Problems with BBC iPlayer Desktop and Adobe Air for Mac

[Guest]

I would be grateful for anyone who can help me with a problem I have on my Laptop running Mac OS X Lion 10.7.3.I am having difficulty running BBC iPlayer Desktop and I suspect it is caused by Adobe Air.

Recently I was prompted to update Adobe Air to the latest version (as of February 2012) and after I successfully updated the program, this began to cause problems when I used BBC iPlayer desktop.

The first problem I noticed was that I was unable to play any downloaded programmes in full screen - only the sound played, not the video.

Secondly, a few weeks after this problem began, all my TV programmes mysteriously disappeared.

My final problem is that everytime I launch BBC iPlayer it is unable to download new programmes - when I am connected to the internet, the application still says it is "offline".

I have tried to resolve the problem by restarting my computer, uninstalling and reinstalling BBC iPlayer, disabling and re-enabling my firewall, connecting to the internet in different locations but this has not resolved the problem.

I tried to uninstall Adobe Air, but the installation package tells me it is 'corrupt'. So I tried to download and reinstall the application from the adobe website, but the computer already recognises that the app is installed. i.e. - I can't uninstall or reinstall Adobe Air.

I contacted BBC iPlayer support and they were unable to help - directing me to your website. I have read several other discussion topics posted on this website but not found the solution I am looking for.

Please can some help me to solve this problem, by helping me uninstall and reinstall Adobe Air for Mac?

I am not very technical minded - for example - I don't know what log files are or how to find them - so please explain it as simply as possible.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Ryan

[chris.campbell · Accepted solution]

Hi Ryan,

Could you try deleting the BBC iPlayer preferences folder and then restarting iPlayer to see if that helps?  You should be able to find this in ~/Library/Preferences.  Look for the folder starting with BBCiPlayerDesktop and a long series of characters and move or rename this folder.

Thanks,
Chris

[Guest]

Hi Chris,

I followed your advice, and I have successfully resolved the problems with BBC iPlayer desktop.

Thank you!

Ryan

[Guest]

BBC iplayer

Hi Chris - I recently installed the Adobe air beta.  Following this, all of my saved programs were deleted and my bbc iplayer has stopped working.  I have deleted all files (flash, adobe, air etc) and re-installed but none of the iplayer buttons respond - the iplayer constantly shows as offline, and clicking on "preferences" etc does nothing.  I am on a macbook air and osx 10.7.3.  Any suggestions?

[chris.campbell]

Hi Billy,

Did you try deleting the folder that starts with BBCiPlayerDesktop from your user's Library/Preferences folder?  You can access the Library folder by holding down the option key and clicking the Finder's Go menu.

Thanks,

Chris

[Guest]

Fantastic thanks – I had looked everywhere for the bbc preference folder and couldn't see it – this worked perfectly.

Thanks again

[Guest]

Hi Chris – sorry to trouble you again but the same thing (almost) has happened again.  All of a sudden all programs that were previously recorded on the iplayer have disappeared.  When you try to click on something to record, it starts the iplayer running, but then nothing happens.  I went through all of the various fixes that worked before, but no luck with anything. Although I am on a mac, I have a friend who has windows running and has the same problem.

Thanks for any suggestions

[Guest]

I second that. Stopped working for me too. The files are till there, apparently, since iPlayer Desktop shows  correct file usage statistics, but nothing is listed in iPlayer available list. The system is a MacMini of 2010 vintage, still on OSX Snow Leopard.

[Nielsen86]

I am also having this problem - for me, I was able to use iPlayer no problem.  Then all my programmes just disappeared and aren't there now.  Also, when I try to download new programmes it takes me to the iPlayer Desktop programme but nothing appears.

I've tried following the steps above but for me this has made no difference at all.

I'm on OSX Snow Leopard MB Pro

[kknb2275]

Chris, I think a few of us really need your help. I have had a similar problem with my installation of BBC iPlayer on Windows XP. Was working fine until and Adobe Air Update (to version 3.3.0.3650) which happened on 11 June 2012. iPlayer was working perfectly fine before, but when I reopened it, all my "Available now" programmes were deleted, and there were none in the "coming soon", "A-Z" or "Expiring" tabs.

