QuickTime 7.1.5 (#4): Problems starting up; Streaming media issues; TurboTax fix coming Monday

CNET staff

Sept. 2, 2009 1:06 a.m. PT

3 min read

Problems starting up Some users have reported issues starting up after applying the QuickTime 7.1.5 update.

MacFixIt reader Amy writs:

"I installed this update today, and now my computer won't start up at all. Install went as normal, required restart, and then failed to recover. I get a grey screen while nothing happens for many minutes, then a tiny little icon of a folder with the Mac face on it right in the middle of the screen. And nothing else. I've tried disconnecting the FireWire."

As described in our tutorial "Startup fails (particularly after a system or security update); solving," the first step you should take in the case of failed startup after a significant system update is to startup in safe mode -- hold the "Shift" key while you startup -- then try disabling specific kernel extensions and deleting specific cache files.

Look at the tutorial for more workarounds and instructions for uninstalling the update as a last resort.

Streaming media issues Playback of certain streaming media formats has been problematic for some users after updating to QuickTime 7.1.5.

MacFixIt reader Drew writes:

"I tried deleting everything in the /library/quicktime folder and restarting QT (after killing the process on activity monitor), but it still gives me a 'the movie could not be opened' error when opening an .asx windows media stream from SomaFM."

Note that files with the .asx format are only playable with the installation of Flip4Mac, and even then some streams are simply unplayable under QuickTime and Mac OS X. However, if you your are experiencing problems with streams that worked under QuickTIme 7.1.3 after updating, please let us know.

Third-party application issues

TurboTax -- fix coming Monday We continue to report on an issue where TurboTax 2006 quits immediately after the splash screen after applying the QuickTime 7.1.5 update. As previously noted, Intuit posted a support document acknowledging this issue.

A company representative has now posted a message to the TurboTax support forums indicating that a fix for this issue may be issues as soon as Monday:

"I just wanted to update you on this issue. We've identified a problem where QuickTime is now calling for a symbol ("_JVTDecoOpen" as indicated earlier) that does not exist. We're working to get a patch out for this on Monday the 12th. You might want to launch your other frequently used apps to make sure they still function."

If you need immediate access to TurboTax, you can revert to an earlier version of QuickTime with the instructions in this article.

VLC Some users are reporting issues with VLC after updating to QuickTime 7.1.5.

MacFixIt reader Shaul writes:

"After i used the system update to install the Quicktime 7.1.5 update and the iTunes 7.1 update my VLC crashes every time I try to open a video file, either it's an .AVI or a .MKV file. A day before the update the VLC player played those files perfectly and with no bugs. I'm using a 10.3.9 mac os x on a G 4 dual 450 768 MB or RAM. Re-installing VLC (after deleting all its files completely) and re installing the 7.1.5 quicktime manually didn't help to solve the problem."

If you are experiencing a similar issue, please let us know.