Major DivX Problems

Mac OSX 10.3.9, and Firefox.

So, I was trying to watch me some DivX movies on the interwebs and I kept getting an error, followed by a suggestion to update. I figured the one was caused by the other, so I updated.

Then, DivX completely stopped working for no reason. I've tried uninstalling DivX and reinstalling and about 832498971 times. I kept getting a message that there was a previous version present that was messing with it, and that I should restart so the new version could take over. So, I restarted 832498971 times. Nothing changes. There remains to be a blank spot where DivX movies embedded in webpages used to be when I look at it in Firefox, and when I look in Safari I get an error message that the plugin could not be found, and where the DivX should be there is a cube printed with question marks.

I figured that DivX had some sort of deep claws in my machine that I could not comprehend, and so I looked at the receipt it left with Pacifist (from www.charlessoft.com), tracked down every last speck of DivX, and then reinstalled. TO NO AVAIL!!! ARRRRGH!

Please fix my pain! I need my interweb movies!

 

Nope, that's not it. If it was a cache problem DivX would still show up, it would just be stuck buffering at 0%. There is literally a blank spot where DivX movies used to be on webpages. I can't even click on it for options, because when I hover the cursor where it used to be, it turns into a 'text' cursor (forgot the proper name for it).

I forget exactly what the error was when this all began. Something about not being able to connect to something, and that I should update my DivX.

 

Well, I don't use DivX on my Mac, but this has happened to me a couple other times with other viewing programs like Quicktime. In each case the problem was in the browser, and not the program itself. I'm not sure I can really describe this......

I had to go through the browser to fix the problem. But, I did it kind of intuitively, so I can't remember what I did to fix it.

:-(

I know that is about as helpful as nothing.

BUT, I was getting the same problem.... the cube with question marks where my programs/videos/video games used to be. I was able to fix it by changing some setting on my browsers. I did NOT reload the host programs, it was something to do with the browsers (I use Safari and Firefox as well).

If I can remember what I did exactly I'll let you know. I think it had something to do with changing my plug ins in my browser settings.

Clear as mud, but I am trying!!!

T

 

Someone suggested to me to uninstall my browsers, but 1.) I dunno how I would even go about doing that and 2.) If it was a browser problem, wouldn't it work on either one or the other? If it's broken on both of them, then I would think that it's DivX's fault. Of course, I have a tendency to treat a computer with the same logic I would treat a car or a person, and it probably doesn't work like that. Does it? :confused

 

What happens when you right click on the place where the DivX should run?

If you have a one-button mouse, control-click is the same thing as right click.

When I right click on the space where the DivX movie should be, I get a choice of "install the plug in".

Yes, it could still be a browser problem. If it is a plug in, and the plug ins were messed in when you updated the software, this should effect every place that the plug-in lives.

You can reinstall your browsers, but I would not do that unless you have to. I doubt it will help, and it is a lot of busy work.

Tricia

 

A long shot here, but maybe worth mentioning. Could this problem be a result of an error in embed coding for the actual player, or have you checked if you can avoid this by attempting to view the videos on another computer ?
The reason I wondered is that I recently attempted to embed the code for a DivX player in youtube and other pages. I got the code from a browser based generator, which supposedly worked by having the URL of the previously uploaded DivX movie pasted into it. I think it was generating a code, but with errors. When I pasted the code into myspace, and a couple of forums which have embedding enabled, the player didn't show up. All that did appear in its place was a pair of dots, and a message that that I needed some DivX player software which I knew I already had installed.

 

I also want to add that I seem to be able to view DivX content with other viewers. I have never downloaded DivX, but I have went to a number of DivX videos, and I can watch them just fine. Maybe the quality is not as good or something!? but I CAN see them.

Do you have Quicktime or Real Player installed? What are your browser preferences for video playback? Most of the time the default preference to "read" all video content using a particular program even if the content cannot be read by that program. This is why I really think you are having a Browser problem and not a problem with DivX. (These are movies on the webvnot things that you yourself created using DivX, right?

Last thought.... I have been having a problem with my PC Laptop and the DivX program. For some reason my virus scan program keeps deleting DivX files from my file settings. This renders me temporarily unable to use DivX until I restore the deleted file.

 

Honeysuckle: When I rightclick where DivX used to be, nothing pops up. Nothing!! It's a black hole of code. In both Firefox and Safari. Safari at least gives me an error though:

The page “Blahblahblah.net etc” attempted to load an Internet plug-in named “DivX Web Player”, but the plug-in failed to load successfully.

I do have Quicktime and Realplayer, both of which seem to still be working. In fact, whenever I delete DivX from my computer and try to view a DivX video, a Quicktime placeholder pops up. But that doesn't play it either. I'm ready to give up on DivX though if you could suggest another player, or how to tune my Quicktime to work as the default.

Tarquin: I don't have another computer similar enough to mine to test (which really just tells me I need to invest in a different computer than this old pile). I did look in other websites though, and all the DivX in the world has just gone blank for me.

I checked the system requirements too and it says the update should work on my computer, but for some reason it doesn't. I would like to try out a link to an earlier version of DivX.

 

When you delete DivX and the Quicktime placeholder pops up, can you right click then??

I'll go poke around on my Mac and let you know if I figure anything out.

Are you running Tiger or Leopard?

 

I will test the Quicktime theory later when I have some free time.

I don't think I have Tiger or Leopard, just plain old 10.3.9. That's all it says in About This Mac.