Thunderbird 9 .wav file won’t play even with test button

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Several TB versions ago, I had the sound working fine, but noticed today that it was not still working. No idea how long it has been dysfunctional, since I’m usually listening to music. It’s a weird problem.

I have two old .wav files that I kept from my Win98, and I’ve had them in the same folder since I got Win7 on a new PC two years ago. That folder was not in a ‘library’, but it worked fine. Both files will play with ‘Windows Media’ when on the ‘Choose Sound’ screen (Tools Options General…select file, click arrow at right side), and the first one (call it file ‘Car.wav’) will play using the ‘Play’ button after selecting/opening it, but the other (Ohgod.wav), the one I want to continue to use, will no longer ‘play’ using that button, nor does it play when getting a new email.

I thought it might have something to do with not being in a ‘library’, so added the folder to ‘Music’. No change.

I have just updated to TB 9, and that didn’t fix it, either.
Any ideas would be appreciated.

Properties:
29777-wavprops

That looks small…hope this worked.

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Hi cws,
What exactly do you want your .wav files to play with, i.e. program.

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I want it to be played by Thunderbird, on arrival of new email, and less importantly, with the “Play” button on the options screen in TB.

@Ted – Thanks for the tip. Looks like someone already fixed it for me.

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If you go to the Advanced editor you can change your title from Firefox to Thunderbird. I was also confused by your title.

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Hi cws,

Hope this helps. TB must be set as default.

29782-White-Paper

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Thanks, Roderunner, but that still won’t make that file work correctly. Other files do work correctly. In “Sound”, the “Test” button won’t even play that file. Windows Media Player has no problem with the file, however. TB will play other sound files, but not this one particular one.

I’ve seen reports from a couple years ago, in my searches, where others had a similar problem, but it seems they were always “all” .wav files that wouldn’t play, and usually on some Linix OS, and TB 3.x.x. So, I tried to find this exact file on the net again, hoping a fresh copy would help, but no luck finding it.

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If you zip the troublesome file, add it to your post, I’ll test it. Use 7Zip 29784-Image-and-File-posting.

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Here you go…and thanks for the effort.

29785-Ohgod

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Does it need zipping if it’s only 24k?

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Does it need zipping if it’s only 24k?

Zipping allows non permitted file types.
Your file works perfectly in ‘Sound’ & Media Player Classic Home Cinema Portable

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Yes, it’s worked fine in my Media players, too. But, not in Thunderbird Options/General screen “Play” button, nor when an email arrives.

Edit: Actually, later I found it did not work well in Win7 Sounds “Test” button, at one point…I think. Now, I’m getting addle-brained, so I won’t swear to that.

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Open ‘Sound’ from Control Panel, select ‘Windows Default’ click Apply. Scroll to where you want the sound to play, click Apply again then save as… your name etc. As in my image.

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Did that, but no luck. After changing to that file for email notification, the “Test” button did nothing, and the Apply button was still greyed out. Strange!
I’m thinking now, of getting a hex editor and changing some little something in that file. From what I’ve read on the net, in years-old posts, there’s some kind of “script” that plays wav files in TB, and the error they were getting had something to do with …….no data……. . Maybe unzipping it will change something??? I’m assuming that you do not use TB, right?

EDIT: My mistake – the Apply button was NOT still greyed out; that part (selection and apply) works fine.

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Tested it in TB portable, it worked.

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I don’t really know what “TB portable” is, but that is interesting. I’ll try “changing” the file by unzipping it. I looked at it in a hex editor, and learned absolutely nothing.

EDIT: Unzipping did nothing. Back to square one.

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Well, I’m trying again. Today, I got the sound editor “Audacity”, and converted this .wav file by cutting some of the noise off the beginning, changing it to a 16-bit PCM, 44100Hz (from 11025), fiddling with the speed to correct the tone change caused by the Hz change, and maybe other things I don’t remember. Exported it, which must recode it in .wav format. All this for naught!!! The S.O.B. still won’t play in Thunderbird, nor in the Sounds with the Test arrow button, although all other .wavs will. It plays just fine in WMP. Renaming it has no effect, so the problem is probably not something in the Registry. I’m still stumped.

