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ptrott · Feb 1, 2011, 06:31 AM

I have two identical '07mac minis, both running 10.6.6, both have the same versions of Flip4Mac, QuickTime7, Quicktime Pro and Perian.

When I plug my Pentax digital camera (with an AVI file on it) into Mac "A" the FInder shows the cameras folder with the AVI (with jpg icon view) and a preview is visible and playable. The CPU activity is normal.

When I plug the camera into Mac "B" the Finder shows the camera folder with the AVI icon as a blank page, no preview available...just a spinning wheel, and the CPU goes to near maximum usage level.
The camera has to be force ejected, and the CPU keeps going nuts until I quit Finder, at which time CPU drops to normal.

AVIs from the camera, which have been downloaded to Mac "B" remain as blank page icons and trying to preview them results in the CPU going nuts every time, yet the same AVI can be played by 3rd party software quite ok, AND, get this, the same AVI file when viewed over the network appears with jpg icon, and is previewable no problem from Mac "A".

Despite having the Finder prefs, the Flip4Mac prefs, and the Quicktime 7 prefs set the same on both machines, this problem remains.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers.
PhillT

reader50 · Feb 1, 2011, 01:54 PM

On Mac "B", check the Perian control panel. Make sure Perian is turned on. You can also install RCDefaultApp on both Macs to see if AVIs are mapped to different helpers.

ptrott · Feb 1, 2011, 10:49 PM

Reader50.

My version (1.2.1 the latest) seems to have no "ON" of "OFF" option, so I assume it is on if it is installed?

I have installed RCDefault.app, and compared the two machines in what I think are the relevant areas:

On Mac "A" (the OK machine)
Pref Panes-Default Apps-Apps-Finder.app-File Types- none are ticked
Pref Panes-Default Apps-Extensions-AVI- the default app is VLC
Pref Panes-Default Apps-Extensions-avi- the default app is VLC
Pref Panes-Default Apps-File Types- there is no avi or AVI

On Mac "B" (the faulty machine)
Pref Panes-Default Apps-Apps-Finder.app-File Types- all are ticked, and can't be un-ticked
Pref Panes-Default Apps-Extensions-avi- the default app is VLC
Pref Panes-Default Apps-Extensions- There is no extension AVI
Pref Panes-Default Apps-File Types-AVI- the default app is Perian-Open in QTPlayer.app(1

I hope this is what you need?
PhillT

reader50 · Feb 2, 2011, 01:04 AM

If the Perian prefpane shows perian as installed, then it's ON.

RCDefault.app wasn't as helpful as I'd thought it would be. You see differences, but can't change them.

Rebuild your LaunchServices database. The simplest way to do this is with OnyX. Within OnyX, go to Maintenance tab, then Rebuild subtab. The first option offered is the LaunchServices checkbox. Check it, and click the Execute button in bottom right. I'd suggest rebooting afterwards.

LaunchServices maps files to applications - it does what used to be done via a file's Creator code. And LaunchServices is probably responsible for most of the settings you see in RCDefault.app, so a rebuild will reset those. I'm thinking on Mac B, avi's got mapped to something unsuitable before Perian got installed. Since Perian is present now, a rebuild should produce a better mapping.

The Godfather · Feb 2, 2011, 01:11 AM

Do you have hardware accelerated Quartz Extreme?
Check by getting the Dashboard onscreen, then click the "plus" sign on the lower left. Click on any new widget. When it appears on the dashboard, does it wobble and wave the background image around it?

ptrott · Feb 2, 2011, 04:35 AM

Originally Posted by reader50

....... Within OnyX, go to Maintenance tab, then Rebuild subtab. The first option offered is the LaunchServices checkbox. Check it, and click the Execute button in bottom right. I'd suggest rebooting afterwards.......

Did this, also repaired permissions and verified disk. Got a v-e-r-y l-o-n-g report back, which ended with "Warning: SUID file "System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/MacOS/ARDAgent" has been modified and will not be repaired."

I have no idea what that means but it can't be good. Related to this issue?

PhillT

ptrott · Feb 2, 2011, 04:36 AM

Originally Posted by The Godfather

Do you have hardware accelerated Quartz Extreme?
Check by ....does it wobble and wave the background image around it?

It appears to be installed. Looks like a wavy mirror/water around the widget.

PhillT

AKcrab · Feb 2, 2011, 04:43 AM

Originally Posted by ptrott

I have no idea what that means but it can't be good. Related to this issue?

Harmless, and not related to your issue.

ptrott · Feb 2, 2011, 05:07 AM

Originally Posted by AKcrab

Harmless, and not related to your issue.

Thanks AKcrab. One less problem.
(Hope to get back up there one day, got married on Matanuska in June 2000, absolutely love the place, but so so far from Australia

)

P · Feb 2, 2011, 06:46 AM

Check the relevant plugin directory (/Library/Quicktime) to make sure that there aren't any older plugins installed on one of the Macs.

ptrott · Feb 2, 2011, 07:49 AM

Originally Posted by P

Check the relevant plugin directory (/Library/Quicktime) to make sure that there aren't any older plugins installed on one of the Macs.

P.
Results as requested:-

Mac "B" HDD-Library-Quicktime-
has these extra compared to Mac "A"
QSXEssentials.component
DivX Decoder.component

Mac-HHD -System-Library-Quicktime-
identical on both machines

User-Library-Quicktime-
Identical on both machines

PhillT

ptrott · Feb 2, 2011, 09:00 AM

A big thanks to the people who had input on this.

The issue has been resolved by the deletion of the two extras in the Quicktime Library.

P · Feb 2, 2011, 09:53 AM

Great news!

FFR, the file DivX Decoder.component was most likely the culprit here.