Silverlight won't load .asx file on 13" MkBkPro

Question

Silverlight won't load .asx file on 13" MkBkPro

I want to view the streaming video of lectures from a password encoded site where it seems the only app I can use is Microscoft's Silverlight. Problem is that Safari won't initiate the Silverlight plugin on the 13" MacBookPro. The 13" MacBookPro is my main desktop computer; it is attached to a Cinema Display for extra desktop space, thus I really want to use this computer to view the videos. The videos load and play just fine using Safari on my MacBookAir, with a very similar configuration as the MacBookPro.

I've trashed and re-installed all Silverlight files from the MacBookPro as recommended by the Microsoft Silverlight forum, but still the videos won't load. Just for a brief portion of a second, the "loading" bar appears, but then disappears, leaving me with a black and blank window in Safari on the MacBookPro.

I'm running OS X 10.6.8 on a 13" MacBookPro5,5 AND on a MacBookAir3,1. Both computers are running Safari 5.1 (6534.50). Both computers have the Silverlight plugin (ver 4.0.60531.0) installed within ~/Library/Internet Plug-ins and within ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Silverlight/OutOfBrowser. There is no trace of Silverlight in myaccount/Library/Internet Plug-Ins or in myaccount/Library/Receipts subdirectories on either computer. The only difference I can find between the two computers is their processor, the type of HD, and that the MacBookPro's SLLauncher.app was modifed today (9/24/11), whereas that on the MacBookAir was modified 9/4/11.

Any suggestions of further things to try to get the videos to play on the MacBookPro?

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Sep 24, 2011 8:23 AM

Reply

Answer 1

eww

Level 9

53,052 points

Sep 24, 2011 8:33 AM in response to Judy Churchill

Can you download the files to your hard drive and play them?

Why not connect the Air to the external display to view the files while you're waiting for a solution for the Pro?

Reply

Answer 2

Sep 24, 2011 9:14 AM in response to eww

The MacBookPro has a much larger HD than does the MacBookAir, plus access to additional programs that I use while viewing the videos -- thus I really need this to work on the MacBookPro.

There is no app that I can use on the Mac OS to download these pasword protected files. I've tried quite a few and nothing seems to work. Previously I used Flip4Mac and saved files as .mov format, but the encoding site (Windows-based) now uses a codex that isn't compatible with Flip4Mac.

Reply

Answer 3

eww

Level 9

53,052 points

Sep 24, 2011 10:48 AM in response to Judy Churchill

If you hold down the Control key while clicking on a link to one of the files on the web site, you should get a pop-up menu, and it may contain the option to "Download Linked File". Give that a shot.

Reply

Answer 4

Sep 25, 2011 8:58 AM in response to eww

I've previously tried that, but just to be sure, I tried again. Tthe only thing that downloads is the html file that contains the link to the video.

The Silverlight test on the Microsoft web site does not open Silverlight and load when using either Safari 5.1 or Firefox 6.0.2. So the issue on the MacBookPro5,5 involves more than a single streaming video web site or browser.

I've posted the same original description of the problem on the Silverlight forum. No responses. I'll try sending it to Microsoft as a problem installing Silverlight. That's supposed to be "no charge".

Thanks for your time and advice.

Reply