WD Live stopped playing movies

Until last week I had no problems playing movies via my Live, from a WD external hard drive through my computer and Cat 5e wired router.

Suddenly, although I can *see* the movie files they don’t play. The progress bar starts, with the total time displayed, but the screen remains blank and there’s no sound.

Still images from the same drive are displayed OK.

This all started at about the same time I upgraded my antivirus to VIPRE Premium from VIPRE/Zonealarm. However, even if I switch it off the films still won’t play.

Any ideas?

Well, it IS suspicious that it started when you made software changes.  I found out that simply installing WIndows Text to Speech killed my Live transfer (in a similar setup to you). 

SImply turning off your antivirus software may not work, as a service may have started you didn’t stop.  Your best bet is to restore to a previous saved state (right before you installed the software would be best) and see if things don’t improve.  At that point you’ll well and truly know if it was the software that did it.

The same happened to me for no apparent reason. No software installing or anything…just the symptoms you described.

I just used a paperclip and reset the unit from the side button and the movies started playing again??!

Go figure…

SImply turning off your antivirus software may not work, as a service may have started you didn’t stop.  Your best bet is to restore to a previous saved state (right before you installed the software would be best) and see if things don’t improve.  At that point you’ll well and truly know if it was the software that did it.<<

I did what you suggested - what a palaver that was this time! BSODs, Thunderbird becoming inactive (different version no. so folders didn’t work) Internet stopped connecting etc!

However, the net result was - no change: movies didn’t play, even with the A/V from the previous incarnation and switched off. However, I see the next post to yours might be the answer.

JDizzy wrote:

The same happened to me for no apparent reason. No software installing or anything…just the symptoms you described.

I just used a paperclip and reset the unit from the side button and the movies started playing again??!

 

Go figure…

Thanks for that - I will try doing it and see what transpires.

(Probably something to do with quantum entangkement?..)

The same happened to me for no apparent reason. No software installing or anything…just the symptoms you described.

I just used a paperclip and reset the unit from the side button and the movies started playing again??!

Go figure…

<<

Success! I did what you said - did a reset with a paperclip - and now can play movies again.

HOWEVER!  I get a screen up saying “Sign in”, with two boxes - “Account” and “Password”.  (The account box has “anonymous” in it.)

Have you any idea what these refer to? I cannot remember setting anything when I bought the WDLive, and all the documentation says is something about NAS, which means nothing to me!

Is the “Account” my router network name? (In which case I do have the password.)

And this is supposed to be user friendly!

JDizzy wrote:

The same happened to me for no apparent reason. No software installing or anything…just the symptoms you described.

I just used a paperclip and reset the unit from the side button and the movies started playing again??!

 

Go figure…

I think you will find that is what a user reset button is all about! The device gets into a pickle and you press reset.

Datastream wrote:

The same happened to me for no apparent reason. No software installing or anything…just the symptoms you described.

I just used a paperclip and reset the unit from the side button and the movies started playing again??!

 

Go figure…

<<

 

Success! I did what you said - did a reset with a paperclip - and now can play movies again.

 

HOWEVER!  I get a screen up saying “Sign in”, with two boxes - “Account” and “Password”.  (The account box has “anonymous” in it.)

 

Have you any idea what these refer to? I cannot remember setting anything when I bought the WDLive, and all the documentation says is something about NAS, which means nothing to me!

 

Is the “Account” my router network name? (In which case I do have the password.)

 

And this is supposed to be user friendly!

This is where you type your user name and password to access your network resource (NAS or network shares) nothing to do with your router or network name. If you have no user name or password then you normally just leave it as it is and go straight to ok. You will only get this screen if you are attempting to play from the network.

You can set to auto login by going to the network menu and setting ‘auto logon to network share’ to on. You will then never see this screen again.

(NAS =Network Attached Storage)

Rich,

I *think* he’s saying he reset his ROUTER with the paperclip (can’t really reset the Live with one).  If so, and if it was a LInksys, then the odds are the password is reset to admin (or administrator – can’t remember which one) with no password.  That’s what happens on my Linksys router.

Although… he seems to say he’s getting it from the Live screens.  So I’m not real sure what the heck is going on here.

If you hit the RESET button, it may be asking for the Share Logon credentials again.  No biggy; just supply them and move forward.  :) 

Same error here - after download of newest firmware version (March 30th)

  1. Thumbnails of network videos AND pictures seen on screen - but cannot be accessed /started.

  2. Movies accessed from local drive (fx. USB) are seen and started correctly.Running WIN 7 - and no problems in previous firmware!!

Thanks to all who are helping - although some seem more confused than I over what my problem now is .

Firstly, I *have* solved the initial problem of movies not playing from my hetwork via the WDLive box: the JDizzy fix of resetting the WDLive box by means of a paperclip did the trick, MKelley. (Nothing to do with my router).

TonyPh: >>If you hit the RESET button, it may be asking for the Share Logon credentials again.  No biggy; just supply them and move forward.<< It IS a biggie for me since I don’t know what you mean! What are Share LogOn Credentials? My router numbers? My network name and password? I just don’t understand.

RichUK: >>This is where you type your user name and password to access your network resource (NAS or network shares) nothing to do with your router or network name. If you have no user name or password then you normally just leave it as it is and go straight to ok. You will only get this screen if you are attempting to play from the network.<< The screen comes up with “Anonymous” for the name and invites a password when I try to access File Management - nothing to do with playing from the network (That I have solved - see above).

Since I seem to now be able to play as I want from my network I suppose this doesn’t matter. But I seem to remember being able to set the presentation of folders and files as thumbnails or lists somewhere and I cannot see how to access this choice, which may be part of this log-on thing?

