Fix: Quicktime takes over Flash

I am posting this on rock103.com in the hope that Google will find it and help someone avoid the frustration that I have experienced after upgrading Quicktime. Apparently, many users have had the Macromedia Flash browser plugin hijacked when they upgrade Quicktime. Although Quicktime settings give you the option of NOT having Quicktime handle .SWF files, unchecking that box does not work.

The most common symptom of this Apple FUBAR is that embedded movies from sites like YouTube will not display. Instead, users get a Quicktime logo with a question mark.

Some have suggested deleting the npqt*.dll files from your browser's plugin folder. But this doesn't always work.

Today I got pissed off enough to install and uninstall Quicktime several times while watching the registry for changes. Sure enough, the x-shockwave-flash MIME type was being hijacked by Quicktime.

To return your browser's .SWF preference to the Flash plugin:

Go to Start/Run and enter Regedit.
Browse to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\MIME\Database\Content Type\application\x-shockwave-flash
Double-click CLSID and change the Value Data by copying/pasting this key in the textbox: {D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000}

Your browser should now use the Flash plugin instead of Quicktime.

You're welcome.

Tim Spencer
spencer@rock103.com