Windows Media Player - Will Not read Digital Output 2

[MOmelanuk]

This is the 3rd iteration of this problem. Microsoft tech help gave up on me after two hours and refunded my money. Here's your chance to beat Microsoft.

The problem: Windows 98 SE is the native OS for my 'puter. A while back, after downloading Windows Media Player 7.1 and using it successfully for months to copy CDs to my hard drive, I downloaded and installed MSN explorer 6.0. Media Player immediately stopped reading my CDs digitally and switched to analog. All other software (Music Match Jukebox, Easy CD Creator, etc.) continued to read my CD player fine.

Much thanks - Mike

What I've tried: I tired uninstalling MSN explorer. No joy. I called Microsoft, no joy. I have since done 2 clean installs of Windows 98. In the 1st, media player again worked fine until I used Windows security patches. Same old problem. No read of either CD drive digitally. This weekend I did a clean install of 98 SE then an immediate update from Microsoft, including the latest version of Media Player. No joy.

Anyone heard of this one or have a solution or path to explore?

I'm running an HP 8595C (733mz) 384 megs of RAm, 120 gig HD and the CD player and CD burners that came with the system.

 

[cdogg]

Have you looked at the properties for the CDROM drive in Device Manager? In there on one of the tabs, you should have an option to "enable digital CD audio" that you can check.


~cdogg
[tab]"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources"
[tab][tab]- A. Einstein

 

[MOmelanuk]

cdogg - Thanks for the reply. In W 98 there is only an option for turning DMA on and off in properties. I've tried with it on and off.

The really queer thing about the whole deal is that media player 7.1 & 7.2 work fine until I let Microsoft updates into my computer. Clean install = works, Updates = dorked.

Mike

 

[ANFPS26]

Why not just use Music Match to copy to your hard drive. That's what I use. I don't fool with Media Player.

Jim

 

[cdogg]

My bad. The instructions I gave were for Win2K. This site has the instructions for Win2K and Win98 (you have to scroll down):

http://www.cmedia.com.tw/faq/e8738-add02.htm

~cdogg
[tab]"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources"
[tab][tab]- A. Einstein

 

[MOmelanuk]

Jim - I've been moving in that direction, but I have all my original music (some 100+ CDs) organized using WMP. Until this cropped up, I liked WMP better. Now that I'm using a MP3 player when I walk, MM Jukebox is better. BUT I'm still curious as the devil on this.

Mike

 

[ANFPS26]

I believe that is the reason I quit using Media Player myself. I have Win98. The procedure cdogg listed doesn't work for me. I had looked under Multimedia before, the digital option is grayed out. I just tried to play a CD with Media Player with the digital option checked in Media Player and I got a box that came up that said it couldn't play the tracks digitally and was switching to analog. Is that what happens to you? Since you say it works with a naked version of 98, I'll bet there is an update that causes it to quit working as you say. I just assumed the digital option only worked with Win2K and XP.

Jim

 

[MOmelanuk]

Jim - Thanks again for the response. Yes, my results were the same as yours - grayed out area for digital. And yes, the clean install works with WMP 7.1 & 7.2 if I don't allow any Windows updates. I haven't tried WMP 9.0 on a clean install. BUT Microsoft insists that it is a harware problem.

Mike

 

[TekTippy4U]

From what you said, MSN Explorer 6.0 must have it's own default audio program which overwrote either audio codecs and/or .dll's associated..

I know from experience that certain versions of Aol will install Winamp,...when you have Real Player and Windows Media nicely cooperating....and muck everything up,....just when you've figured out which file type to associate with which.....

Aol even does it with printer programs....so you have to get used to their interface.........but hey.....I ALWAYS find a way to do things.....my way!

Now to the problem at hand....when you say "native OS".....is this a machine you've totally upgraded (new hard disk/mobo/more RAM/different CD/CD-RW
.....i'm just curious to see if there's some sort of hardware conflict going on...that until now you've managed to get by(away) with...

 

[MOmelanuk]

cdogg - Boy did I learn something from you. Unfortunately, it did not resolve the problem. The option to enable digital play was grayed out and I couldn't do anything. Mike

 

[cdogg]

Yeah, I agree with Jim that one of the updates from Mi¢ro$oft corrupts the entry for your hardware device (probably because it is not recognized from a certified list).

I've got Win98SE with all the updates applied using WMP 7.2 and have the "digital CD audio" option available. Go figure...


~cdogg
[tab]"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources"
[tab][tab]- A. Einstein

 

[MOmelanuk]

Tek Tippy-4U - Thanks for responding. Native OS means the machine came with WIN 98 SE. I have indeed upgraded RAM and the HD, and my burner. BUT since I am able to do a clean install of WIN 98 then media player 7.2 and have perfect funcionality, I can't see that as the killer factor.

The two actions that have dorked up the media player's abilty to read digital are 1) the time I installed MSN explorer 6.0 and 2) the two times I clean installed Win 98 then upgraded. The last time, the only program I installed before upgrading was AOL 8.0 so I could dialup. Since WMP has worked with AOL before, I can't see AOL as the problem either.

Having looked around several places, including Microsoft knowledge base, I see a lot of people with this or similar problems. Most have never done a clean install like I did, and so Microsoft is happily wrting it off as hardware problems. It is most assuridly not.