  :

Sorry if I got your issues confused (hey, I’m an old man and *easily* confused).

Choosing how the files are displayed is in your Settings (on the initial level).  I don’t think this will change anything having to do with a password, though.

Choosing how the files are displayed is in your Settings (on the initial level).  I don’t think this will change anything having to do with a password, though.<<

(Know what you mean about easily confused . I’m getting on a bit, too.)

I can’t access the initial level of “Settings”, only “Music”, “Photos” and “Videos”.

The “Settings” icon slews to the left, and up comes “New firmware found” - it’s not possible to actually press on “Settings” as such.

I have resisted the temptation to let it do its thing by downloading the firmware update after reading all the negative posts from others about it wrecking their box!

I haven’t upgraded either, but you can ignore the message and still reach settings.  Just scroll to the left and it will get off the update and onto the basic menu, where you can reach the settings again.  (If you need to know the exact key presses I’ll try it tonight and tell you, but it’s not hard).

I have two Live units, so I *might* upgrade one and see what damage it does to my (basically) perfect setup, since I can always rollback if need be.  But somehow this particular upgrade seems rather dangerous to me, IMHO.

I haven’t upgraded either, but you can ignore the message and still reach settings.  Just scroll to the left and it will get off the update and onto the basic menu, where you can reach the settings again.  (If you need to know the exact key presses I’ll try it tonight and tell you, but it’s not hard).<<

It doesn’t do that - the cogs icon (Settings) is pushed to the left by the “New firmware available”, which is therefore in the vertical “tape” of videos, music etc. If I scroll to the left so that the cogs - settings - comes to the centre and push enter, all that happens is that it reverts to the cogs slipping again to the left and the “new firmware available” replacing it. There appears no way of getting to settings without downloading the firmware!

Datastream wrote:

I haven’t upgraded either, but you can ignore the message and still reach settings.  Just scroll to the left and it will get off the update and onto the basic menu, where you can reach the settings again.  (If you need to know the exact key presses I’ll try it tonight and tell you, but it’s not hard).<<

 

It doesn’t do that - the cogs icon (Settings) is pushed to the left by the “New firmware available”, which is therefore in the vertical “tape” of videos, music etc. If I scroll to the left so that the cogs - settings - comes to the centre and push enter, all that happens is that it reverts to the cogs slipping again to the left and the “new firmware available” replacing it. There appears no way of getting to settings without downloading the firmware!

Lets first of all lets get you to settings. When the new firmware is displayed its just a case of pushing the up or down key to cycle through the other setting menu’s. (they are also in what you call a ‘vertical tape’)

You say that you have reset the the device using the side button. This also brings back the network logon screen ( and I don’t mean the wired / wireless network logon. There is a screen ( the one you describe) which you have to go through to access files on your computer etc. As you cannot get back into settings I cannot see how you could have created an auto logon.

As I originally said have you tried going straight to the OK button when presented with the file management ‘sign in’ screen (leaving account at default of ‘anonymous’ and password box empty). You then set the WDTV to ‘auto login to network share’ on the ‘Network Setting’ screen and you will not see the sign in screen any more.

What exactly are you currently playing via your network? Have you got a media server running because you cannot connect to ‘network shares’ without going via the sign on page. The only way you can get to your files is via a ‘local drive’, ‘media server’ or ‘network shares’ They are on the ‘vertical tape’ to the right of  video, photo, music. Which one are you pressing and where is your WD external hard drive connected?

Lets first of all lets get you to settings. When the new firmware is displayed its just a case of pushing the up or down key to cycle through the other setting menu’s. (they are also in what you call a ‘vertical tape’)

You say that you have reset the the device using the side button. This also brings back the network logon screen ( and I don’t mean the wired / wireless network logon. There is a screen ( the one you describe) which you have to go through to access files on your computer etc. As you cannot get back into settings I cannot see how you could have created an auto logon.

As I originally said have you tried going straight to the OK button when presented with the file management ‘sign in’ screen (leaving account at default of ‘anonymous’ and password box empty). You then set the WDTV to ‘auto login to network share’ on the ‘Network Setting’ screen and you will not see the sign in screen any more. <<

I must have done that since I can access my computer without any logging on.

What exactly are you currently playing via your network? Have you got a media server running because you cannot connect to ‘network shares’ without going via the sign on page. The only way you can get to your files is via a ‘local drive’, ‘media server’ or ‘network shares’ They are on the ‘vertical tape’ to the right of  video, photo, music. Which one are you pressing and where is your WD external hard drive connected? <<

What is a "Media server? I don’t have a HD plugged into the WDLive. All my files are on my Pavilion’s C drive and also on  WD 300GB and a WD 1TB USB drives.

I think the original problem was solved by the suggestion of resetting the WD Live - my other questions relate to the log-on page and not understanding exactly *what* the log-on refers to! Since I don’t get that any more it seems now a non-event.

My firmware is 1.01.11 - would you recommend staying with that or are the “upgrades” now OK?

You said that you could not get past the file management log in page. You also said you could not get past the file download to see the settings. I told you how to tell if you are going via a media server or network shares - you have to press a button which tells you that information. Now you are implying that  you are not having any problems.

You seem to be wasting our time. We are like yourself just users who are are giving up some time to help.

RichUK >>You seem to be wasting our time. We are like yourself just users who are are giving up some time to help.<<

I don’t think that is warranted. JDizzy very early on gave me the solution to the movie playing problem: in message #6 I said that fixed it. I then had a further question about the log-on screen that appeared: several replies mentioned acronyms which were meaningless to me and my question about whether an upgrade of the firmware was a good idea were not replied to.

I thank you all for the help - especially JDizzy - and I am sorry to have wasted your time.