Lion won't play .avi or .wmv correctly

Hi, I have found a solution that works for me so I decided to post it here and hope that this would help others too. Here are the steps that I have done:

1. Go to /Library/QuickTime and remove 3vix codec if you have any (probably from my earlier attempts to play avi on QuickTime).

2. Install Perian 1.2.3 (http://perian.cachefly.net/Perian_1.2.3.dmg)

Install Flip4Mac WMV 2.3.8.1 (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=200043)

These are the only steps that I did today and now everything's working well 🙂.

Hope this helps,

Andrew

Hi Jandrewl, read my post carefully: I don't have a QuickTime folder in my library so I don't have any Xvid codec file to delete, my problem is still unsolved.

Dear Apple, this problem is caused by LION, can you please respond and solve this for me and why don't I have a QT folder?

Regards

Martin Rijken

AVi:s wont work for me either in Lion. Worked fine in Snow Leopard.

No old codecs in Library/Quicktime

Tried reinstalling perian and Flip4mac.

Works fine in preview and in Compressor. This is wierd!?

I found that reverting back to Perian 1.2.2 solved my problem.

Didn´t reboot, just uninstalled 1.2.3 and then installed 1.2.2

I'm happy!! 🙂

I just deleted an Xvid code from 2007 and my AVI is working.

Thank you for your commentary.

Happy me 🙂

You Legend Kristerfromtorslanda 😀 Perian 1.2.2 totally works. Thanks so much, twas wrecking my head.

I'm glad it helped, now we can enjoy our great big cat 😝

Followed your tip and it worked! Thanks!

I have been having the same problem ever since I installed Lion. I woudl press the space bar to preview a movie and it just wouldn't work. I unistalled Divx, that still didnt work. I have Perian installed and Flip4Mac.

I had to finally uninstall 3ivX for preview to be able to wrok with my AVI files.

I hope this helps!

dude! Thanks man... that worked for me.

I'm still having the problem after trying all the suggestions here. It will let me play it on Quicktime X but if I try it on iTunes, it just sits there, it calls up the movie but it doesn't play and nothing I can do will make it play. No error message comes up though (I'm in 32bit on iTunes).

Any ideas?

It worked for me, thank you!

Thank you

It worked well with me

Changing to 32-bit mode fixed it for me. Thanks!

This will work for everyone and it is free. I apologise if it lookes like I dumbed down the instructions - I did so that no one will be fustrated.

Mac Perian works just fine in Lion. It is QuickTime 10 that is the problem.

Fortunately, QT 7.6.6 works great in both Snow Leopard and Lion. If you are an AV/Audio pro who paid $29.95 for a QT Pro Key 5/6 on the Mac, QT 7.6.6 allows you to use all the functionality in the Pro version (it's missing in QuickTime 10).

You do need QT 10 in OS 10.6 and 10.7 but not for this purpose. Leave it alone.

Here's how to do it:

1. Before you begin, look in your Applications Folder for QuickTime 7.7 (the last version for OS 10.5.x) and move to the Trash. If you find QT 7.6.6, move it to the Utilities Folder and go to Step 4. Again, leave QT 10 alone.

2. Now look in your Applications/Utilities folder and see if QT 7.6.6 is installed. If so, skip to Step 4:

3. Find a copy of QuickTime 7.6.6. It is in the Extras folder for both the SL and Lion installs. You can also download it free from Apple. Run the installer - it will default to the Utilities folder - Do Not Move it to the Applications Folder (this is important to keep it from conflicting with QT 10). If you have a QT 5/6 Pro Key for the Mac, open the application and install your key by going to Registration.

4. Download Perion 1.2.3 from http://www.iskysoft.com/topic-snow-leopard/how-to-play-avi-with-quicktime-on-mac .html and run the installer. It will ask if you want to automatically check for updates - you do not want to check this box as it has an annoying pop-up. If you accidentally allow this function, you can turn it off later in the Preference Pane. You can check for updates manually in that same Perian Preference Pane in System Preferences.

5. After you install the plugin, here is how to play AVI files automatically:

6. Right-click on any file ending in .avi. Scroll to Get Info then release. A pop-up window will appear.

7. Look for Open with… and click on the scroll menu.

8. Release on the QuickTime 7 Player.app - the QuickTime Player.app is for QT 10 - you do not want to chose this.

9. Right below, click on Change All… A pop-up will ask if you are certain. Click OK.

Now, all .AVI files should open automatically in QT 7.6.6 just by double-clicking on them.

Had I not needed QT Pro for my work (it's still a great application), I probably would not have figured this out. My Canon camera takes movies in .avi and it was frustrating that I couldn't view them in Lion. You do not need QT Pro for .avi viewing of course, just QT 7.6.6.