linked to the asx file. Click the
red button. Observe what happens. Next, place your mouse over the red
button, right-click and choose 'Save Target As...' and save the linked file
to your desktop. Next, double-click the saved file on your desktop. You
should now connect to the stream.

Does anyone have any idea why this is happening. Two types of behavior from
one file. I need an explanation and a fix (as opposed to a workaround). The
button should work correctly when clicked. That is the button should follow
the instructions contained in the asx file when clicked.

Any help is appreciated.

Mike Powers

 

[George Hester]

Nothing happens except this:

 

[George Hester]

Oh my God. I am watching those Tsunami videos. Up to 3. Seems to be working amost wish it wasn't.

 

[Mike Powers]

1/14/05

Hello George:

Don't worry about the runtime error. You got that because the page you are
viewing is part of a frameset. It's squawking because it can't find the
header frame to perform more magic on. Continue running until you get to the
red button.

Don't get too distracted with the videos. I still have a problem here.
: - )

Mike P
Oh my God. I am watching those Tsunami videos. Up to 3. Seems to be
working amost wish it wasn't.

 

[Colon Terminus]

No problem here. I click the red button and a new window opens up exclaiming
the virtuosity of Victoria Gordon ... is this a troll?

 

[George Hester]

When I clicked the red button nothing happens at all. Windows 2000 SP2 Internet Explorer 5.01 SP2.

 

[Mike Powers]

1/14/05

Thanks George:

Something tells me that this is gonna take a long time to figure out.

As I said earlier, one of my clients running Win 2K and IE6, gets sent to an
error page at Microsoft.com, but when he saves the file linked to the button
to his hard disk, that file behaves correctly, e.g. it opens Windows Media
Player and connects to the stream. Maybe asx files are active x files of
some sort.

It's strange that you say 'nothing happens at all when you click the red
button.' Thanks for your assistance. : - )

MP


When I clicked the red button nothing happens at all. Windows 2000 SP2
Internet Explorer 5.01 SP2.

 

[Mike Powers]

1/14/05

I think that your mouse missed the button by a few inches.

MP

 

[George Hester]

Yes that is what happened. So I clicked the Tsunami numbers at top and it all worked perfectly. The asx files served up your wav files not a problem. One even disabled my Save as... very nice touch there. No it wasn't the domain the wav's came ftrom. Don't know how you did it. Oh I was using the native media player to Windows 2000 6.4 I believe.

 

[Mike Powers]

Hi George:

Tsunami files: I'll return those later. The tsunami files you clicked on are
also asx files, but the instructions in those files point to wma files.
Media Player lock ups like that are not uncommon. There's a lot happening
when you receive a buffered stream. That's why I put up the 'All' link.

Red button: The red button is linked to an asx file also but the
instructions in that file point to an actual computer which provides an
audio stream. Herein I believe lies the problem. There is some restriction
in Win2K whick doesn't allow you to perform this from the web. It may be an
active x file (IE controlled maybe) or some sort of on/off restriction built
into Win2K itself. My guess is that if you save that file to your desktop
(your hard disk) and double-click on it from there, you will be instantly
connected to the audio stream. My question is why can you connect from your
hard disk and not from the web via a button?

Did you try linking from your hard disk?

Thanks

MP

Yes that is what happened. So I clicked the Tsunami numbers at top and it
all worked perfectly. The asx files served up your wav files not a problem.
One even disabled my Save as... very nice touch there. No it wasn't the
domain the wav's came ftrom. Don't know how you did it. Oh I was using the
native media player to Windows 2000 6.4 I believe.

 

[Mike Powers]

Hello Group:

We may have a solution here. This following message is an answer to this
same post at another newsgroup:

The error message page you are directed to indicates, most likely, a problem
with the proxy server settings between IE and your system's.
FIX: Update to behaviors of certain proxy servers on Windows Media Player 9
Series
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;839340

Could also be a firewall issue:
User Datagram Protocol does not work with some firewall packet inspection
routines
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;839221

Less likely, but possibly a third-party software conflict:
Windows Media Player May Not Play Audio Files from Web Server If Third-Party
Players Are Installed
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;320280
(check your registry as mentioned)

One problem I noticed on the site you referenced was that to play the
stream, I had to disable my pop-up blocker - so check to see if that's your
problem, too.

If no joy with the above, hopefully a WMP MVP will see your post in the WMP
group and have better answers for you.
--

Jon R. Kennedy
Charlotte, NC, USA

end message >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
----------------------------------------------


Yes that is what happened. So I clicked the Tsunami numbers at top and it
all worked perfectly. The asx files served up your wav files not a problem.
One even disabled my Save as... very nice touch there. No it wasn't the
domain the wav's came ftrom. Don't know how you did it. Oh I was using the
native media player to Windows 2000 6.4 I believe.

 

[Colon Terminus]

If that's the case, then I didn't even see the button. I clicked on a red
rectangle about 1/4 inch tall and 1/3 inch wide located about 1/4 inch below
and to the left of the "Sign In" button.

 

[George Hester]

I'm sorry but after I enter the user\pass and click on the red button that says The Island I have a big fat nothing. The pointer doesn't even change to show an active link. I have no popup blocker; my scripting is enabled; no AV; IE 5.01 SP2; Windows Media Player 6.4; I don't know that red button don't do nothing here. Oh no...now it's blue.

 

[Mike Powers]

1/15/05

Hello George:

If I'm not mistaken, I don't think that Media Playe 6.4 understands .asx
files. It may be time to upgrade . I think you can upgrade to Media
Player 9 (and see what you've been missing). In the meantime, tsunami videos
are at www.smoothisland.com.

And thanks for you help! ; - )

MP


I'm sorry but after I enter the user\pass and click on the red button that
says The Island I have a big fat nothing. The pointer doesn't even change
to show an active link. I have no popup blocker; my scripting is enabled;
no AV; IE 5.01 SP2; Windows Media Player 6.4; I don't know that red button
don't do nothing here. Oh no...now it's blue.

 

[George Hester]

Sure it does I watched your Tsunamis. Also Windows 2000 comes with Windows Media Player 6.4 and
has Windows Media Server which is strictly asf and asx. All asx is is a ASCII file that points to your flicks.
It is a type of XML.

ASF Stream Redirector (.asx) file
An ASX metafile that provides information that Microsoft Windows Media Player uses to receive unicast streams, multicast streams, and other supported media from an intranet or the Internet. These files are loaded quickly by Windows Media Player and contain information for the following purposes:
To transfer control from the HTTP browser to the Windows Media Player control so that streams can be directed to Windows Media Player.
To provide an announcement that Windows Media Player can use to access a program on a Windows Media station.
To provide references to streams and the rules for protocol rollover that Windows Media Player uses to process them.
To provide a playlist that defines the order in which streams are streamed to Windows Media Player

Here is one I use for my Media Server:

<asx version = "3.0">
<title>Welcome to Windows Media Services</title>
<entry>
<ref href = "http://localhost/Welcome.nsc"/>
<title>Welcome to Windows Media Services</title>
<abstract></abstract>
<copyright></copyright>
<author></author>
</entry>
</asx>


Uh Mike I can play almost any file in Windows Media Player 6.4. The only thing I can't do is use Media
Player 6.4 to access a media file which is protected by DRM. And I am not crying over that.