Re: WMP 11 Bug


"zachd [MSFT]" <zachd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:OfXggliYHHA.2640@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ignore him. Most of what he's saying isn't true, which is why I put him on killfile. I respect criticism, but it stops really being interesting when it's all kinda just hogwash and twisted facts.

Feel free to identify any part that is not true. A broad sweeping generalization like "most of what he's saying" doesn't do anyone any good.


I hope you will ignore his trolling: if you *are* getting a crash bucket number, that'd be great valuable information. If you're not, checking the video card driver angle is probably a helpful way forward.

I totally respect frustration on all parts, but let's see if it's possible to get you fixed up first and *then* get back to the rants. =)

The OP asked for a method of reporting bugs. I answered the question and still suggested they seek a response about their problem because it really didn't sound like a bug. You are, once again, Zach, trying to blow away any criticism by attacking the messenger. If there is another means of reporting bugs that I have left off, please feel free to point it out.


Customer feedback in all aspects is a fascinating field.
http://zachd.com/pss/pss.html#psssupport
has the current routes I know of for WMP - but generally "WMP" falls under "XP"/"Vista", so those routes can also be applicable. MS Research and a variety of other teams are looking into great scalable solutions here, but it's simply not a simple problem.

How does what MS Research is looking for have any bearing on what exists today as a product delivered to your customers? This is another diversion tactic that you are well known for. You throw around a lot of rubbish to make it appear that you've responded when, in fact, your reply is not responsive to what the OP asked at all.

For example, pointing you to MS support would probably be a disservice if it's the video card driver it seems to be based upon the information you've provided so far. Fascinating and complex field - I wish the WMP field was as simple as any other product groups. =)

You have got to be kidding here! Oh yes, I see you threw in a smile. Yep. You know it was a laughable statement when you made it. You couldn't really believe that WMP is less simple than say, Vista, or Windows XP, or Microsoft Office, or Internet Explorer. WMP is a media player. Nothing more. To imply that WMP is more complicated than "any other product groups" is completely absurd. You really should sit on your posts for 5 or 10 minutes and read them again before clicking Send. Perhaps you would see just how ridiculous some of the statements you make are.

While you may be able to identify the OP's problem as a video card problem, there's nothing in her statement that would imply video card to anyone without your particular inside information - nformation you pull out of your bag of tricks from time to time, often of late only in response to a post where you can use that inside knowledge to flame me. But knowing you have that inside knowledge is exactly why I told her to stick around here and that there were people here who sometimes responsded to such app crashes.

To imply that product support is a disservice and then refer the OP to your own website that, just as I did, refers the OP to product support. And just where would one get help with a crash bucket? Sending it automatically to Microsoft will certainly not result in someone from Microsoft contacting you with assistance. Had the automatic reporting resulted in a response back from the automated system that included any solution to the OP's problem, then they would not have been here, would they?


--
Speaking for myself only.
See http://zachd.com/pss/pss.html for some helpful WMP info.
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
--

"Cinna" <Cinna@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:D31633CB-F027-43B8-B174-25649741FE73@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As sad as that response was for all of us. It did lift my spirits a bit to
know that someone else has this problem. The problem isn't limited to WMP.
I found a few message boards in my searching that noted problems with
reporting bugs on Microsoft software that they sell for Mac. My initial
reaction is well...duh, but the logical side of me wonders why Microsoft
would not focus on the crowd of people that uses their products on their
competitor's OS. I would be biting at their heels for their business and
hope that it converted a few.

"Dale" wrote:

"Cinna" wrote:

> For the most part WMP 11 serves the same purpose that the other > versions did
> and thats playing video files (for me that is). I'm running this in > Windows
> Vista Business 64-bit. I'd be more than happy to report an issue with > this
> play to Microsoft, but apparently they don't care what I have to say > since 30
> minutes of online searching has gotten me no closer to a bug reporting
> website.

They don't have a bug reporting website. The Windows Media Player product
team is the only major product group in all of Microsoft who does not provide
any means for their customers to report bugs or suggestions. In fact, they
also do not monitor these newsgroups officially and reports of bugs and
suggestions made here fall on deaf ears.

While there really is no way at all to communicate with the Windows Media
Player product team, you do have the option of calling Microsoft product
support and speaking with a call center employee who will surely apologize on
Microsoft's behalf that you're having problems with Windows Media Player.
After delivering the apology, that person will have no ability to forward
your bug report directly to the Windows Media Player product team but if he
can convince enough levels of supervisors that a bug exists, there is a
chance that the bug could get forwarded to the Windows Media Player product
team.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention. For the privilege of reporting a bug to the
Windows Media Player product team, you must pay Microsoft a fee of anywhere
from $35 (soon to be $59) up to several hundred dollars depending on your
support requirements. At the discretion (whim?) of the call center employee
you speak to, that fee may be waived but don't even bother calling unless
you're prepared to provide a credit card number and prepared to have that
credit card charged.

>
> The error happens most often when a video file is done playing and I > close
> the player. Immediately after closing the player I receive a pop-up > saying
> that "Windows Media Player has stopped working". The problem event > name is
> always APPCRASH. The latest exception code is c0000374 with an > exception
> offset of 000aa0fb.

What you're describing may not be an unsolvable bug in Windows Media Player.
You may be able to get some help for that here. I have seen some others get
good help on reviewing crash information from WMP here and seen some not get
help.

Of course that doesn't change the frustration you, me, and thousands of
other users feel with the lack of community participation by the Windows
Media Player product team and their refusal to provide any reasonable means
by which we - their paying customers - can provide suggestions and feedback
on the product we purchase from them.

>
> It's pretty sad when a company decides they like the weather on > Olympus and
> moves themselves far out of reach of the people who use their > products. From
> what I've seen in my searches it seems the focus is on low level > support for
> the average Joe and troubleshooting that goes nowhere.

It's not all of Microsoft. Most of Microsoft does a fantastic job of
listening to and considering feedback from their customers - even when they
don't do what I think they should do. It is only the Windows Media Player
product team who refuses to allow any customer involvement in the product.

> Not once has the
> "Check Online for a Solution and Close the Program" button yielded any
> results for anything that has gone wrong for me in Vista.

Vista is still new. Hopefully that will chagne but I haven't ever noticed a
lot of changes in online help in the life of a product.

>
> Am I experiencing a lemon or is this a common bug occurence. If it is > a
> lemon...can I get a pc software lemon law please.

Microsoft has a lemon policy. If you purchased Vista retail, you can get a
refund from Microsoft for sure. I don't know whether other purchase options
are included in that policy or not. But Vista is a great product with the
exception of it's integral media player.

Dale



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