QuickTime and iTunes won't play anything

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QuickTime and iTunes won't play anything

Ever since yesterday's security upgrade, iTunes and QuickTime will not play anything. I click on on the "play" arrow, and it changes to the "pause" sign--as if the song or movie or whatever should be playing--but the music or movie does not actually play anthing. The marker indicating where in the song or movie you are supposed to be does not move at all. I can move the marker along, hit "play" again, but it does not play anything.

I am running OS X 10.6.8 on an older (2008) MacBook Pro.

MacBook Pro (15-inch Early 2008), Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Mar 17, 2013 7:11 AM

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Answer 1

jmaybee Author

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Mar 17, 2013 7:30 AM in response to jmaybee

OK, now I have a diferent problem. I erased QuickTime X by throwing it into the Trash. Now iTunes is working. But now I don't have a copy of QuickTime. I tried to go to older versions of QuickTime and install them (i.e. QuickTime 7.7), but the installer won't install QuickTime 7.7 because it says I still have QuickTime X, even though I threw it out and so don't actually have it.

I also tried using Software Update, but it says all my software is up to date. How do I get QuickTime back on to my computer?

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Answer 2

jmaybee Author

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Mar 17, 2013 7:31 AM in response to jmaybee

P.S. I tried restarting my computer too, to see if it would then "realize" that it didn't have QuickTime installed, but that didn't work either.

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Answer 3

Klaus1

Level 9

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Mar 17, 2013 4:09 PM in response to jmaybee

Never trash Quicktime. You may have to reinstall Snow Leopard.

Mac OS X 10.6 includes QuickTime versions 10.0 and 7.6.3. The QuickTime 7 player will only be present if a QuickTime Pro key was present at the time of installation, or if specified as part of a custom install, or individually downloaded:

http://support.apple.com/kb/dl923

Snow Leopard update 10.6.4 included an update to 7.6.6 (if installed). You can install it from the above link even though it says for 10.6.3. It's the same version of QuickTime Player 7.6.6.

(Only QuickTime Player 7.6.3 or 7.6.6 can be updated to "Pro".)

A Mac OS X v10.6, OS X Lion, and OS X Mountain Lion-compatible version of QuickTime Player 7 is available for use with older media or with AppleScript-based workflows. QuickTime Player 7 can be used to playback formats such as QTVR, interactive QuickTime Movies, and MIDI files. Also, it supports QuickTime 7 Pro registration codes for access to QuickTime Pro functionality.

How to install Quicktime Player 7 on Snow Leopard, Lion and Mountain Lion when it is not already present:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3678?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

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Answer 4

jmaybee Author

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Mar 17, 2013 6:10 PM in response to Klaus1

Thank you so much, Klaus1.

I'm afraid I erased QuickTime X in desperation. I understand your point that it's a bad idea, but I have to teach early in the morning, and I will be teaching a Philosophy of Music class that absolutely requires that I be able to play some music through iTunes on this computer. So I was quite desparate to get iTunes working again. After doing some internet research, throwing out QuickTime was all I could see to try.

I first tried to install QuickTime Player 7 from the original install disk, as you suggested for your second suggestion above, but the QuickTime application didn't come up as an option after double-clicking "Optional Installs.mpkg," as suggested on the second link you posted. I'm assuming that's because the system still claims that QuickTime X is already installed. So if I want to install QuickTime in the original system software, I still have to figure out how to tell the system that QuickTime is no longer there--at least that's my guess.

I was able to install the older version of QuickTime 7.6.3 in my Utilities folder, so at least I have a version of QuickTime that works. iTunes also still works. But I still don't have QuickTime X in my basic Mac OSX system. I tried using Software Update to update the 7.6.3 QuickTime, but I guess because it's not part of the system software, the Software Update application says that my system software is all up to date. In the meantime, I am also able to use VLC to play my movies and music outside of iTunes.

Thanks again so much for your help. If you have any other ideas in light of my feedback, I'd be very grateful.

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Answer 5

Nov 17, 2013 10:32 AM in response to jmaybee

Hi, im having the EXACT same problem you described in the first post; I go to play a song, the button turns to a ause button but it never plays or scrolls though the song. Currently I'm on my laptop with Windows 8 but my desktop also has the same problem almost at the same time too and that has Windows 7.

I tried updating everything like quicktime, that didnt help; I tried removing quicktime (like you did) and it still doesnt work. This has been a problem for almost a month now, and through one or two updates of itunes and that hasnt fixed it either. If theres anything else I can try please help, i just want to be able to listen to my music on my laptop and desktop again >.<

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Answer 6

Nov 18, 2013 6:24 PM in response to jmaybee

jmaybee,

You need to go get a program called Pacifist 3.2.2 (it's shareware but you can use it for free - I cannot say enough of how great this program is, it has saved my skin more times than I can count)

http://www.charlessoft.com

Then get the Snow Leopard disk that came with your system and put it in the optical drive and let it mount.

Using Pacifist, use the "Open Apple Install Discs" button, select the Snow Leopard disk and let it read the package installers. This may take some time, as it's got to read the DVD and pull up all the installer .pkg files..

When Pacifist is done, you'll see something that looks like this:

http://home.comcast.net/~foodandart/MacForums/PacifistSnowLeopardQT.jpg

Dig down into the installer packages thusly:

Contents of OSInstall.mpkg

Contents of EssentialSystemSoftware

Contents of EssentialSystemSoftwareGroup

Contents of Essentials.pkg

Applications

QuickTime Player.app

Select the QuickTime player to highlight it, then you just hit the large arrow at the upper left corner of the Pacifist window (sorry for my black Snow Leopard scheme making things hard to see) and it will ask you if you are certain and also to backup files (why? they're gone already!) and it will install the QuickTime Player to the default location in your Applications folder.

I *just* tried this with my own system and tossed my original copy of QTX on the Desktop and the new install works perfect.

There you go..

Regards,

Deb.

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Answer 7

Nov 18, 2013 7:17 PM in response to Shadoworgon

Shadoworgon, you may have a corrupted QT preference file.

I think a bit of digging is in order. Since I only have a wonky version of vista running under Parallels, I'm going to fumble the directions a bit. Hopefully Windows hierarchy of folders hasn't changed too much and you can make sense of the directions.

Make sure QuickTime is off.

You need to set your Windows Explorer (does Windows 7 or 8 still have that application?) to 'show all hidden files and folders'. I found the setting in the Appearance and Personalization in the Control Panels.

Go to wherever Start is then open 'Computer'

Go to the 'Local Disk (C)' drive

Then 'Users'

Then your account folder.

You should see the (formerly) hidden 'AppData' folder.

Then into the 'Local' folder

and inside that, 'Apple Computer' folder

Then QuickTime..

and inside that is the preference file for QuickTime.

Move it to the Desktop and restart QuickTime and see if that solves the problem.

Good luck!

Deb.

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