Mike

 

[MOmelanuk]

cdogg - You are probably right, but I guess Bill Gates has never heard of Hewlett Packard. I'll have to go and fins more "mainstream" equyipment.

Mike

 

[ANFPS26]

I found this info on the net:

http://216.239.39.104/search?q=cach...igital+audio+option+grayed+out&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

Alas, that didn't help for me, but it might for you. It probably depends on the brand of CD-ROM and sound card.

Jim

 

[TekTippy4U]

It seems that you've been able to work through the problem....pretty well, so far....
I concur with "cdogg's" entry that talks about a "certified list"......and the M$ updates..here's some other info if you so desire, although i realize you said you've upgraded burner, yourself....if it's internal and if you installed it yourself....you may know the answers, that these actions will give.....
Alright then.....
Power down and unplug (no power surge off only)....completely out of the wall....

go ahead and take the cover off and look at the back of the Drive........have a flashlight handy?
........and you may have to undo the four screws holding it in place to slide it out to see the back......(phillips head probably, but maybe hex)
See what the switch on the back left/right says....and where the sound card audio out wire is plugged into...

There's choices for Digital or Analog output....
Which jack is occupied.......?
You probably know the answer already, if you've istalled it yourself....
It's not an external burner(through USB 2.0) or SCSI cabling......is it?....it is IDE, right?....

Good luck

 

[MOmelanuk]

Again, to all of you thanks. I'm still working through your suggestions - had to take a day off to play with grandkids, ya know.

Techtippy4u - Rechecking hardware connections is always a good suggestion. Yep it is internal & IDE. I did find an unrelated cable not connected from some time in the past that I missed whenever. However, since the system worked fine with exactly the same conections and the same CD player it now will not read, then crapped out after a Microsoft update, I simply can't believe this is a hardware issue. Overwritten drivers or registry entrys, probably, but not hardware.

Jim - I really liked the Sony site. I'm going to work through the recommendations and see what happens.

At least I have a mirror of my drive and can experiment as much as I need to. I've thought about XP, but damn, I'd have to think twice about what might happen to some of my legacy equipment (SCSI HP scanner in particular)if 98 messes up with something it was already able to read.

I'll keep you folks posted on further trial and tribulations. Again, thanks.

Mike

 

[TekTippy4U]

May I suggest checking this REG key "before" and than "after" the M$ updates......
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
Look for;.....CertificateRevocation.....

If this Dword value is "1".....change it to "0"

You may even be able to "uncheck" abox in advanced Internet Settings...not sure?,,,I didn;t notice my setting before the REG change

I recently found this through a great site for researching problems/tweaks, from Someone(carr?) on the this list......

http://www2.cajun.net/~theriots/blk/ie.htm

and it cleared up an Issue of mine.....
Many thanks to whomever.....

So give it a go.....

 

[MOmelanuk]

Hi Folks -

I've been a busy bee and have some information for you.

I have confirmed that the problem is NOT hardware in any way shape or form.

I went back with a clean hard drive, clean installed Windows 98SE, installed Windows MediaPlayer 7.1, and AOL 8.0. Media player workes fine. Backed up the registry after each action.

Downloladed WMP 7x updates, still works fine - plays digital mode. Downloaded WMP 9x and that works.

I am now one by one adding back my programs and testing WMP.

Simply put, all evidence points to Microsoft's Windows updates screwing up their own program on my machine. I don't plan to find out which update.

Thanks again for all the suggestions. I haven't worked through the Sony site, but plan to do so to see what my old versus new registry entries say.

Mike

 

[TekTippy4U]

This brings up alot of my interconnected issues concerning the REG and Configuration Thereof......
For example.....I'm having a little trouble getting my favorites folder to organize appropriately ONLY when accessing while in the browser window(IE6),....From the menu drop down.......
.......and I was able to fix one aspect of disorganized Fav folder through REG.....
by tweaking the .Default hive of HKEY_USER in REG

I'll try and sum up what I think is going on...
For alot of reasons I think it has to do with the .Default hive in REG under HKEY_USER....
I noticed my Windows logon name under start>menu is diff than and from my software install identity...and I never have the password prompt come up either....cause I don't have User Profiles enabled(in not wanting to have to type all that crud in when I install a piece of software....I let it use the defaults....such as "Valued Dell Customer&quot......

Obviously.......This name is different than my Windows logon user name........I dont have User Profiles enabled either...because I'm the only one using my machine.....

And the info in the .Default HKEY_USER hive is "similar" to but not just like the HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive.....

Like I said...I was able to fix my favs folder a little by deleting athis whole KEY from HKEY_USER........
HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MenuOrder\Favorites.......
I guess it rebuilt itself "more organized".....from other available info or (rb#00.cab) on next boot(restart)........as Both the Key and Binary values are there again.........

What the heck does it all mean..........?
I already understand some of the interplay between the REG Hives......but obviously not all........

I've just always had this friggin' naggin' suspicion of the problems I may be causing myself when the Install names that I let the PC use.......don't MATCH the Current User name........

Any thoughts?........

TT4U

p.s...these issues which I'm addressing above may or may not be directly related to this thread.....though in my mind it is....as I fall deeper and deeper into that abitch.....oh.....I mean abyss M$ calls the REG.......
I'll be glad just to start another thread........

 

[TekTippy4U]

MOmelanuk;
Did you have to wipe out your HDD.....?
Were you able to save you're data/files......?

TT4U