When I open Windows Media Player from my desk top icon, it will play any
of my music files including .mp3, .wma, and .wav.perfectly. It looks
like the executable that is run when opened like that is wmplayer.exe.
Yes, .wav & .wma files will play with mplay32.exe. Just not the
.mp3's.
Per your suggestion below, I deleted both Real Player and Windows media
player and re-installed only Windows Media Player. No change.
The files have come from various sources including my own CDs and the
WWW. Do note, however, that the files have been playing in some of these
.ppt shows since 2001 and became inoperable at some unknown time in the
past two weeks or so.
As it stands now, PowerPoint is belly up since I can neither play old
shows nor add music to newly created ones.
Thank you.
PowerPoint uses the MCI Media Player (mplay32.exe) to play media files.
If the file won't play in mplay32.exe, then it's not going to play in
PPT.
You said other types of files will play in the MCI Media Player, right?
My guess is that Real Player mucked up the system somehow -- but I'm
not sure how to fix it. I'd probably uninstall Real Player and
reinstall Windows Media Player. If I could reinstall the MCI Media
Player, I'd do that, but I don't know if there's a way to do it other
than a system restore or Windows reinstall.
I suppose it could be DRM (digital rights management) issues with the
files in question. Where did the MP3 files come from?
--
Echo [MS PPT MVP]
http://www.echosvoice.com
What's new in PPT 2007?
http://www.echosvoice.com/2007.htm
Fixing PowerPoint Annoyances
http://tinyurl.com/36grcd
PowerPoint 2007 Complete Makeover Kit
http://tinyurl.com/32a7nx
Michael:
"No go" on your last suggestion. Thank you for sticking with me on
this. Let me recap what had occurred thus far:
My original problem:
?In my existing PowerPoint 2007 .ppt presentations, .mp3 music files
will not play from within the program
?the location of the sound files have not changed since time of
creation
?the files WILL PLAY outside of the PowerPoint program
?.wav files DO PLAY within the PP program.
What's been done to try to fix the problem:
?I deleted and reinserted .mp3 files which still DID NOT PLAY.
?I uninstalled then reinstalled Windows Media Player with NO CHANGE
?I created a new test show and inserted .mp3 files. They DID NOT PLAY
in running the show or in Preview. In that situation I got this error
message....."MCI Error-The specified file cannot be played on the
specified MCI device. The file may be corrupt, not in the correct
format, or no FIL".
?I went into Media Player, Tools, Options, File Types, .mp3 is one of
the file
types checked to use WMP as the default player. Like I said, though,
in the general environment, WMP works fine on an .mp3.
?The .mp3 files do not play using mplay32.exe. Other file types do.
I get a warning..."A problem occurred in initializing MCI"
?I found mplay32.exe in C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386. I copied it
to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32. It was the same creation date, time and size
?I did a search for mplay32 exe. And found and earlier version. I
copied it to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32.
?No change in the end. Still get the error message: ..."A problem
occurred in initializing MCI"
?I inserted a PowerPoint Show that I have on a CD in my drive. The
show ran..WITHOUT SOUND!
?I attempted to do a System Restore for a few available dates and
inexplicably, System Restore doesn't fly(!!!) After reboot I get a
message that the system has not been changed.
It seems like the only problem is something within MY PowerPoint as
WMP works fine stand-alone.
Thanks.
The player file may have been corrupted. I found this using Google
and
inserting your error message.
You may have a backup on your system, look in
C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386. Copy the file to
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32
--
Michael Koerner
MS MVP - PowerPoint
No. The .mp3 files do not play using mplay32.exe. Other file types
do.
I get a warning..."A problem occurred in initializing MCI"
There is no setting within PowerPoint to make this change. You are
doing
it
correctly I just wanted to make sure that nothing was staying
attached to
your audio files.
Can you play your files using mplay32.exe? You may also want to
check here
for a solution
http://www.playsforcertain.com/
--
Michael Koerner
MS MVP - PowerPoint
Michael:
Within Media Player, Tools, Options, File Types, .mp3 is one of the
file
types checked to use WMP as the default player. I'm not aware of a
setting
inside PowerPoint 2007. There may be one there that I can't find,
so
please
let me know.
I created a new PowerPoint show as a test and when I insert an .mp3
I get
the same error message as stated earlier......"MCI Error-The
specified file can not be played on the specified MCI device. The
file
may
be corrupt, not in the correct format, or no FIL".
I HAVE tried reinserting in existing shows with no change.
I'm not a PowerPoint expert for sure, but I've been working with it
for
seven or eight years and am really stumped on this one.
If you have Real Player on your system it might be that the mp3
files in
your presentation got associated with Real Player. I would make
sure that
the file association for mp3 files is Windows Media Player and go
as far
as
re inserting them into your presentation
--
Michael Koerner
MS MVP - PowerPoint
My mistake. I "read" Media Player and "thought." Realplayer. Ok,
I
uninstalled Windows Media Player and reloaded Windows Media Player
11 for
XP
but still have the same problem. It is: the .mp3 files within any
of my
existing .ppt files do not play (.wav files do play). The files
play
when
they are opened from within the show directories or in the general
computer
environment, outside of the PowerPoint program. When I try to
"preview"
the
sound file inside a show I get the following dropdown....."MCI
Error-The
specified file can not be played on the specified MCI device. The
file
may
be corrupt, not in the correct format, or no FIL".
Thank you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You need to do as John suggested, and reinstall Windows Media
Player.
Make
sure that the default program for playing MP3 files is Windows
Media
Player
and not Realplayer.
--
Michael Koerner
MS MVP - PowerPoint
John: Thanks for the reply.
No joy on the below process. I uninstalled Realplayer and
reinstalled
it.
As before the .mp3 files do not play in PowerPoint (they did at
time of
creation)...no sound files have been moved to new
directories...the
.mp3's
play fine outside of the PP environment...and the .wav files
within the
presentation, where they exist....play fine in the shows. Oh, I
tried
deleting and reinstalling an .mp3 file or two with no change.
Do you have any other thoughts?
Thanks.
"John Wilson" <john AT technologytrish.co DOT uk> wrote in message
Did you install a sound or video player / editor that may have
changed
the
file associations?
I would reinstall Windows Media Player and see if that fixes
things.
--
john ATSIGN PPTAlchemy.co.uk
Free PPT Hints, Tips and Tutorials
http://www.pptalchemy.co.uk/powerpoint_hints_and_tips_tutorials.html
:
Hi-
Happy Thanksgiving.
I've just discovered that .mp3 files in any of my .ppt files on
my
machine
no longer play. The sound files have not been moved. I would
think
that
maybe my machine lost the codec that allows the music files to
run.
Any thoughts? Running Windows XP Home.
Thanks.
.