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If you click the troublesome file (unzipped) what happens ???

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I have just tried Ohgod.wav in Thunderbird 9.0.1 on XP and it worked perfectly. Sorry, I am unable to help.

Graham

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I have just tried Ohgod.wav in Thunderbird 9.0.1 on XP and it worked perfectly. Sorry, I am unable to help.

Graham

Thanks for that info. Maybe it’s a Win7 issue. At least it’s another clue for me.

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If you click the troublesome file (unzipped) what happens ???

If I double-click the file, it opens and plays in WMP, just like any other .wav does.

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I was able to play the ohgod2.zip file posted by hammerhead in winamp. I don’t know how you you are testing with “Sounds with the Test arrow button”.

Have you tried getting thunderbird to play a different sound file? It seems unlikely there is a problem with the sound file itself. More likely, the file is not in the directory that thunderbird thinks it should be. Under thunderbird tools,options,general, there is a place to pick the sound file. Choose browse and keep using the up arrow to navigate to where the sound file is. Pick another sound file to test.

I am a new user to windows 7 and I struggle a lot trying to figure out where it puts things. Also, make sure the folder the Wav file is located is not stupidly secured by win7. This happens to me all the time. So maybe move the sound file to the same folder that thunderbird stores email. That should allow it to be used. Good luck

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Thanks for the other input…

@Hammerhead – nope, not a bit-rate issue. Tried that.

@dalejanus – Yes, other apps will play the file, but not TB, or Sounds. To test with Sounds: Control Panel / System Sounds / pick any function / browse / choose ohgod.wav / open / … then use the button with the arrow and “Test” on it. The file does not play, as others do. I have exhausted all the other ideas you mentioned.

@all – Any other ideas?

One other note: I was under the impression that if I changed the sound in TB for new mail notification, it would also update sound in the System Sounds profile currenly in use, but after a closer look, I see that it does not update that sound. Apparently, the TB setting overrides the system sound setting. This factoid may, or may not, have any significance whatsoever.
EDIT: Duh. The TB screen makes it obvious that the TB sound is overriding the “default system sound”. I may have been looking at this for far too long, now.

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New discovery: There’s a Tools/Error Console screen in TB. When I play a new mail sound that actually plays (either the system one, or a TB-designated one), there are no errors generated, but when I try to play the file that doesn’t work, it generates the 3 warnings shown in the attached jpg. Anyone know what they mean? I think they are Javascript code?

29860-TBerrors

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Hi cws,

here’s how I loaded your unzipped file in Thunderbird Portable, its located in ‘Libraries’ > ‘Music’ > ‘My Music’ folder.

29862-RR

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Hi Hammerhead,

This is the easiest way to post any file type. 29784-Image-and-File-posting.

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@Hammerhead – The way you posted the jpg worked fine, as far as I can tell.

@Roderunner – I have tried the file in a library, and elsewhere. Other files work fine in just about any folder and/or library. ONLY this file fails to play, and generates the Java (or Javascript?) errors I posted above.

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@Hammerhead and Roderunner – Sorry, I’m causing confusion. I mistakenly said “jpg”; he said “file”. We both mean the .zip file. He probably has a better way to post it, but I can save it the with the link you put it to. My appologies!

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:bananas::cheers::coffeetime:

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Hi, Roderunner,

Thanks for that…..did the method I used above not work?

Dave

Hi Dave,

compare your post #19 with mine post#25. Your’s did work, my way is easier & better looking.

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Hi Dave,

compare your post #19 with mine post#25. Your’s did work, my way is easier & better looking.

BBBBBBut, Mr. Roderunner…you’re comparing a .zip file to a .jpg file. I just posted a zip file, too, and it can’t look like post #25…can it?

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…

Could you post a sound file here that DOES work with TB9 and W7?

Thanks

Dave

Sure. Here’s one.

