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[macdonjh]

Last week I started having trouble with MC28.  Whenever I restart the program it tries to update.  I refuse to allow the program to make changes and it stops opening.  Then I double click to start MC28 again and it tells me the update failed.  I choose to <cancel> and the program starts.  I know this happens with two of the three installations we have in our house.

Today, on my media computer (my Silver computer, not my Black computer  ), I allowed MC28 to update.  After the update was complete, I restored my Library and started watching TV Show.  New symptom: when the episode I watched finished, MC28 did not continue with the next episode in the folder, it stopped playing.  When I <clicked> my mouse, I got a "MC28 is not responding" message.  I shut the program down and restarted it.  Then I played another episode.  At the end of that episode the same thing happened and I did the same thing.  Now MC28 won't respond at all. 

I <uninstalled> MC28, redownloaded it, installed it, restored my Library and tried again.  No dice, it does not respond. 

Any ideas about what's going on?

[JimH]

The most common reason for odd problems like that is antivirus software.  There is a Windows Defender thread here.  Don't use any other antivirus.

Turn off MC's check for updates if you don't want them.  Read about Update Channels here:  com/

[macdonjh]

Thanks, JimH.  I've read the Windows Defender thread.  I'll look up Update Channels...

[macdonjh]

I uninstalled Norton and restarted MC28. 

I haven't "turned on" Windows Defender yet.

The first episode of a TV Show I watched ended and the next started after the first was over.  However, after that the symptoms above started all over again with the third episode.  I was able to Exit MC28, restart the program and watch the next episode twice, but after that I was unable to get any TV Shows to play.

Every time I exited MC28, the changes I made to my Library (adding ratings to the episode I just watched) "disappeared".  I wonder why that is.  Don't changes to Libraries take effect immediately?

I backed up my Library.  I uninstalled MC28 again.  I've reinstalled i MC28 and restored my Library.  I'll report again when I have some results.

Oh, and I think I've turned off the automatic updates: Help -> Update Channels -> <check> Disable Automatic Update.

[JimH]

Did you configure Windows Defender?  You can't really turn it off.  It will come back.

[macdonjh]

OK, I didn't know that.  I'll have to reread the thread for the details and make sure Windows Defender is "out of the way".

For what it's worth, I re-reinstalled MC28 and re-restored my Library.  It's still happening, but not with everything.  I started playing some cartoons (also tagged as TV Shows in my Library).  They seem to play the way I expect them to: one ends, the next one starts.  However, I played another TV Show and it wouldn't even start playing.

Audio files also seem to play normally.

[macdonjh]

Sorry for this non-MC question, but where do I go in Windows to set-up the exclusions recommended in the Taming Windows Defender thread?  I found Windows Defender Firewall, but I don't see any exclusions there.  I didn't see Windows Defender.

[JimH]

It's described in the first post here:
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,114101.0.html

[macdonjh]

Thanks again, JimH.  I was reading the thread backwards and didn't go all the way to Post #1. 

[macdonjh]

Cross post from the "Taming Windows Defender" thread.  Awesome Donkey was kind enough to help me find where I could find where I could add exclusions:

I did find it.  Start Menu -> Windows Security (pop up window opens) -> Virus & threat Protection (from the menu bar on the left side) -> Virus & threat protection settings, click Manage settings -> Exclusions, click Add or remove exclusions

Sorry for wasting everyone's time with this, I completely missed it when I was looking earlier.

For my first attempt to get things working again, I took RD James' recommendations in Reply #22 and added these exclusions: "C:\Program Files\J River\" and "%APPDATA%\J River\"

EDIT: I should add, those exclusions are File/ Folder exclusions, not Process exclusions.  Should they be Process exclusions instead? 

[macdonjh]

Unfortunately, MC28 is still behaving badly for me.  I've removed Norton, reactivated Windows Defender and added the two Exclusions above.  I've restarted my computer.  MC28 will play one TV Show file, then freeze.  I have to close the program and wait approximately five minutes before restarting MC28 to play any other TV Show (and, more, I think any Video file; at least I think I've tried random Video files without success).

I hope there are other ideas, I am stuck again.

[JimH]

If no video will play after the first one, then perhaps MC can't read the next file for whatever reason, or the video renderer won't play it.

Are you using Red October Standard or HQ or the new JRVR for video?  Check the video settings.

If HQ, don't customize madVR.

[macdonjh]

JimH, I've done no video "set-up" at all, what ever settings are in place when MC28 is installed is how I use MC28.  What's confusing to me about all of this is everything worked just fine three weeks ago and I haven't changed anything.  MC28 still operates happily on the other two computers in my house even with Norton still active (if is isn't broken, don't fix it).  So this development with my Silver computer is baffling to me.

In my case, all the video files I've been trying to play are .mkv files.  So it seems like if I can play one, I should be able to play them all.  I could three weeks ago.  And don't misunderstand: I can play the files.  It's just that after each file is played, I have to shut MC28 down, wait five minutes or so, restart MC28 then play the next file.  It didn't used to be that way: one file immediately after the other.

[JimH]

I don't know what the problem is, but try these.

Change Red October setting in video to JRVR.  Try also HQ.

Compare settings among the machines.

What about drives?  All reading from the same server?  How are they connected?  What's different.

[JimH]

Are you using a Mac?  This is a Windows board.

If so, switch to JRVR video.

[macdonjh]

I'm using a Windows PC.  All three installations at my house are on Windows PCs, and I have a Windows license (not a Master License).  I used to have a Mac, but switched to PC earlier this year.

I just changed, for my Silver computer, Red October to Red October JRVR.  (Just checked, Black computer is Red October standard) Update soon.

I haven't compared the settings between the computers yet, but I will.  I think they should all be the same since we did not perform a Custom installation on any of the three computers.

All media files are stored on my NAS.  On my Silver computer (the computer giving me these problems) NAS is mapped as S:\.  On my Black computer NAS is also mapped as S:\.  I think the same is true of my son's computer, but I'll have to double check when he gets home.

One difference is my Silver computer is hard-wired to our NAS, the other two computers connect via our wireless router (same router, same NAS, just a wi-fi connection rather than ethernet).

After you asked the question about MC28 being able to read my video files I remembered I'd reinstalled MC a couple of times and didn't change any of the default file formats.  I went to Tools -> Options -> File Formats and checked the File Associations box for .mkv.  It didn't help, though, I still have to exit MC28, wait for five minutes or so and then play the next video I want to see.

[macdonjh]

My Silver computer (the computer which started all of this) is acting almost normal again.  As suggested by JimH a few posts ago, I changed my Video set-up from "Red October standard" to "Red October JRVR".  My videos now play one after the other like they used to. 

There is a little residual strangeness: sometimes during playback what appear to be several random frames flash rapidly on the screen.  I think this happens, only sometimes, when the video is playing from one Chapter to the next Chapter.  It does not seem to happen during scene changes, nor does it seem to happen every time a new Chapter starts.  I also haven't played a different TV Show or a movie to see if it affects all videos, or just this one Series.

I'm glad the most annoying part of this problem seems to be solved.  Thank you JimH for your continued help.  I wish I knew what caused the problem in the first place, though, it sure seems t have started spontaneously.

[JimH]

Good to hear you've got it solved.