Oh no! More boring computer problems! Oh no!

sometimes when using Windows XP on various computers round the building I try to open a directory from My Computer and instead of going to the directory in question it brings up the dialog box with the 'choose which software to open this file' list and I then have to select Internet Explorer - why?

The extension of the file you are opening is not registered to an application.

1. Are you opening a directory and not a file? If so something is very wrong?
2. Are you sure it's IE and not Windows Explorer that you are selecting?

HAY EWE GUISE I NEEDS HELP

My wife downloads and installs every software update that Apple tells her to, whether she needs it or not. After installing iTunes 7.4.2, the application won't work anymore, at all. The icon bounces in the dock for a second, and then nothing.

We've repaired permissions, thrown away plist files, you name it. I looked on Software Update and there was a Quicktime Compatibility Update there today, so I uninstalled iTunes, installed the Quicktime bit, reinstalled iTunes, and no luck.

Any ideas?

Anyone?

I assume you're using tiger?

Rename the Music folder in your home directory to something else (e.g. Music-backup) and relaunch. If that works then the problem is somewhere in that folder. Try moving files out one at a time. The problem is probably with "iTunes Library" or "iTunes Library.xml". If it is, you may have to trash them (and lose your playlists and playcounts : ().

If it isn't the problem, rename Music-backup to Music and keep looking!

This is on a Mac by the way, right?

Look in the logs in Console.app

Mac yes, Tiger yes. Renaming the folder didn't help. Looked in the Console logs and nothing is jumping out at me. I tried starting iTunes with various logs open to see if they'd refresh on the fly with the error or crash message, but they don't.

Have you tried installing an older version of iTunes?

get a PC.

you tried starting it with option held down? think this should force a dialog box asking which library file to use. might get you a fraction further forward.

if they got a pc itunes would be working but nothing else would :)

xpost

Okay, retreating to an earlier version of iTunes worked. I'm still frustrated that I couldn't figure out the problem, but at least I could back up a few steps and go around the problem. Thanks everybody.

My computer (pc) plays all media files at the wrong speed. It does so in media player, itunes, and in firefox (e.g. youtube plays at the wrong speed). Everything is being played, by my estimation, about 25% too fast. I have tried updating the relevant drivers but to no avail. Any help with this would be much appreciated.

Lay off the meth?

bizzare, does it do it with MP3 or just video?

What hardware do you have and what OS?

That's crazy, especially youtube! Have you tried updating Direct X?

It does it with mp3s and videos. I'll get the hardware specs and post tomorrow. My OS is windows 2000. I did try to update direct X. I'm not 100% sure that I did it effectively.

windows 2000. hmm

do

start->run->dxdiag->okay

what version do you have?

not a problem as such, but i was wondering if anyone had experience/recommendations for home NAS stuff. I want to plug something into my wireless router as a filestore.

VERY intrigued by http://www.amazon.co.uk/Linksys-NSLU2UK-Storage-Link-Drives/dp/B0002ZDQLI/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201513820&sr=8-1#moreAboutThisProduct which has some weird homebrew scene attached to it.

Looks cool.

If you already have a large USB HDD then it may be worth it.

indeed. i have a cheap USB2 enclosure or 2 and i can get hold of my own large disks to throw around. the homebrew ppl have even knocked up an http://www.nslu2-linux.org/wiki/Applications/ITunesServer for it which made it sound nice.

It runs linux, geeks be hacking.

Looks interesting I was after something like it my self, 2 power plugs though if are hooking up a non laptop drive.

