Accountingweb & media player

Accountingweb & media player

Didn't find your answer?

Why has the AWeb site started trying to get me to download & instal Media Player?

Our IT policy is very tight on downloading & installing software and I am not allowed to do so.

Anyway the site seems to work OK when I cancel it, it's just annoying to have to do so every day
Alan Webb

Replies (10)

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By listerramjet
03rd Nov 2004 12:40

cookies and log in
I think the cookie is used to identify you so that your name appears, but it does say somewhere on the site that it requires a valid log in for the current session before you can post - I suspect this is a security measure.

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By taxinfo
01st Nov 2004 17:11

cookie mangement
Alan/Helen

If cookies don't seem to be acting as you would expect my initial suggestion is to get rid of them all and start again afresh with each of the websites concerned. If you have hundreds of "auto-logins" all over the web this might be a problem.

However, if you want to try it then this is the procedure for IE browsers [if you're using Mozilla Firefox or other browsers you will need to access cookies another way].

Go to Tools then Internet Options. On the General tab you will see "Delete cookies". Hit that button and the IE will do that - delete all cookies.

You might like to "Delete files" and "Clear history" as well while you're there.

When you next visit sites (like accountingweb) you may have to re-enter names/passwords and re-instruct your computer to "remember you on this site".

Keep me posted.

John - Thanks for the comment. Yes, I know WMP10 works well most of the time. It's just that, as I said before, it can sometimes conflict with other programs/devices post SP2. In Alan's case I was offering it as suggestion in case his was a development post-SP2. I'm getting feedback from places where I help out and I guess that about 20% of people are finding problems with SP2 and WMP. All I can say is it's good to hear yours is working well. I only tend to hear when things go wrong!

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By Helen Crowley
01st Nov 2004 16:46

Log-in
I have same problem as Alan so have had to Log-In to post this even though my name appears under Welcome on the left hand side. This only seems to have started to happen recently!

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By listerramjet
01st Nov 2004 10:53

configuration
If your PC and connections was configured in a manner appropriate to the "tight" IT policy, then it would not matter whether you accepted or rejected the download request, as it would in any case fail.

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By ACDWebb
01st Nov 2004 14:04

Gareth
AWeb/Alan Webb - is it coincidence that the message happens to be the same as your own name or is the fact more relevant?
Just a coincidence.

BTW did you know that I was an Olympic triallist and sub 4 minute miler for Michigan State? No? Neither did I, but Google seems to think I am :-)

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By taxinfo
01st Nov 2004 14:21

Google strikes again
OK Alan. That's one issue cleared up. Then again maybe not if you take any notice of Google!!

Hope the other comments I made prove to be useful to you. I'd be interested to know how you get on.

Best wishes.

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By John Savage
01st Nov 2004 15:49

Windows SP2 + WMP 10
Gareth,

I noted with interest your comment regarding Windows Media Player 10 running on Windows XP with SP2 installed.

Mine is running fine, and has been for a couple of weeks now, in fact, it is far better than V9. Just shows how far a little negative can go, just don't pay too much attention to it!

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By ACDWebb
01st Nov 2004 16:04

Gareth, in answer to the rest of your comment
the install message comes up when the AWeb page first opens in IE.

It says that to view the AWeb page properly I need to install Windows Media Player.

This only started quite recently, so I presumed that there is some new content on the AWeb pages that needs Media Player.

Like I say nothing is immediately apparent and if I cancel over it as before everything seems to work, it was just annoying in the way that petty things like that can be.

Sound is disabled on our citrix network, so perhaps its something trying to load something I cannot hear anyway.

Anyway I have taken the ultimate step and checked "Do not ask to install this type of component in the future" last time it happened, so hopefully that will be an end of it.

One other interesting thing. There is obviously some form of cookie that keeps a record of me as when I come to the AWeb site it says "Welcome Alan Webb" top left. However, when I first try to post a reply I have to login again. I presume that there must now be some auto logout from posting despite the basic login name being recognised?

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By taxinfo
01st Nov 2004 12:12

Web encyclopedia
Hello Alan

I am presuming that your AWeb message appears when you first boot up your computers. If this message is what I think then it may relate to a free web encyclopaedia. The web site is --

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AWeb_web_browser

If this happens on startup you might like to check the list of applications carefully and uncheck those you don't want to run on startup. To do this use the system process msconfig. Go to Start, Run, type msconfig and press Enter.

I use Wikipedia and have found it to be safe (so far) but, if it's on your system, it could have got there by accident or deliberate authorised download. It runs some items in WMP and I suspect it wants the latest version download before it will run.

Footnote - the latest WMP is version 10 and I have heard it can react in odd ways with SP2. Some people I know have gone back to version 9 till the conflicts etc. are resolved.

Two more thoughts, one bizzare, one more serious.

1. AWeb/Alan Webb - is it coincidence that the message happens to be the same as your own name or is the fact more relevant?

2. Spyware - if your browser engages on startup, and has been hijacked, it may be trying to take you somewhere you don't want to go. In this case your system may have more serious problems. If so, and you would like more specific directions on how to clean out your PC(s), post again here and I will give it more thought.

Best of luck.

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By neileg
02nd Nov 2004 09:03

Same Problems
I have both these problems, the Media Player Download prompt and the need to login even though my ID is recognised.

I'm using Windows 2000 and have Media Player 6.4 installed.

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