When I tried to download new programmes from the BBC website, iPlayer opens, but the download doesn't start.

Tried renaming the preferenced folder for iplayer as you've previously suggested (found it in C:\Documents and Settings\USER NAME\Application Data). All this did was when iplayer opens, it displays the No prgrammes available welcome screen, but I still can't download any programmes!!

Please, please, please can you or anyone else help!

Many thanks

[tonyvenn]

I'm also having the same problems as outlined above.

I am running OSX Lion on a MBPro with an intel chip.

Any help is greatfully recieved.

With thanks,

[royrashbrook]

Same problem here - OSX Snow Leopard on MBPro with intel wossname. Tried everything above - but it seems the chaps at BBC or Adobe have really screwed it up this time. No access to previously downloaded programmes on iPlayer desktop or ability to download anything new.

Many thanks for any new bright ideas!

[Guest]

Me again. One solution that was suggested (and worth trying) was to use Finder to locate the iPlayer repository (Movies/BBCiPlayer/Repository) and remove everything in the repository directory. Downloads (and playing the stuff) will then work again.

I tried, and it worked for me. Now downloading things I have been missing for some days.

(BBC iPlayer, MacMini, Snow Leopard OSX)

[kknb2275]

Many thanks, this worked for me (I just moved the folder to a different location). Had previously unsuccessfully tried deleting/renaming the iplayer preferenced folder, but your suggested worked a treat!

[tonyvenn]

Thks royalashbrook,

That worked for me to.

[chris.campbell]

Thanks royalashbrook.  I'm not sure what's happening to iPlayer, but I've seen their preferences folder become corrupt before.

[royrashbrook]

Who the hell is royalashbrook?

[Jane Haselden]

You with your new *Crown* for solving our problems. You now have Royal status. Perhaps you'll get an invite to the queens garden party next 😉

[royrashbrook]

Ha ha - it's the first time I've EVER solved anyone's computer issues but my own. But I *have* been to the Queen's garden party. It rained - a lot.

[chris.campbell]

royrashbrook wrote:

Who the hell is royalashbrook?

Hah, too much typing from me yesterday.    Sorry about that!

[Guest]

hello chris

like others here i have problems with the AIR update and my bbc iplayer. it was working fine until i was obliged to download the update a few days ago. now all my archived programmes refuse to play. i get a message 'there was a problem with the download' then the 'archived file' disappears! even files that were successfuly downloaded before the AIR update are meeting the same fate. also now i cannot download any programs from the iplayer website. the download starts, then pauses, then a message appears saying there is a problem with the download and the programme disappears from the player window.

i am running an intel macbook pro using OS 10.6.8 and safari. i have tried all the suggestions on this page to no avail.

i have had no problems with iplayer prior to this so the problem must reside with the AIR update.

thanks

[jamstu77]

check bbc I player site which states that air player update has caused this problem and they basically say you have to download by the other options in the meantime.

[Guest]

ok i have now solved the problem.

1 uninstall adobe air

2 exit iplayer then throw out iplayer preference file

3 track down an earlier version of adobe air on the web eg version 1.5 and download

4 open iplayer and everything works as it once did.

you may need to go into the system prefs panel, click on the adobe flash icon and change the software upgrade options to 'do not upgrade' otherwise you will be endlessly bothrered by a pop up urging you to do so.

message to adobe

1 remove this junk version of AIR and allow people to download older stabler versions.

2 do not release upgrades unless absolutely necessary and check them thoroughly before release. tihs foul up has inconvenienced a lot of people

3 make it easier for people to decline updates.

4 this problem has been around for a while. why has nothing been done about it?

[jamstu77]

That's very useful but you must ask why general members of the forum are having to spend their own time trying to fix this problem when adobe should be coming up with the answers. Shame on adobe - very poor customer service!

Sent from my iPad

[Guest]

agreed.