General Questions

1. How do I configure my Preferences in RealPlayer 7 Plus?

   To configure your Preferences in RealPlayer 7, click the View menu and choose Preferences.

2. How do I prevent RealPlayer 7 Plus from loading when Windows starts?

   When you installed RealPlayer 7, the installer placed a shortcut in the Windows system tray to provide easy access to the RealPlayer and allow automatic updating of the Channel headlines. To disable StartCenter and remove it from the System Tray, do the following:

   1. Click the View menu and choose Preferences.
   2. Click the General tab.
   3. Click the Settings button in the StartCenter section.
   4. Click to clear the Enable StartCenter check box in the StartCenter Settings dialog box.
   5. Click OK in the StartCenter Settings dialog box.
   6. Click OK in the Preferences dialog box to save your changes.

3. What types of media does RealPlayer 7 Plus play?

   RealPlayer 7 natively supports RealAudio, RealVideo, and RealG2 with Flash formats. RealPlayer 7 can also stream other formats if the appropriate plug-ins are installed. Plug-ins are downloaded and installed by choosing Check for update from the Help menu.

   Currently, there are plug-ins available for RealText, RealPix, WAV, AVI, Be Here iVideo, RealText 3D, Liquid Music Player, Screenwatch, Learnkey's RealCBT, NetPodium Quickcast, MPEG Video (Layer 1), GIF, JPEG, MP3 Audio & Playlist (Layer 1), and Midi formats.

   To determine which plug-ins are installed in your copy of RealPlayer 7:

   1. Click the View menu and choose Preferences.
   2. Click the Upgrade tab.
   3. Click the Settings button in the RealPlayer Plug-ins section to see a list of the media format plug-ins that are currently installed.
   4. Click OK when you are done.

4. Is it possible to decrease the amount of system resources used by RealPlayer 7 Plus?

   RealPlayer 7 can be system intensive depending on your connection to the Internet and the type of file you are playing. Video files and high bandwidth files use more resources than low bandwidth audio files. If you are experiencing high resource usage, lower the system usage setting:

   1. Start RealPlayer 7.
   2. Click View and choose Preferences.
   3. Click the Performance tab.
   4. Move the Playback performance slider to the left.
   5. Click OK to save your changes.

   Try playing files with the slider at various CPU usage settings.

5. How do I disable the flashing StartCenter icon and prevent the update dialog box from appearing when I use RealPlayer 7 Plus for Windows?

   The goal of the AutoUpdate Notification technology in RealPlayer 7 is to provide you with quick, easy access to the latest RealNetworks software. RealPlayer achieves this by automatically checking for software updates approximately every 10 days. When there is a new RealNetworks product available, the StartCenter system tray icon (located next to the clock on the Windows taskbar) blinks. Clicking the StartCenter icon or starting RealPlayer while the StartCenter icon is blinking will display a dialog box with further information on the new product.

   There are three ways to change the AutoUpdate Notification in RealPlayer 7:

   1. Dismiss the current AutoUpdate Notification:
      1. Start RealPlayer 7.
      2. Click the top button in the dialog box (usually titled "Learn More").

   2. Disable the AutoUpdate Notification capability for 30 days:
      1. Start RealPlayer.
      2. From the View menu, choose Preferences, and then click the Upgrade tab.
      3. Click the Turn off notification for 30 days button.
      4. Click OK.

   3. Permanently disable background AutoUpdate Notification checks:
      1. Start RealPlayer.
      2. From the View menu, choose Preferences, and then click the General tab.
      3. Click the Settings button in the StartCenter section.
      4. Click to clear the Enable StartCenter check box.
      5. Click OK in the StartCenter Settings dialog box.
      6. Click OK in the Preferences dialog box to save your changes.

   Note: Option B will disable all background AutoUpdate Notifications; RealPlayer 7 will only display an AutoUpdate Notification when RealPlayer is running.

   If you have further questions regarding AutoUpdate Notification or if these steps do not correct your problem, please contact RealNetworks technical support.