29866-Car-starting

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Hi,cws,

Made a few changes to the original Ohgod file : (OhgodEdit)

Changed unsigned to signed

Changed mono to stereo

Changed sample rate to 44100Hz from 11025Hz

Changed bit-rate to 16 bit from 8 bit

Changed data rate from 88kbps to 1411kbps

Trimmed off some silence at start and end

To all intents and purposes, it’s exactly the same format as Car starting.wav

If this does’nt play, then I’m as stumped as you are !!

ATB,

Dave

Well, Sir Hammerhead, you are a gentleman and a scholar!!! Your file WORKS just fine. :fanfare::clapping:
Now, I used Audacity to change to 16-bit, 44100hz, and the data rate, and those didn’t do the trick, so could you explain what you mean by “signed/unsigned”? Do you think that was the problem?
Thank you very much.

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Here’s the “media info” screens from your file and mine. I don’t know what that “Director” enty is on mine, unless it was created by Audacity. There’s not a whole lot of difference. (I don’t see anything about “signed”, though.)

EDIT: OK, I see now that when it’s saved, it’s saved as a WAV Microsoft signed file. My newer file was like that, but not the older one, I guess, since I never saved it with Audacity…just copy/paste, etc.. I could not quickly figure out how to make mine a stereo file, or change the bit rate (without changing the pitch, etc.) so, I’ll remain confused, I suppose. Oh, and the “Director/Unknown” thing was something I entered in the data part of the file, to no effect.

29868-filemediainfo

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I don’t think that’s it, because I created my new file from Audacity, which only does signed files. Do you use that program? I’ve been trying to figure out how to make my file 1411kps, but can’t figure it out. In any case, I really appreciate your help getting it to work. (You certainly are a night-owl, eh?)

p.s. I have no clue what centrepoints, samples, etc., mean.

EDIT: I’ve been reading; now I see that my 705kbps is due to only having one channel in a 41.1kHz, 16-bit file. Now, I need to figure out how to make the file a stereo file. Then, I’ll have done what you did to it…I think.

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Hi, Dave.
Great example/explaination of signed/unsigned; now, I understand. I don’t think I have used “save as”, yet. There are only about 4k options/buttons in that program’s UI, but I’ll try that one today. In general, though, there aren’t many ‘options’ when saving a .wav file, since it defaults to certain things. Maybe I can get it done via your method – mp3 to wav. Since my new wav was signed, I think we’ve narrowed it down to stereo vs mono, but then I’ve been wrong before. Thanks again for all the help.

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FINDINGS: Here’s what I’ve found (with Dave’s help). Thunderbird 9.0.1 (and some earlier versions) has trouble playing a .wav that is not 1411kbps (stereo at 44100khz). It will play some mono files like Windows Balloon.wav (the ones from Themes – like Afternoon), which I copied to my own directory and show below, but that is not really in wave format, apparently. That file will not open in Audacity; it can be imported as a raw file, but doesn’t play properly in Audacity. The other file below is a mono (705kbps) wave file from Quicken, which will NOT play in TB, like my original problem file. (I copied these files to my own folder, since the details don’t show well in the Media-type folders. Also, note that the WAV files in the Media folder are stereo files and work fine everywhere; just the Theme ones are mpeg format.)

I also converted my earlier Audacity-created ohgod.wav to a stereo file (1411kbps) and IT WORKS, just like Dave’s file did. Apparently, programmers of Thunderbird have decided that all of our old .wav format mono files are antiques, and are no longer worthy of their support.
29874-TBno-yesfiles

On to the next great quest for knowledge…:excl:

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Interesting tidbit about Goldwave, Dave. I got tired of messing with all of this after getting my file to play in TB. I’m not sure if I could have converted the mpeg files (like the ones in Themes, which are marked as .wav files) to a stereo, signed .wav and gotten them to play in Audacity, or not, but they play in TB and elsewhere. Imported as raw, they are completely static, and not even recognizable.

I suppose I could convert the Quicken mono .wav files to stereo, just as I did the ohgod file, but don’t really miss the sounds in Quicken, and just lost interest after solving the original problem. My Win7 is working just fine, so I haven’t found any more “quests for knowlege”, (aka problems) yet. :rolleyes:

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