Loss of Animation

[John]

Hi, I wondered if anyone would be able to help...

Animations are no longer animating on webpages i visit.. including the smilies and avatars on here. It's been a problem for some time and whatever I try and do to fix it doesn't work. I haven't installed any dodgy spyware or anything (I'm sure of it).

I'm using Mozilla Firefox. I've tried viewing in Internet Explorer and this doesn't rectify the problem, so I know it's a tech problem.

Using Windows XP Pro too. Anyone would think I wasn't on a computer course... :yikes:

Any help appreciated. :)

[GlosRFC]

Sounds a tad obvious but have you looked in Internet Options, Advanced, to see of the "Play animations in web pages" option under the Multimedia group is unchecked? If so, try ticking it again.

[John]

Yep the box is checked. Unchecking and rechecking didn't work. :(

[GlosRFC]

In that case the problem could be more deep-seated. There was a bug in IE6 that prevented jpegs and gifs from displaying properly. It also messed about with the encoding so first step is to go to View, Encoding and make sure that it's set to Western European (Windows).
Next trick is to go to C:/Windows/system32/drivers/etc and rename any files named hosts to hosts.bak, reboot and see if that has solved the problem.

Another option is that your file associations are screwed up so go into My Computer, Tools, Folder Options, and look for GIF, JPG or JPEG associations. If there aren't any, you might have to restore them.


Finally you can try this solution by clicking Start, Run, REGEDIT
Locate the key for HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.gif and see what it tells you in the right-hand side under the content type. It should read image/gif so if it doesn't double-click the content type and add image/gif in the Value Data box.
Look for HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.jpg and do the same.

Quit Regedit and open up IE again and you should find your pics restored.

[John]

Thanks for the detailed reply Glos. Unfortunately after carrying out each option, I'm still stuck with the same problem. There was a file called "hosts" inside that directory, which I renamed to "hosts.bak" and there is another, "hosts.bho" - shall I try renaming that one as well?

[GlosRFC]

Yes, try renaming that to hosts.bk1 or something similar.

Didn't the regedit solution solve the problem?

One other thought - you say it's been ongoing for a while now. Have you changed your virus-checker at, or around, the time the problem started? You might want to try uninstalling/reinstalling it as a number of them were prone to causing this problem - Norton and PC-cillin were pretty notorious as is ZoneAlarms ad-blocker. Maybe after reinstalling you can try lowering the security settings in your virus prog.

[GlosRFC]

There are a few more registry fixes that you can try but, if the worse comes to the worse, you can always risk letting Microsoft kludge it up for you first :D

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=883bd884-3c14-4f91-b96c-593ae7b9905c&displaylang=en for the IE6 upgrade
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;817177 for details about what's causing the problem

[John]

Editing the values in the registry didn't work I'm afraid, no.

I did use Panda AV for a while but it kept hassling me so I waited until the 30-day trial expired and uninstalled it. The problem was occurring (I think) quite a while before I first installed it anyway.

I don't know if you are familiar with Zone Alarm Pro, but I have the following options enabled:

Firewall
Internet Zone Security: High
Trusted Zone Security: Medium

Program Control
Program Control: Medium
Alert Advisor: Manual

I will take a look at that link from Microsoft but I'm using SP2 so I doubt it is compatible. I'll try lowering the ZAP settings and see if it has any effect...

[GlosRFC]

I haven't installed any dodgy spyware or anything (I'm sure of it).

there is another, "hosts.bho"


Either way you've definitely installed some kind of software that loads a Browser Help Object - those really useful things that divert your homepage to a scum site of their own while pretending to be a quicker search bar for instance, or software that tracks what kind of advertisments (e.g. gifs!!!) that you are trying to view - and it could be that which is screwing up your system :D

The solution is to eradicate the software using adaware or something similar, or do a search for BHODemon and use that to protect yourself.

[John]

ZAP Components for JPG and JPEG are allowed access but GIF doesn't appear on the list.

[John]

Looks like we both replied at the same time! I've got Adaware installed so I'll run a search and see if it throws anything up. Nasty things have existed on my pc in the past so it could just be a trace left behind.

[GlosRFC]

It should be compatible although that download was probably included as part of the overall SP2 upgrade. I'd be surprised if it wasn't.

[GlosRFC]

So that narrows it down then. If you want to see GIFs, you need to let Zone Alarm allow you access to view them. Yet another reason why I don't use virus checkers as they're more trouble than they're worth half the time.

Cleaning up your system wouldn't be a bad thing to do either although the nastiest thing on mine is the person pounding the keyboard!!

[John]

Ok Glos I'm about to run a full system scan in Adaware and blitz my PC. I keep it relatively clean (most of the time) anyway.

I'll use the Microsoft link as a last resort.

Thanks for your assistance so far. :)

[GlosRFC]

No problem :)

Got to go and tweak the Hamster Cam anyway http://pi.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/webcam/webcam.html

[John]

Interesting Hamster Cam!

Right, I've sorted it. Almost.

Adaware found 44 Critical Objects, 17 of which appeared right at the end when it was scanning the IE Favourites... which was interesting. Anyway, I quarantined and deleted all the infected files, along with the archive, did a reboot and repeated this. Nothing found.

However, I'm pretty sure Zone Alarm Pro has a lot to do with it. In Program Control>Components, GIF is not listed, and there is no way (as far as I can see) to grant GIF files access (unlike in the adjacent Programs tab, where it is possible to grant/ungrant programs access). When I have ZAP open, the animations do not animate. So I have to close ZAP to make them work. There must be some function in ZAP to grant access to file components but at the moment I can't find what it is!

[GlosRFC]

Does Zone Alarm have an ad-blocking facility? If so, turn it off and that may solve the problem.

The rodent is a surprise for my partners kids. The cam is to reassure her that I haven't eaten it between now and when I take it over to them on Xmas Eve :yikes:

[John]

:laugh :laugh I hope they like it, if it is still alive come Xmas eve! Smile for the camera little one. :D

ZAP - Does have an ad-blocking facility, just played around with that but then I get some ambiguous results; some anims playing and some not! It's too late now and I just remembered I have a lecture in seven hours so I'm going to bed!

Thanks again for your help Glos. :)

[GlosRFC]

I think I've cracked it for you - the Zone Alarm Pro forum is full of people with the same problem. I've no idea how Zone Alarm works but you need to go into the Privacy panel under Ad-blocking and make sure that "animation" is NOT blocked. I think you go via Privacy, Ad-blocking, Custom, uncheck Animation.

You should also make sure your Trusted Internet Zone privacy and security settings in IE Options is set to Medium or lower.

You might also have to tweak your XP firewall via Start, Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Services, turn off 'Application Layer Gateway Services'

[GlosRFC]

I'm off to bed too if this damn rat stops rumbling around in that wheel...grrrrrr

[John]

You genius! :D

I did actually try unblocking the Animation, only it didn't actually have an effect until you posted the solution! It must 'know' something I don't... Ooo

Also reset the zone in both browsers to medium.

Glos, it's a hamster, not a rat!

Goodnight and thanks a lot for your help. :wiggle:

[John]

Woohoo they animate! :wiggle: :wiggle:

[GlosRFC]

No problem - another happy W2W customer. Peace and quiet reigns here too now so I'm off. :)