Downgrading my QuickTime to a WORKING version, need 7.3.1, 7.4 is loaded

Question

Ok a couple days ago I Archive/Installed my OS again, and then updated everything back to how it was before QT stopped showing videos. Sadly I mistakenly remembered that ver 7.4 still showed my videos, and that 7.4.1 was the real problem, and sadly 7.4 IS the problem. Archive/Installs are tedious enough as is, can't I just overwrite the bad edition of QT with something older that works? I remember fondly of good old QT 7.3.1 that played all my videos without complaint. I had limited success with running my videos inside of iTunes, but iTunes drops so many frames it turns my videos into a slide show the frame dropping is so profound.
Anyone know a good way to do this, downgrade my QT to 7.3.1 from 7.4 ideally without having to to another archive/install?

Answer 1

A number of users who updated Quicktime to 7.4 (which for the most part was an important security update) found that they could no longer play mpeg4 files, and I was one of them. I concluded that this was due to QT 7.4 having been deliberately changed, in a similar way to Apple withdrawing support for imbedded Flash video in Quicktime 7.3.1.
I therefore decided to downgrade Quicktime from 7.4 back to 7.3.1, using Pacifist in the manner described below. I could now play mpeg4 files again. HOWEVER, I was subsequently persuaded by other users that QT 7.4 did NOT stop mpeg4 files being played correctly, and that this apparent side-effect could be cured by running the QT 7.4 installer a second time, with the usual permission repairs and restarts between each one.
I can confirm that this was successful and that QT 7.4 now does play mpeg4 files as it should. Why a second install might be required is a mystery, but it worked for me (and others).
But if you wish to downgrade Quicktime to 7.1.3, (even though you will lose the important security fixes contained in the 7.4 update, and you will also find that parts of iTunes 7.6 will not work without QT 7.4) there are two methods for doing this (note that attempting to manually delete Quicktime from your hard disk is doomed to failure, as QT has components all over the place as it is used by many applications):
(Note: I am running 10.4.11. Some things may be different in Leopard, but the principle should be the same.)
First: Go to HD/Library/Packages and delete the file QuickTime740_Tiger.pkg
1. Perform an Archive and Install process to remove all of the QuickTime update's (and potentially problem-causing) components, and replace them with the components of the older release. Unfortunately, this means you will lose some system settings and some or all third-party system add-ons. This method is therefore longwinded and inconvenient, but will ultimately work. Because QT is an integral part of OS X using an archive and install to also downgrade to a previous version of OS X so that the various versions can work in the intended tandem, is the safest way to do it. But there is also another way:
2. Install Quicktime 7.3.1 in such a way that it overwrites the QT 7.4 files without interfering with your other system settings and third-party add-ons. This can be done using a shareware (you can use it a few times for free, but worth paying for and having) application called Pacifist. This method works perfectly:
(Note that there separate QT 7.3.1 installer packages for Leopard, Tiger and Panther, and you can get them here:
Panther: http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/quicktime731forpanther.html
Tiger: http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/quicktime731fortiger.html
Leopard: http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/quicktime731forleopard.html
Make sure you download the correct version for your system!
If you don't have it already, download Pacifist from:
http://www.charlessoft.com/
and install it.
Open Pacifist, and drag the icon of the QT installer to the Pacifist window. This will have the 'open carton' icon. Click on this, then click Install from the top left-hand corner of the Pacifist menu. You will be asked if you want existing files replaced. Say yes to all. Job done!
You will now have Quicktime 7.3.1 installed.
N.B. Repair permissions and restart both before and after installation.
PS: As QT 7.3.1 does not play Flash files imbedded in Quicktime and you want to revert to QT 7.2, you can download that from here and install in the same way (but with the important caveat that you will lose functionality in the latest version of iTunes and also certain widgets - as well as the security updates in later versions of Quicktime):
http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/quicktime72formac.html
But none of this may be necessary.
If you are having problems playing MPEG4 video in Quicktime 7.4 (and Apple are aware that some users have had such problems) you should carefully check in
/Library/Quicktime and
/Library/Internet Plug-ins and
Home/Library/Quicktime
to check whether you have any third party plug-ins that are not completely up to date.
Current versions of Flip4Mac and DiVX and Perian do NOT cause failure alone or in combination. However the one SPECIFIC extension that ALWAYS causes the failure alone or in groups is 3ivxMediaImp. All other 3ivx extensions DO work. Remove only that ONE SPECIFIC extension.
Please try this and see if it fixes your problem with QT Player, the QT Firefox Plugin, and iTunes not playing MPEG4 files (including mp4 files).
Older 3ivx and DivX components are often incompatible with new QuickTime versions and are, in many cases, obviated by component packs like Perian.
This is not the only explanation for issues with MPEG4 file playback in QuickTime 7.4 and later, however. The issue with videos from democracynow.org and others, for instance, is the result of that content not complying with MPEG4 standards (namely that they use bogus track dimensions). QuickTime had previously ignored invalid track dimensions but this was changed in order to support properly authored anamorphic content.
The recent update to QT 7.4.1 has fixed a number of issues but some problems are unavoidable when working with non-standards compliant content. The standards are important for many reasons including keeping hackers from manipulating improperly coded web pages.
However, there is a workaround (also the basis for why those files will still play in iTunes): there are a few ways to trick QuickTime into ignoring the invalid track data. For instance, rename the files .3GP and they'll show up just fine.
Post back if you want a list of the plug-ins you should have in order to play pretty much anything in Quicktime.