QuickTime for Windows - Movies Display a White Screen or Error Message

SUMMARY: If QuickTime or iTunes movies show up as a white screen or with an error message, try these tips.

In some circumstances, displaying movies in QuickTime for Windows, such as those downloaded from iTunes, results in either a white screen or an error message. If this occurs, try following this checklist to solve the problem:

* Make sure you are using the latest version of QuickTime for Windows by doing an update. Some newer movies may not play in previous versions of the software.

* If you downloaded a video from iTunes, your computer must first be authorized to play the video. Apple has more information about authorizing computers to play iTunes movies.

* Try enabling QuickTime's video safe mode by following these steps:

1. Open the QuickTime for Windows Control Panel applet.

2. When the "QuickTime Preferences" multi-tabbed dialog box appears, click the "Advanced" tab.

3. Underneath "Video", click the "Safe mode (GDI only)" radio button".

4. Click "OK" to close the dialog box.

* Try playing a different movie. Perhaps the movie you are trying to view was compressed with a codec (a multimedia encoding/decoding algorithm) your computer does not have. The video may identify itself as a QuickTime movie but actually be a movie of a different file type.