Why is Quicktime converting a .MOV file? That is QT's native container.
For CCC:
True, MOV is the native QuickTime file type but it is also a generic file container that may contain any form of data compatible with the system codec configuration under which the file was created. Since the original poster indicates the file is being converted (assumption: ?automatically by the player?), it can reasonably be concluded that this user is trying to open the file in the QT X v10.3 player under Mavericks and the AVFoundation, unable to play the file natively, passes the file to the Modernizer module which decides to attempt file conversion only to have the Convert module determine that one or more of the codecs used in the file is not supported and returns the "can't open" modal message.
For Nav:
Can you confirm your Mac OS X version and the QT player (QT X or QT 7) you are using? (NOTE: it is always useful to include system/app information when trying to get others to troubleshoot a problem or issue since different apps may behave differently under different operating systems.)
How do you know the codecs? If the file(s) won't open, how can you can't get Info on the codecs
For CCC:
Since the original poster indicated the original file was recorded with an iPhone, it is reasonable to assume the original file was an H.264/AAC MOV file. Unfortunately, as you also seem to suspect, the original file may have been modified by the original recording user or by Google Drive processing. For instance, the original file could have been converted to an unsupported compression format before uploading to Google Drive or Google Drive may automatically process the file in such a way that it is no longer recognized/supported by this poster's system. Since I am not a Google Drive user, I do not know how the files are specifically handled and the original poster, of course, made no reference to any re-processing of the file before the upload.
For Nav:
Can you confirm the codecs used in the non-playing files using third-party or Finder level information windows or determine if your friend modified the file in any way before uploading it to Google Drive?
To the google drive issue. Have you transferred files that worked by this method before? Have you tried downloading them again? Have she uploaded them again? Have you sent MOVs the other direction? - upload one you know is a good file yourself, and download it again after she tests that it works for her.
For CCC:
There are many troubleshooting workflows that could be used here. Most employ the somewhat lengthy Socratic method of question and answer to determine the problem or arrive at a potential solution and may be helped or hampered by the relative expertise of the original poster. The most direct method, however, would be to post or email a short sample file that has undergone this "shared" workflow and doesn't open or play on the target system.
For Nav,
It is often helpful to include some idea as to you level of expertise here so others know how to guage their responses. (I.e., we don't wish to appear condescending if you are an expert nor do we want to refer to things beyond your current comprehension if you are a novice.) Also, if you have performed any preliminary tests on the files, it helps to include their results and any preliminary conclusions you have reached. If totally new here or you prefer to have others perform an examination of the problem content, then it is suggested you simply post or email a short sample file (10-30 seconds) for download. This can be one of your files or one created specifically for this purpose which has undergone the same problematic workflow as your other files. In this way any of the frequent forum responders can address your issue in a timely manner or jump in if the issue has several facets which might need to be addressed.