I've got one of the Buffalo LinkStation NAS boxes. It comes with a built in hard disk (they come in various sizes) and you can attach a couple of external usb disks to the box and they're treated as network shares too.
It runs linux and there's an active homebrew scene.
For example I've got mine running a firefly media server so I can stream my iTunes library to a Roku Soundbridge without ever having to turn on a PC.

cheers. still looking at the buffalo stuff, but i was taken with the flexibility of just plugging in USB enclosures that you could just unplug and cart around if you liked. more bothered about that than data rate or mad plug multiplication. behind my telly

Telly plug
Wii plug
DVD plug
cable set-top box plug
wireless router plug
'media box' plug

if i have to plug in the USB external that's another plug out in the open. i'd rather have 2 more hidden out of view. esp if it does l33t haXoR tricks

Ah, plug proliferation, I keep my wireless router in the same room as the PCs & NAS. I stream the audio over wireless to the Soundbridge attached to my Denon.

that'll be my next trick, some wireless gadget to stream to the stereo

start->run->dxdiag->okay yields version 8.1 (4.08.01.0881)

boring, did it ever play stuff at the right speed? in any case, i'd try

start -> run
sfc /scannow

this can take a few hours

The problem is not resolved I'm afraid. Can I quikcly clarify what sfc/scannow will do before I commit my computer to a few hours of it?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_File_Checker

It could also be a BIOS issue (maybe the bios thinks the CPU is a different speed? i dunno).

I have updated my DirectX to version 9.0. I'll run the file checker tomorrow and will post with an update. Cheers

have you installed any new media players/codec packs recently?

The only thing I have installed recently is an ID3 tags editor for mp3 files. The problem predates this I'm afraid.

"boring, did it ever play stuff at the right speed? in any case, i'd try"

It has never player stuff at the right speed I'm afraid. Bascially, I was given it for free so I can't exactly complain. However, it is hampering my ability to listen to internet radio, or hear bits of tracks on boomkat or smallfish, or watch/listen to stuff on ubuweb.

I have tried running the file checker. I'm pleased to report it took much less than a few hours. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to have had any effect. I've yet to restart my computer, but have not been prompted to do so.

The one and only time I've seen this problem it's been down to sound card drivers.

I'm guessing you have on board sound is your PC a homebuilt or a Dell or something?

Upgrading to XP may also solve this.

If you are hearing internet radio too fast I suggest you leave it running, wait for the lottery results and get $$$.

the speeding up sound can happen if the samplerate is set incorrectly and is speeding things up as it resamples.

not sure about video though; unless for some reason the vid is being sync'd with the sound....

I have no idea what causes boring's problem but when I first got my old Abit NF7 motherboard the onboard sound played at half speed (maybe it was double, I forget). I worried that the entire motherboard was running at the wrong bus speed, which would mean serious problems, but when I put in my old soundcard and used that (which I was going to do anyway) it sounded fine and I didn't have any other trouble with it.

Now I have another Abit motherboard, a UL8, and I can't hibernate the PC because when I reactivate it all sound through either soundcard plays at double speed. I know it's double because the last.fm plugin is always about to kick in (which it does halfway through the playing time) when it runs out of track and never submits.

So, I can't help, but you're not the only one.

i'm buying that gadget i mentioned upthread BTW. most geeky thing i've done ever. srsly.

The Linksys NSLU2 certainly looks interesting. I've been thinking of building myself some kind of Linux-based file server/storage box to sit on my home network for what feels like forever now, but something along those lines could be a much simpler solution. It seems a downside that it only has 2 USB slots though.

"If you are hearing internet radio too fast I suggest you leave it running, wait for the lottery results and get $$$."

great idea. Cheers.

the NSLU2 is MAGIC! you need to update the firmware so you can use FAT32 (and NTFS if so minded) and in leopard it just pops up in the sidebar as a shared machine so i guess it advertises the SMBness.

i plugged in my media box and i was able to play avi files directly over the LAN in VLC, and i even had a separate iTunes library backed up on there, so switched iTunes to using that library and it didn't blink.

i am hooked. next trick is to get myself a domain name, get it running LAMP or direct connect or summink l33t like that.

krakow, i bet you could use a hub off it with custom firmware. I have my iTunes library on my NSLU2

I do desperately need more space, and external HDDs just aren't cutting it for me.

Anyone have any tips on ways to improve streaming video? It's very choppy. I have a mac...I suspect that it may have something to do with my upload speed being too low (~200kbps); is there a way to increase that, or is the answer: get faster internet?

Will connecting to the wall with a wire, instead of using wireless, help?

Try pausing yr player for a while, let the streaming come in a bit, then start it. There will be less 'stopping' therefore less irritating.