# Help with computer Movie Files
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-computer-movie-files/343376
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [February 7, 2006, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-computer-movie-files/343376 "2006-02-07T12:13:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2006, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-computer-movie-files/343376/1 "2006-02-07T12:13:04Z")
Friends please forgive my computer ignorance but all my windows media movie files were changed to QuickTime Movies, this happened after a I viewed a QuickTime clip and it apparently converted all the Windows Media video clips to QuickTime. How do I change them back, I really don’t know what I did wrong. I am running Windows 98, if anyone can give me advice I would appreciate the help. Thanks.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2006, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-computer-movie-files/343376/2 "2006-02-07T12:22:30Z")
I don’t think the clips themselves will have been altered; all that’s happened is that Quicktime has registered itself as the default application for opening them; right-click on one of the affected files, click Properties in the pop-up menu; you’ll see a bit that says ‘Opens With:’ - and a ‘Change’ button…
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### Author:  [@Emerald\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emerald_Hawk)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2006, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-computer-movie-files/343376/3 "2006-02-07T19:06:40Z")
A faster solution (if you need to change more than one file type) would be to open Windows Media Player and change the associations in there. Once it is open, click on Tools-\>Options. Go to the File Types tab, and you should see a list of all the different types of movie files it can play, with check boxes next to each. Check all that you want Windows Media Player to play (probably at least avi and mpeg).
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### Author:  [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2006, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-computer-movie-files/343376/4 "2006-02-07T19:38:41Z")
Yeah I like QuickTime about as much as RealPlayer. I’ve just started living with it because I installed iTunes to see what all the fuss was about. Meh.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2006, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-computer-movie-files/343376/5 "2006-02-07T21:04:51Z")
There are alternatives to Quicktime and Realplayer - called, perhaps unsurprisingly, [Quicktime Alternative](http://www.free-codecs.com/download/QuickTime_Alternative.htm) and [Real Alternative](http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Real_Alternative.htm), although I understand that both Apple and real have responded positively to consumer complaints about anciliary installation of crapware along with their players.
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### Author:  [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2006, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-computer-movie-files/343376/6 "2006-02-07T23:36:01Z")
Thanks people, checking the boxes in Windows Media Player did the trick. I am always nervous about this kind of stuff, it seems one wrong mouse click or checked box can lead to disaster.
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### Author:  [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2006, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-computer-movie-files/343376/7 "2006-02-08T00:00:32Z")
> [@](#):
>
> … although I understand that both Apple and real have responded positively to consumer complaints about anciliary installation of crapware along with their players… - **Mangetout**
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- You mean crapware like “iTunes”? Quicktime wouldn’t be annoying exept that Apple has decided that the iPod and iTunes services need to install with it, and must run on boot. Even if you don’t have an iPod at all, and won’t ever use iTunes…
~
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2006, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-computer-movie-files/343376/8 "2006-02-08T00:16:00Z")
> [@DougC](#):
>
> -
> -
> - You mean crapware like “iTunes”? Quicktime wouldn’t be annoying exept that Apple has decided that the iPod and iTunes services need to install with it, and must run on boot. Even if you don’t have an iPod at all, and won’t ever use iTunes…
> ~
No, I mean crapware like unnecessary system tray icons, update checkers and advertising banner clients. It was, for a while, difficult to install genuine RealNetworks or Apple Quicktime software (for Windows) without having to accept a load of unnecessary and potentially buggy or processor-hungry baggage.