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The following are some basic troubleshooting guidelines provided by RealPlayer.

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Connection errors that occur on specific sites or that only occur once in a while are not usually a cause for concern. Occasional errors tend to occur when traffic is high on the Internet, the site hosting the files is down, or the site hosting the file has been moved. Connection errors that occur at all sites on a recurring basis indicate a problem with RealPlayer connection configuration or your Internet connection. To allow RealPlayer to connect, you may need to reconfigure RealPlayer or your security software. If you get one of these errors, it may mean that RealPlayer did not receive enough information to maintain a connection to the server, or that RealPlayer stopped receiving information from the server for an extended period and could not maintain the connection. The problem could be caused by excessive network traffic on the Internet, your Internet Service Provider (ISP), or a local area network (LAN) connection.

Solution 1: Determine if the problem is with the specific file.

To rule out a problem with the file itself, try playing sample files: 1. Open http://service.real.com/test/ in your Web browser. 2. Click the links that match your connection speed. Dial-up modem users should choose the 28K or 56K links. If the sample files play, then the problem may be with the specific Web site, or with the file you were trying to play. This may be a temporary problem of high traffic or technical difficulties. Try again later, or contact the Webmaster of the site to alert them to the problem.

Solution 2: Check RealPlayer’s online status setting.

RealPlayer detects online status by default. If this detection fails, RealPlayer may be incorrectly set to Work Offline mode. If you are using a network connection or have a cable modem or DSL connection, you can override this detection and force RealPlayer to assume you are online all the time. To change the online status of RealPlayer: 1. In RealPlayer on the Tools menu, click Preferences. The Preferences box opens. 2. In the Category pane, click Connection. 3. Click the Assume I am online option. 4. Click OK. 5. Restart RealPlayer.

Solution 3: Test your connection speed.

1. In RealPlayer, click the Tools menu, and then select Preferences. The Preferences box opens. 2. In the Category pane, click Connection. 3. Click the Test Connection button, then the Perform Test button to determine your current connection speed. 4. Click the Update button to set your minimum bandwidth preference. 5. Click OK. 6. Try to play the clip again.

Solution 4: Increase the time-out settings, and try playing the clip again.

1. In RealPlayer, click the Tools menu, and then select Preferences. The Preferences box opens. 2. In the Category pane, click Connection. 3. Under Network Time-out, increase the time-out settings by 10 seconds. 4. Click OK. 5. Try to play the clip again. 6. If you still have problems, increase the time-out settings by another 10 seconds and try again. Keep trying until the clip plays or it becomes obvious that increasing the time-out settings will not resolve this problem. Increasing this time also increases the time you wait for a time-out message to appear.

Solution 5: Play the clip when the network and Internet are less busy.

If you are unable to play the clip after trying these suggestions, try connecting to the clip at a different time.

Solution 6: Configure your personal firewall or security software to allow RealPlayer access to the Internet.

Firewalls must be configured to allow realplay.exe to have two-way access to the Internet before audio or video can be played. Consult the manufacturer of your firewall software if you are unsure how to grant this access.

Solution 7: Verify that your corporate firewall or proxy allows RealPlayer access to the Internet.

Corporate local area networks (LANs) or commercial Internet Service Providers (ISPs) often use a firewall or proxy to limit traffic and protect their users' computers from unauthorized access. If these ports are specifically restricted by your firewall, you will need to configure your Connection Preferences to use your firewall’s settings. By default, the RealPlayer uses the following ports to connect: - TCP 80, 554, 4040, 7070, 8080, 443 (SSL for sign-in), 1755 (MMS Windows Media requests) - UDP 6970-32,000, 1755 (MMS Windows Media resend requests) - HTTP 80 (AU, Messaging Service, and HTTP Cloaking) RealPlayer configurations will override these defaults. Contact your network administrator for further assistance.

Solution 8: Contact your ISP or network administrator for assistance.

If you are still unable to connect, the problem may be with your computer network settings. Contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or network administrator for the information you need to regain connection.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Adapted From: http://service.real.com/realplayer/streamhelp/

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Question: Why do I get a "General Error" when playing clips with RealPlayer 10? Answer: You might receive a "General Error" message when using RealPlayer if the file or clip you are playing is unavailable or damaged, or if you have a damaged installation of RealPlayer. To correct this problem, you will need to verify if the error occurs with all clips, check your sound card and sound drivers, and possibly remove and reinstall RealPlayer. Solution 1: Determine if the problem is with the specific file.

To rule out a problem with the file itself, try playing sample files: 1. Open http://service.real.com/test/ in your Web browser. 2. Click the links that match your connection speed. Dial-up modem users should choose the 28K or 56K links. If the sample files play, then the problem may be with the specific file you were trying to play. If this is a local file, try re-downloading a fresh copy of the clip from its source. You will also receive a "General Error" message if the file you are attempting to play is on a network drive that is not connected. If the sample files do not play, the problem is most likely with the sound card and/or sound drivers on your computer or the RealPlayer installation.

Solution 2: Update older sound card drivers.

RealPlayer requires that you have a sound card. If you attempt to play a clip that contains an audio track, and you have no sound card on your system, you will receive a "General Error." If your sound driver is corrupt or out-of-date, you may also receive this error. If the installed driver is more than six months old, you should update it. Driver updates are usually available as a free download from the manufacturer's Web site. These drivers are usually updated every few months. After installing the drivers, be sure to restart your computer so the configuration changes take effect. If updating your sound card drivers does not fix the problem, you may need to completely remove RealPlayer from your system. (You can reinstall it later.)

Solution 3: Remove and reinstall RealPlayer.

If the problem appears to be caused by damaged RealPlayer application files, removing and then reinstalling RealPlayer can resolve these problems.

Solution 4: Check firewalls and port information.

Firewalls can also corrupt the stream, try disabling software firewalls or configure the firewall to work with RealPlayer.

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If the audio of a video is playing low even though you have the volume on max try this solution: If you are not already doing so launch the video to 'Play in RealPlayer' or 'Play in RealPlayer Theater Mode' by going to RealPlayer Icon on the bottom right hand corner of the web version player. Once Realplayer has launched you can adjust the volume a bit by going to Tools > Equalizer And adjust the features a bit. Play around with it but you might want to set it back to the default option after watching the episode so that it does not affect the sound for other videos you view.