Now TV Player not working

[Anonymous User]

Hello,

Since the 26th September I've been having a problem with the Now TV player. At the moment when I click to watch something the Now TV player loads up for a few seconds and then disappears. For a few days prior to this when I was watching something the video would stop and then I'd have to load the player again until it just stopped playing anything.

I'm using the Now TV on a laptop and I've uninstalled and reinstalled the player about six times and I still have the same issue. I've deleted the cookies on my computer, reset my router and restored my computer to an earlier date to see if any of that might help but it hasn't. Is there a way I can fix this?

Best wishes,
Jamie

[gavs82008]

@Anonymous User 

Try the solution in this link. It was also mentioned upthread in thread.

https://community.nowtv.com/t5/PC-Mac/Player-keeps-crashing/td-p/497512

[Anonymous User]

Thanks my friend.

Have looked and I have no such folder...

[derekmines]

Yep, as above I tried all sorts of things including deleting the Cisco folder etc but nothing worked until I added a couple of exceptions into my AV software for the 2 nowtv folders that are contained within the "roaming" subfolder on C drive.

No reboot required, pop the exclusion in and the app loads and runs perfectly.

[Deggsy12222]

Hi there.  I also am now unable to get the nowtv player to work after I installed bitdefender.  Can you please explain exactly how to add the exception within the app.  I can't find anything to do with it in settings.  Thanks

[Deggsy12222]

Hi again.  So I worked out how to add an exemption but it still wont work.  What exactly do you enter in the box where it sys path, extension name etc?

[Anonymous User]

My player stopped working with the upgrade to Windows 11. 

Clean install on a fresh OS with no AV of any kind running and it quits on load with no error. 

What a terrible, terrible application.

[druma_d]

Hi,

I've been struggling with this problem for a few months, spent an hour looking into various error logs and eventually came across this solution from another thread (https://community.nowtv.com/t5/PC-Mac/Now-TV-Player-not-working/td-p/543900/page/2) which has worked for me, so hopefully you will have the same luck too!:

Navigate to C:\Users\username\AppData\LocalLow

Delete the Cisco folder

Open NowTV Player and it should work.

If this doesn't fix it, delete that cisco folder as well as any NowTV folder inside C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming 

Then reinstall NowTV Player

Tested on Windows 10 x64

[Deserter]

Just in case anyone felt like speaking with live chat for help.... Don't.

Here's an example of the help you will receive.

NOWbot (28/11/2021, 15:25:10): I’ll put you through to an advisor now to get that sorted.
NOWbot (28/11/2021, 15:25:11): You should be transferred in a moment – hold tight.
USHA (28/11/2021, 15:25:17): Thanks for contacting NOW, can I start by taking your full name and email address please?
null (28/11/2021, 15:25:35): Sure its xxxxxx and [email removed]
USHA (28/11/2021, 15:25:47): Hi xxx.
USHA (28/11/2021, 15:25:56): its an absolute delight to have you on this chat. How can I assist you today?
null (28/11/2021, 15:25:58): Hi there
null (28/11/2021, 15:26:39): So I just signed up to Now, checked and my account is working fine on my roku stick in my tv, then came to my PC and the player will not work at all here.
null (28/11/2021, 15:26:57): When I go to use it it opens for a few seconds then closes before showing any errors or anything
null (28/11/2021, 15:27:26): I have tried a few things suggested on your site, Deleted cookies, reinstalled the player etc.
USHA (28/11/2021, 15:28:35): xxx, I really appreciate your patience's on trying out few troubleshooting steps.
USHA (28/11/2021, 15:29:30): Let me access your account and check why you are unable to watch on player.
USHA (28/11/2021, 15:30:32): Just to confirm, are you trying to watch on both the devices simultaneously.
USHA (28/11/2021, 15:30:37): ?
null (28/11/2021, 15:31:11): nope only on the one, my family are watching netflix on the roku
USHA (28/11/2021, 15:35:50): xxx, as there no NOW Boost o the account you can watch on one device at once.
null (28/11/2021, 15:36:25): I am only watching on one device
null (28/11/2021, 15:36:44): well to be accurate i am watching on 0 devices as the PC app won't load haha
USHA (28/11/2021, 15:36:58): I request you uninstall the NOIW player while I am here and re-install and try to watch, I will remove the device on the account.
null (28/11/2021, 15:37:07): ok
USHA (28/11/2021, 15:37:15): Thank you.
null (28/11/2021, 15:38:07): uninstalled, I'll delete the now folders in my appdata folders too for you so it is completely removed form the system
USHA (28/11/2021, 15:38:19): Cool!!
null (28/11/2021, 15:41:57): okay completely uninstalled, and reinstalled from a fresh download of the app, and same issue.
USHA (28/11/2021, 15:43:53): can you please help me with the make in model of the PC ?
USHA (28/11/2021, 15:44:23): can you please help me with the NOW player version ?
null (28/11/2021, 15:45:01): the make and model? Sure its a custom built system made by aria pc in the uk
null (28/11/2021, 15:45:33): the version of the player is 8.11.0
USHA (28/11/2021, 15:48:24): Unfortunately, if the PC is Custom built then the NOW player doesn't work.
null (28/11/2021, 15:48:56): That's rubbish, you and I both know the maker of the PC has no effect on software running,
null (28/11/2021, 15:50:54): the pc is running a fully licensed legitimate version of windows 10 x64. It has ample hardware to run the most demanding games on the highest of settings. In fact I would say the spec of this machine far surpasses that of most store bought machines.
null (28/11/2021, 15:51:04): Do you have a higher tier technical help?
USHA (28/11/2021, 15:52:32): xxx, please stay connected while I transfer the chat to higher end technical team.

