If you've noticed your Windows Media Player acting strange, Microsoft has an explanation.
A trio of updates for the media player software, including a recent security patch, can cause the software to malfunction, the software maker said in a technical support article published on its Web site earlier this week. Microsoft late on Wednesday emailed notices flagging the support page.
The updates can cause issues when trying to seek, fast rewind or fast forward in Windows Media Player 10, Microsoft said. Playback might freeze, even though the status bar shows it is still playing. Also, the playback position slider could jump back to the start of the media file for no apparent reason, the company said.
These situations can occur after installing one of three updates, Microsoft said. One is the latest security fix for Windows Media Player, a "critical" patch released last month. The flaw could allow an attacker to gain control over a vulnerable PC by tricking a user into opening a malicious file. Examples of code that exploits the flaw was available only days after Microsoft released the patch.
The other two updates that could cause media player trouble are: Update Rollup 2 for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 and a fix intended to enable DirectX Video Acceleration of Windows Media Video content. Both were released last year.
Microsoft did not say how many users have reported media player trouble. A company representative was not immediately available for comment. To fix the player issues, Microsoft suggests changes on the system that's streaming the content.
In addition to the possible trouble with Windows Media Player, Microsoft on Wednesday said a patch it released February last year might cause trouble with an ActiveX control. A fix for that problem is available from Microsoft, the company said.
Talkback
I am not computer literate (technical side of things) and I am bemused and of course annoyed that the message of 'cannot find file flash.ocs' occurs repeatedly on my computer.
I have two grand daughters who use the 'sound' system all the time with music etc - I prefer peace and quiet.
I think they have done something like importing or downloading software that has caused this. I have absolutely no idea how to fix it other than (which I have done several times) deleting macromedia, windows flash player and any other downloaded 'flash player'. Reinstalled several times etc etc. All to no avail. I have found on the net many posts re the same thing but their unsuccessful solutions might as well be in another language (which of course it is).
You post here was very interesting. Windows admitting that the fault was in a patch which I or my grand daughrters, have innocently downloaded.
What I want to know --
HOW TO I GET RID OF IT AND FIX IT!
In simple language please.
I recently purchaced a media center desktop computer; it was a bad mistake on my part. I like the computer very much, but the media center is a joke from microsoft as usual. It will not play dvd's or live tv without hanging frames or completely freezing. I blame the computer manufacters for installing this kind of crap in their products. They don't care for their repetations, I guess. They should run extensive tests on their products before releasing them to the public. This is my second computer that I have purchaced from the same manufacter in the last seven years and all the problems I've had are MICROSOFT and their updates and upgrades CRAP.