Windows 7 Cannot Play .WMA Video Link

[doakh]

I cannot play a link containing a .wma file. I get 'Internet Explorer Cannot Display the Webpage.' I can save the file and play it. I have IE8 installed in Vista and the link works. I do not have any other player installed. Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[reghakr]

Hello and welcome,

Could you give me the site link where you are trying to play the .wma file?

 

[doakh]

Clicking the link brings me to this: Link Removed due to 404 Error

Thanks

 

[reghakr]

The .wmv is a Windows Media Video file.

Do you get the download box starting Open, Save, or Cancel?

 

[doakh]

I right click on the link and select 'save as target' from the menu.

 

[reghakr]

So are you saying it's OK now or do you want to open it directly?

 

[doakh]

I would prefer to have the link open directly and play. That is how it is suppose to work.

 

[reghakr]

Could you give me the page where the .wma file is located so I can give it a try.

 

[doakh]

See my second post and click on the link.

 

[reghakr]

OK, I have clicked on the .wmv file and chose open,.

This is a 170MB Windows Media Video file.

I use a program called Video Lan player and that's what it opened up with.

You're should actually open with Windows Media Player if that is the only audio/video program you have installed. But Windows Media Player can be quite fussy and may not allow you to open it due to security reasons.

You can download Video Lan player here to give it a try and see if it opens:

VLC media player

BTW, the default action actually should be to save.

thanks for the market info

 

[doakh]

Thanks, I downloaded VLC and it actually saves the file prior to playing it. So there really is not any difference from Media Player. I could consider using VLC as my default player. I see you are using it, what are the advantages?
Thanks for your help.

 

[reghakr]

There are many advantages.

It plays almost every known type of audio or video file and also can play DVD's, streaming audio over the Internet plus more

Just choose File > Open and look over the list of extensions it will play.

Best of all it's free and takes less resources than Windows Media Player.

Enjoy

 

[doakh]

I am going to make VLC my default player. I went to several other websites with video links and Media Player would not open the webpage, whereas VLC would save and play them! It must be some security thing, as I turned my firewall and antivirus without success. I am not going to pullout my hair over this.

 

[reghakr]

Yes,

I would too.

Many of us one the board swear by it.

 

[doakh]

Someone from Microsoft TechNet suggested:
'This indicates to me that the local MIME type association is broken. You can reset that by going to the Default Programs:Set Program Access and Computer Defaults control panel tool to set WMP as the default.'
It worked, problem solved.

 

[reghakr]

Glad you got it!