MIDI file cause plug-in error

[mabloodhound]

I have attempted to click on MIDI files on a number of different web sites but every time I get the Plug-in Error box w/ "An error occurred inside a plug-in contained on this page.". Then the browser closes and asks if I want to report this to Microsoft. I then have to re-start the browser.

This is a new occurrence because I was able to open these MIDI files previously.

This happens with my three services: Comcast using IE6; Compuserve uses IE6 AND Firefox using Mozilla! I have not added any new hardware and only software update was to Adobe Photoshop Album.

On one site the MIDI files were also in a ZIP file which I was able to download OK and then I could play them just fine on the computer. But if I try to open any MIDI file from any WEB page, I get the error and browser shutdown.

To try and fix this, I did a virus scan with Norton-nothing found. I used CCleaner, Ad-Aware; SpyBot; and Registry Booster but none of these fixed the problem.

Although I consider myself an experienced user, I AM NOT very good at system functions so I DO NOT touch the registry at all. I am at a loss to figure this out. I have not tried a system restore to a previous date yet because I wanted to see if I could find out what caused this.

MY system is HP pavilion a450n WinXP SP2 2GB ram. Internet connection is with cable via Comcast. I use ZoneLabs firewall and Norton Anti-virus. Any advice is appreciated.
Dave

 

[cwwozniak]

Hi Dave, and welcome to TSG.

Do you know what plugins are supposed to be used to open (play) a midi file in each browser? The current selection should be listed in the browser options settings.

 

[mabloodhound]

Chuck
I'm not sure. In IE6 if I go to TOOLS and then to Internet Options, there is nothing under that which refers to a MIDI file. The same in Mozilla under Tools/Options. Maybe I'm not looking in the right place or don't know exactly what to look for.
When I open one of the MIDI songs that I had downloaded to the computer in the ZIP file, it opens with Windows Media Player and plays OK.
Dave

 

[cwwozniak]

In Firefox look in Tools -> Options -> Content -> File Types -> Manage, and see what is listed for MID files.

 

[mabloodhound]

There are 3 MIDI sequence files listed and all three use "Open with Quick Time Plug-in 6.1c. This is probably the same for IE6
Dave

 

[cwwozniak]

I use a QuickTime alternate program and am not that familiar with QuickTime itself. From what I have read about it, you may need to go into the QuickTime program options and specifically enable the QuickTime plugin to play a MIME type of MID.

 

[mabloodhound]

Well Chuck,
I don't know what gives, but I did an update to my Quicktime and tried that, but when it oppened a MIDI file there was no sound! I also lost control of my volume in the tray.
So I did a restore system to Mar.1 2008 but that failed, WTF. I restrarted the system and got my volume control back and now the QuickTime plays MIDI files in all my browsers.
So all is working again but I don't know why.
Thanks for the assist.
Dave

 

[cwwozniak]

Hi Dave,

So all is working again but I don't know why.
Thanks for the assist.

Apple iTunes and QuickTime both seem to work in strange and mysterious ways when it comes playing nice with other programs on Windows.

Give everything a few days to see if anything else got broken while fixing this problem. You may then want to come back and mark this topic solved in the Thread Tools menu above your first post.