MCI Error

P.E. Nikolajsen

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Mar 7, 2001, 4:25:58 PM3/7/01

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When I try placing a video clip on a slide and try playing I get a following
message

MCI Error

The specified device is not open or is not recognized by MCI

Can anyone tell me there the error is in the system?

Poul Erik Nikolajsen

Sonia

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Mar 7, 2001, 4:47:23 PM3/7/01

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I could be wrong, but the following should help you:

MCI is a Windows (not PowerPoint) service. PowerPoint hands off a video to
MCI for playing. Tons of information is available at Austin Myer's tutorial
at http://www.soniacoleman.com/Tutorials/PowerPoint/Multimedia.htm and if
you check out the section on "Operating Systems and PowerPoint Versions
Discussed", you should find your answer, based on the settings that you find
in your own win.ini and sytem.ini files compared to what Austin discusses in
his tutorial.

If that doesn't help (but I think it will), please post back here and we'll
all work with you to resolve the problem.

Sonia Coleman, MS Power Point MVP Team
http://www.soniacoleman.com

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P.E. Nikolajsen

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Mar 8, 2001, 2:41:04 PM3/8/01

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Thanks for the advise.

Unfortunately it didn't work. I have tried following the advise in Austin
Myer's tutorial - changing the win.ini and system.ini - but PowerPoint still
refuse to show the video clip and only gives me a MCI Error.
The only difference I can see is that then I open Window 2000 Add/Remove and
select Windows components I have nothing on the list called Multimedia, but
all the .drv filen mentioned in the system.ini file is on my hard disk.

Poul Erik Nikolajsen

Austin Myers

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Mar 8, 2001, 4:59:25 PM3/8/01

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Poul,

What type of video file is it and what type of codec is used?

Austin Myers
MS PowerPoint MVP Team

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P.E. Nikolajsen

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Mar 9, 2001, 7:12:08 AM3/9/01

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Austin,

I have tried a lot of different video files in PowerPoint - some I have made
myself, some demo samples - and everything works fine in Media Player, but
PowerPoint gives a MCI Error.
I have starts wondering if it may be a bug in my version of PowerPoint
(PowerPoint 2000 SR-1 (9.0.3821)).
I can place the video clip on the slide and see the first picture but then I
want to play the movie I get the MCI Error.

Poul Erik Nikolajsen

Austin Myers

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Mar 9, 2001, 12:10:15 PM3/9/01

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Poul,

Give this a try:

Start > Run and enter "mplayer.exe" and click OK.

This will start the MCI Media Player. Navigate to the video file and see if
it plays properly. Let us know the results.

Austin Myers
MS PowerPoint MVP Team

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P.E. Nikolajsen

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Mar 9, 2001, 6:08:00 PM3/9/01

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Well first of all I don't have a program called mplayer.exe on my computer.
I have a program called wmplayer.exe and I expect that it is the same
program.
And wmplayer works with out any problems. All the videos that PowerPoint
won't show is working fine in wmplayer.

Poul Erik Nikolajsen
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Austin Myers

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Mar 9, 2001, 7:37:39 PM3/9/01

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Poul,

We just found the problem! PowerPoint uses the Windows MCI player which is
call "mplayer.exe" or (mplay32.exe on WinNT/2K). "wmplayer.exe" is the
Windows Media Player. Two very different animals!

Take another look at the tutorial as I explain the difference in these
programs and how to install them if they aren't present on your machine.

This should have you up and "presenting" in no time.

Austin Myers
MS PowerPoint MVP Team

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P.E. Nikolajsen

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Mar 10, 2001, 3:00:13 AM3/10/01

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Austin,

You are right mplay32.exe does not work. Part of the multimedia components
must be missing. The only problem is that the Windows "Add/Remove"
components does not include a Multimedia line and it is therefore a bit
difficult to "checked" it.
Do you have any idea why I don't have this option?

Poul Erik Nikolajsen

Austin Myers

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Mar 10, 2001, 1:24:58 PM3/10/01

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Poul,

Let's start at the beginning.

What version of Windows are you running?

What version of PowerPoint?

What type(s) of video files?

Austin Myers
MS PowerPoint MVP Team

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P.E. Nikolajsen

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Mar 10, 2001, 2:16:08 PM3/10/01

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Windows 2000 SR-1
PowerPoint 2000 SR-1

All types of video files does not work in PowerPoint and mplay32, including
AVI

Poul Erik Nikolajsen

Austin Myers

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Mar 10, 2001, 3:48:02 PM3/10/01

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Poul,

I digging through this and will post back as soon as I come up with the
answer.

Austin Myers
MS PowerPoint MVP Team

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