SYMPTOMS
When an application uses the Microsoft Windows Media DirectShow QASF filter, you may experience one or both of the following symptoms:
- The application unexpectedly quits.
- The Windows Error Reporting dialog box appears.
This behavior occurs approximately 50 to 60 seconds after content playback starts.
CAUSE
This issue occurs because the reference count that is on one of the core Microsoft Windows Media modules is not correctly incremented.
For example, this issue occurs if the following conditions are true, in the order in which they are presented:
- An application displays the File Open dialog box or the Folder Open dialog box before playback starts. When the dialog box appears, the core Windows Media module is instantiated. Additionally, the reference count of the core Windows Media module is incremented.
- Depending on the timing of the computer, the application may start playback and may use the Windows Media module without incrementing the reference count.
- When the File Open dialog box or the Folder Open dialog box is closed, the reference count is decremented. If the dialog box was the last instance of the Windows Media module, the Windows Media module is removed from memory.
In this scenario, the application unexpectedly quits because the application tries to reference the location in which the Windows Media module was previously loaded.
RESOLUTION
A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that is described in this article. Only apply it to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next Windows Media Format SDK release that contains this hotfix.
To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services telephone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
Note In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.
The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:
Download the WindowsMedia10-KB905592-x86-INTL.exe package now.
The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the
Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.
Date Time Version Size File name
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04-Aug-2005 14:12 10.0.0.3943 217,088 Qasf.dll