I'll not bore you with the "higher tier" support but this line sums it all up for you.

HINOTO (28/11/2021, 16:08:18): You know things better than me here 🙂 haha .

[SueAT]

I've tried locating cisco folder but isn't anywhere on C drive

[Anonymous User]

Same problem every time I've tried to use Now TV Player. Not worth the bother, and no sign of any intention to fix their rubbish software. Plenty of other places to watch TV - I won't be bothering again

[doublesix]

This needs escalating.

For people that are paying for a service they cannot receive, I suggest to contact the ombudsmen.

In the past when i have complained and companies have done nothing, then file a complaint with the ombudsmen, then all of a sudden the company actually does something about it.

At the very least you should be getting your money back.

https://www.ombudsman-services.org/

[SueAT]

Thanks

I got it sorted thanks to following instructions given by other posters
regarding deletion of cookies, etc. It was my PC, however, do agree that
this info should be available from NOW themselves and not be going via
community page as it is a regular occurrence.

[fixer]

Disable your antivirus application 

[Anonymous User]

Finally, after trying all the delete folders and re-installations of NowPlayer. Adding an exemption to BitDefender for the NowTVPlayer.exe it loaded.

Thank you!

[Deggsy12222]

My nowtv player has also stopped working since I installed bitdefender.  I have added an exemption but it's still not working!  What exactly should I enter?  I put in NowTvPlayer.exe.

[Anonymous User]

Hi,

I added an advanced threat defence exemption to NowPlayer.exe

(See https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/2393/)

[Anonymous User]

This fixed the problem for me - thank you.

Note that you don't need to omit scanning entire folders, as some community members seem to have done, you just need to put an exception for Now TV player in Bitdefender's Advanced Threat Defense.

You'll need to run Bitdefender with admin rights to add the exception.  When adding it, it seems best to use the facility provided to browse for the exe, which is in the folder...

C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\NOW TV\NOW TV Player

Why Bitdefender's advanced threat defense doesn't like the Now TV Player exe is anyone's guess.  I haven't had this problem with any other executable since installing Bitdefender.  Doubtless Now TV and Bitdefender would blame each other.

Finally, note that before I fixed this I wasn't getting a helpful message anywhere.  I just got this in Windows event viewer...

Faulting application name: NOW TV Player.exe, version: 8.7.0.0, time stamp: 0x5ba8f866
Faulting module name: ucrtbase.dll, version: 10.0.19041.789, time stamp: 0x82dc99a2
Exception code: 0xc0000409

[RoyB]

@Anonymous User 

I suggest you report it as a false positive to Bitdefender and see what they say.

The Now Player does check quite aggressively for software that might be trying to capture the stream, and perhaps Bitdefender thinks this is too virus-like in the way it works.

But having said that, neither Avast! nor Windows Defender nor Malwarebytes fault Now on my Windows 10 PC.

Or you could get the offending file(s) checked by nearly 60 virus engines, including Bitdefender, with a single free online submission to :-

https://www.virustotal.com/gui/home/upload

and see what else might fault it.

[Anonymous User]

Hi RoyB,

I was minded to report this to both Now TV and Bitdefender, but as I said in my previous post, I’m not confident of a helpful response. Bitdefender is NOT reporting that the Now TV Player executable is infected, neither is it reporting that the exe falls foul of Bitdefender’s “Advanced Threat Defense” feature. As far as Bitdefender is concerned, everything’s fine.

I think your comments about Now TV Player are a good indication of what’s going on here. It looks like the Player doesn’t like the behaviour of Bitdefender’s ATD, but rather than displaying a helpful message, it’s just crashing.

On that basis I’d like to see the Player’s error handling code improved, but I think both organisations, if pressed, would just tell me to take the action I’ve already taken.

For the benefit of anyone still suffering with this issue, that means making the Player an exception in Bitdefender BUT doing so in its Advanced Threat Defense checking only in the way I described in my earlier post, and leaving its anti-virus checking unchanged.

[Tomreid]

Thanks for this excellent explanation and fix. Shame neither Now TV or Bitdefender are fixing it. Took me a bit of work but it is working now. Think you do need a bit of knowledge of how computers work to do this so its a shame a lot of people may be unable to use Now TV on PC due to a problem like this.

[RoyB]

@Tomreid 

What should Now do? It’s Bitdefective which has something it needs to fix.

And BitDefective know their software does this, and not just with Now, apparently, as they have to publish this:-

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/2393/

If I cared enough about their software to use it, and if I recognised as legitimate its inability to tell virus-like behaviour from virus behaviour, I would be wondering why the stupid software couldn’t clearly report exactly and precisely what software it had an issue with, instead of just crashing it or being crashed by it.

And even if it does crash, it could still report the issue on recovery.

That it doesn’t is the inexcusable thing that BitDefective need to fix ASAP, and creates the situation you describe where it’s complicated to use it, and even worse if you don’t know what’s doing it 😢