Why won't video play on some websites?

Uninstall DivX according to the developer's instructions.

Please read this whole message before doing anything.

This procedure is a test, not a solution. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.

Step 1

The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is localized to your user account.

Enable guest logins* and log in as Guest. For instructions, launch the System Preferences application, select Help from the menu bar, and enter “Set up a guest account” (without the quotes) in the search box.

While logged in as Guest, you won’t have access to any of your personal files or settings. Applications will behave as if you were running them for the first time. Don’t be alarmed by this; it’s normal. If you need any passwords or other personal data in order to complete the test, memorize, print, or write them down before you begin.

Test while logged in as Guest. Same problem(s)?

After testing, log out of the guest account and, in your own account, disable it if you wish. Any files you created in the guest account will be deleted automatically when you log out of it.

*Note: If you’ve activated “Find My Mac” or FileVault in Mac OS X 10.7 or later, then you can’t enable the Guest account. The Guest login created by “Find My Mac” is not the same. Create a new account in which to test, and delete it, including its home folder, after testing.

Step 2

The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party system modifications that load automatically at startup or login.

Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Boot in safe mode* and log in to the account with the problem. The instructions provided by Apple are as follows:

1. Be sure your Mac is shut down.
2. Press the power button.
3. Immediately after you hear the startup tone, hold the Shift key. The Shift key should be held as soon as possible after the startup tone, but not before the tone.
4. Release the Shift key when you see the gray Apple icon and the progress indicator (looks like a spinning gear).

Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.

The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.

*Note: If FileVault is enabled under Mac OS X 10.7 or later, you can’t boot in safe mode.

Test while in safe mode. Same problem(s)?

After testing, reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of steps 1 and 2.

Select Help ▹ Installed Plug-ins from the Safari menu bar. Besides the following, what plugins are listed?

iPhotoPhotocast

Java

QuickTime

Shockwave Flash

WebKit built-in PDF

What version of Flash do you have?

Hebairt wrote:

Installed Plug-ins are:

Emusic remote plugin (I don't need this any more)

Garmin COmmunicator (also not needed)

Google Earth

LogMeIn

Silverlight

Unity Player (no idea why I installed this one)

Flash is the latest, 11.2.202.235

Many thanks,
Hebairt.

Uninstall Unity Player for a start, as per Manufacturer's Instructions. Emusic and Garmin can be moved to the Desktop for the moment too and then restart and try it.

Pete

Remove all, at least temporarily, then relaunch Safari and test.

Since Safari works in the guest account, you should only need to remove the plugins in your home folder. In the Finder, select Go ▹ Go to Folder... from the menu bar, copy the text on the line below into the box that opens, and press return:

~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins

Remove the items from the folder that opens, then relaunch Safari and test.

I just tested the site myself in Safari and Firefox, in two different accounts, and it didn't work in any of them. So I don't know what to tell you. I'm at a loss to understand why it works for you in the guest account. The only thing I can suggest, and I don't know whether it will work, is a Safari reset.

Back up all data if you haven’t already done so. Before proceeding, you must be sure you can restore your system to the state it’s in now.

Read this whole message before doing anything.

Quit Safari if it’s running. Then select  ▹ Force Quit... from the menu bar. A small window will open with a list of running applications. Safari may appear in that list, even though you quit it. If so, select it and press return. Close the window.

Step 1

In the Finder, press the key combination shift-command-A to open the Applications folder. Select the Safari icon in that folder and press the key combination command-I to open the Info window. There’s a checkbox in the Info window labeled Open in 32-bit mode. Uncheck it. Close the Info window and the Applications folder.

Open the Library folder in your home folder as follows:

☞ If running Mac OS X 10.7 or later, hold down the option key and select Go ▹ Library from the Finder menu bar.

☞ If running an older version of Mac OS X, select Go ▹ Go to Folder… from the Finder menu bar and enter “~/Library” (without the quotes) in the text box that opens.

Delete the following items from the Library folder (some may not exist):

Caches/com.apple.Safari

Caches/com.apple.WebKit.PluginProcess

Caches/Metadata/Safari

Preferences/com.apple.WebKit.PluginHost.plist

Preferences/com.apple.WebKit.PluginProcess.plist

Saved Application State/com.apple.Safari.savedState

Leave the Library folder open. Try Safari again. If it works now, stop here. Close the Library folder.

Step 2

If Safari still doesn’t work right, quit, go back to the Finder and move the following items from the open Library folder to the Desktop (some may not exist):

Cookies/Cookies.binarycookies

Preferences/com.apple.Safari.LSSharedFileList.plist

Preferences/com.apple.Safari.plist

Preferences/com.apple.Safari.RSS.plist

Preferences/com.apple.WebFoundation.plist

PubSub/Database

Safari

(Note: you are not moving the Safari application. You’re moving a folder named “Safari.”)

Try again. This time Safari should perform normally, but your settings and bookmarks will be lost.

If the issue is still not resolved, quit Safari again and put all the items you moved to the Desktop back where they were, overwriting the newer ones that will have been created in their place. You don’t need to replace the files you deleted in step 1. Stop here and post again.

If Safari is now working normally (apart from the lost settings), look inside the “Safari” folder on the Desktop for a file named “Bookmarks.plist”. Select File ▹ Import Bookmarks from the Safari menu bar. Import from that file. Recreate the rest of your Safari settings. You can then delete the items you moved to the Desktop.

Note: This step will remove your Safari Extensions, if any, and their settings. If you choose to restore them, do so one at a time, testing after each step to make sure you haven’t restored the problem.

If you don’t like the results of step 2, you can undo it completely by quitting Safari and restoring the items you moved or deleted in that step from your backup, overwriting any that were created in their place.

Hebairt wrote:

Thanks again for the enormous amount of time you've given me. Will try all steps tomorrow; I am well backed-up with Time Capsule and not afraid to try things. A reset of Safari didn't work, will rest now and try again tomorrow.

Hebairt.

Does not work here either in Safari, Chrome or Firefox. It read as a .swf file and I can get none of the other videos on the site to work either, yet I can open every other site and associated vids that I constantly visit, so also cannot figure out how you got it working in your Guest Account.

Pete