When I try to convert a file, I get a pop-up about needing additional components, then I get a message that says "RealTimes (or RealPlayer Plus) features require H264Encoder. You will now be signed out." Why does this happen?

This can happen if you purchased a previous version of RealPlayer Plus (such as RealPlayer 16 Plus) and then updated to the free version of RealPlayer 18 (RealTimes). If you have RealPlayer 16 Plus and want to keep your Plus features after updating, you will need to purchase RealPlayer 18 Plus or subscribe to a Premium or Unlimited monthly plan.

If you are using a current paid version of RealPlayer Plus or have a paid subscription to RealTimes and you are still getting signed out, here are a couple of other solutions to try:

Solution 1: Run your computer in Safe Mode.

When your computer is running in Safe Mode, it is running the minimum amount of processes and drivers required to run the Operating System. This is helpful with download issues, since it takes the security software or any other program that could possibly be conflicting with the download out of the equation.

1. Click the Start button in the bottom left corner of your computer screen.
2. In the search box that appears, type "msconfig" (without the quotes) and press Enter. (If you're using Windows XP, select Run to bring up the search box.)
3. Click the Boot tab.
4. Click Safe Boot, then under that click Network.
5. Click OK.

This will cause the computer to reboot and launch in Safe Mode with Networking. You should then be able to download the extra RealPlayer Plus components necessary for converting files. Once you've successfully converted a file, you can boot back into Normal Mode:

1. Click the Start button in the bottom left corner of your computer screen.
2. In the search box that appears, type "msconfig" (without the quotes) and press Enter. (If you're using Windows XP, select Run to bring up the search box.)
3. Click the Boot tab.
4. Uncheck Safe Boot.
5. Click OK.

Solution 2: Temporarily disable your security software.

We've heard that security software can sometimes block the download of the encoder plugin necessary for converting files with RealTimes/RealPlayer. If you have security software such as Kaspersky, McAfee, Norton, etc. installed on your computer, temporarily disable it, try converting a file, and then re-enable it.

Once you have successfully installed plugins, you should not need to go through this process again.