Microsoft KB Archive/919958

= Running MELL or SA eLearning with Macromedia Flash 8 Installed =

Article ID: 919958

Article Last Modified on 7/25/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * MSPRESS Microsoft eLearning Library Version 2.x

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SYMPTOMS
When you try to start a locally installed (stand-alone installation) Microsoft eLearning Library (MELL) title that contains Macromedia Flash-based content, you may receive the following message:

Macromedia Flash Player has stopped a potentially unsafe operation.

The following local application on your computer or network:

C:\Program Files\MELL\ENG\Desktop\OFF03\exl03c\media\exl03c0101sm.swf

is trying to communicate with this Internet-enabled location:

C:\Program Files\MELL\ENG\Desktop\OFF03\exl03c\media\exl03c0101sm.htm

To let this application communicate with the Internet, click Settings. You must restart the application after changing your settings.

If you click Settings, you are directed to a Macromedia Web page. If you click OK, the application then displays an animation of an analog clock with the word &quot;Loading...;&quot; However, the program never loads.



CAUSE
The release of Flash 8 breaks MELL. Flash requires that MELL be registered as a trusted application before MELL can display an interactive Flash component.

Note: This patch is for MELL content existing on the user’s local machine. The Flash 8/MELL conflict does not exist for internet- or intranet-accessed MELL over http. However, running MELL over a UNC path may also be subject to the security restrictions imposed by Flash 8.



RESOLUTION
A fix is available to correct this problem. You must have administrator rights to run MELLSwf8fix.exe. If you do not have such user rights, contact your system administrator.

Note:If you are running MELL on Windows 98 or Windows ME, this patch will not work. Microsoft is retiring support for Windows 98 and Windows ME. We do not plan to release a patch for MELL running on these operating systems. An alternative solution to using the tool can be found on the Macromedia Flash Player Help site at http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager04.html. You can also find information on security settings that will allow MELL to run at this help web site. The Macromedia web site solution works for all operating systems.

1. Download the MELLSwf8.exe configuration file from the Microsoft web site:

MELLSwf8.exe

2. Save the file to your MELL installation location.

The default local installation is C:\Program Files\MELL

3. Click Start and then click Run.

4. Type cmd and click OK.

5. Change directories to the directory where you saved the MELLSwf8.exe patch file.

Example: cd &quot;c:\Program Files\MELL&quot;

Note: If the path to the MELL folder contains spaces, then the above path requires quotation marks around the path.

6. On the command line, type “MELLSwf8.exe” and press ENTER to extract the tool.

7. Type MELLSwf8fix.exe and press ENTER.

You may include command switches such as /? for patch help, /P for path, /V for version, and S/ for silent. If you include no switches when running MELLSwf8fix.exe, the program automatically searches the registry for MELL paths.

After you implement this fix, MELL’s Flash content will not be blocked as it will be run from the path references in the Macromedia trusted configuration.

Notes:

If the message &quot;Operation completed with no errors&quot; is not displayed after you complete these steps, this fix was not successful. Please refer to the log file, located in your MELL folder, for further troubleshooting information.

If you ran the program without listing the paths and the symptoms persist, run the program again, specifying the path where MELL is installed.

The path can be found in several ways. The simplest method is:

1. Right-click the MELL icon.

2. Select Properties.

3. Select the Shortcut tab.

4. In the Target field, copy the portion of the string up to the language-specific portion of the path. For example, from this string: C:\Program Files\MELL\ENG\Desktop\ADOXP\default.htm you would copy: C:\Program Files\MELL This is the base path to your MELL installation.

5. Do this for every MELL title installed. If all the paths are the same, you only need to add one instance when you run the program. If the paths differ, then you need to include each path.



MORE INFORMATION
To see all command line parameters and syntax, make sure the command line directory is set to the “MELL” folder and type:

MELLSwf8fix.exe /?

Keywords: KB919958

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