Problem streaming Media Player content in IE7 mfpmp.exe

I believe your problem is  that you're trying to stream a protected DRM >>embedded WMV files  and may need a codec or a decoder so that WMP will play these files. Directshow codec is required and you find that in ffdshow you can download it here then try again
http://www.videohelp.com/tools/ffdshow
check this as well incase you need the direct draw full package.
http://www.free-codecs.com/download/DirectShow_FilterPack.htm
read this to understand what Media Foundation is.
the media pipeline components are not connected; rather they are just presented as discrete components. An application running in the Control layer has to choose which source types, transforms and sinks is needed for the particular video processing task at hand, and set up the "connections" between the components (a topology) to complete the data flow pipeline.
Media Foundation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Foundation
good luck

wow, thanks for the post.  

I have tried te ffdshow and the directshow, however i'm still getting the same results.  What is happing is, once the IE security window pops up, and I say allow, it still does not play, instead we see the mfpmp.exe hang in task manager at about 1.2 Megs. Where it should load to about 15Megs.

Once you say allow you may have to close all web page to refresh the new settings.
Have you added IE7 to windows firewall exceptions just a guess there
Drop the protected mode, accept all cookies etc
see if this can assist
Streaming content stops, and you may receive an error message when you click "Next" in Windows Media Player
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/934113
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/934275/

So, here's the thing.  We are fully updated with all the MSO's.

When protected mode is dropped, the media streams perfectly.  

All cookies are accepted. - still does not work when in a protected mode.

When added to the trusted sites, the media will stream, but it will open up the full media player and stream there rather than in the webpage.

If I copy the stream location directly into a new page\tab in IE it will pop open the media player and play there.

Even with the firewall dissabled, the problem is the same.

Monitored the differences that are there using procmon when in trusted site and when not, and there is no difference from what Pest Patrol is doing. It's that IE7 is not letting the MFPMP do what it needs to do within IE.  However with Pest Patrol off, there is no prompt, and the media streams as expected.

This I fear is going to be a growing problem as websites are starting to move in to server2008 and will be using the Media Foundations SDK to develop their streaming media. As of lately, we havn't seen a huge problem because most sites havn't gone through the upgrade.

The differences that I can see, is that when a website calls for the MFPMP (it means they used the Media Foudations SDK to prepare their stream) rather than directshow, and there is a component installed that does not allow computer to server direct connects (Media Foundations Protected Pipeline EXE) the stream is killed. However without this, there is no prompt and a direct connect is enabled.

This could also become a security vulnerability as the MFPMP and SDK allows for auto negotiate on the stream, which also means there are several streams in the pipeline, and it waits for your hardware to determine the best stream for your system.  This can open up a lot of "piggybacking" on these streams for virus's or trojans etc.  There should be a popup, but it should be able to work after the popup is allowed.  

When protected mode is dropped, the media streams perfectly.  Then that must be your only option.
Disable it temporaily and then tick to never to show this you again.
Ways to Turn Off and Disable Vista IE 7 Protected Mode
http://www.mydigitallife.info/2007/05/26/ways-to-turn-off-and-disable-vista-ie-7-protected-mode/
I dont know what else to suggest other than that.
Microsoft made some mistakes with Vista  UAC and IE7 protected modes, way too restrictive to be useful to everyday computer experience.
Most programs and software of course will not run in protected mode without some down time.
However you know the files are safe / trusted users can watch these streams and you have other protection inplace such an AV up to date and a spyware protcetor all windows updates in place I dont believe there will be anything to be concerned about.
When one considers users still have IE6 without all these extras and have no problems so long as they keep their systems up to date.
Maybe this can assist you.
Understanding and Working in Protected Mode Internet Explorer
 http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb250462.aspx#wpm_dwact

As I don't have anything further to offer you hoc_IT if you feel you would like to get a second opinion  and are not satisified with my responses which is perfectly right
please use the request assistance tab in your question the moderators will send out a request for more assistance.
Best wishes
Merete

Merete, thank you so much for all your assistance.

I think I have figured out the root cause of the problem, however, I still need a way to fix it.  It appears as though the following process happens when you try to use the media foundation protected pipeline.
1. IE7 calls the file, scans it, reads the hash, and determines that it is the file it wants to use.
2. CA then Virtualizes the file, scans it, says that it is safe (not a virus, etc) tags the header of the file saying that it is safe, releases the file so that IE7 can use it.
3. IE7 gets a new hash (CA changed the hash when it modified the header) and rejects the file.
4. Prompts the user (IE Security dialog box) because it is not the same file that IE7 originally scanned
5. User accepts the use of this file, however, that file was virtualized and no longer exists (it's calling the hash or PID which is different than the original so the process gets hung and never connects.

What I am wondering is, can that process be stopped or modified,  perhaps in the registry etc. If there is a way to tell it to use the exe rather than PID or Hash, or to not scan it and trust it no matter what.

Putting the check box in doesn't work, because the only time you get the IE Security Popup is when it doesn't work. If Protected mode is off, or you paste the link into it's on IE window, the media streams properly.
 

Hello hoc_IT of course this completely out of my experience  but I'll try and offer some ideas.
The main problem here is 2 things
 WMV format  which is the Microsoft DRM right there and that has to pass all the microsft DR managers
the 2nd is this Pest control
Do you require CA Pest Patrol with Vista and IE7?
Seems to be the problem and solution right there.
 Like Norton system works some tools are not worth the pain of trying get software functioning properly.
you have IE7 which also has the phishing filters.
I use spyware blaster
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

Here's what I find on the first part of your problem
media foundation protected pipeline exe stopped working<< now you say if you disable this Pest contro
thinsg work even in WMP?l
lets move onto WMP.
 Microsoft  stated a relationship with WMP and the DFX
with  the latest DFX plugin to Media Player 11  it stops
 When disabled  the error stops so disabling DFX things work fine.
Source
http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/forums/en-US/mediafoundationdevelopment/thread/f3d69e6c-4645-4bd9-ac73-9bebae031629/
Merete

Shutting down CA is not an option.  This is a large corporate environment with rules and standards. DFX is not used in our environment.

However, this being said, i'm glad to report that we have found a potential bug.  mfpmp.exe exists in Windows\system32 folder and (with everything else in there) is pretty much locked down.

IE first looks for this file in Program files\internet explorer.  Funny, it doesn't exists there, but why would IE when calling this file, look there?  I'm not going to go into the details as to how i found that unless and expert really wants to know.

Simply copying the file does not resolve the problem 100%.  The real issue here is that it needs to run with admin rights.  Which it doesn't, this is why when elevating IE it works. So after copying the file, if you go into the compat tab, for all users, and hit the check box saying run as admin, well, voila.  it works.  

If possible, lets keep this post open and when Microsoft releases the bug fix, i will post it here.