Just Fyi,
This post is mainly informational for any other people that might have encountered this issue and I'm not really seeking suggestions.
Re: Error code 111 when trying to play certain content (Star Trek/Original) directly on Paramount Plus website when it's not simply "ad blockers"/extensions or other easily rectified software conflicts or issues.
******
I have spent *many* hours trying to figure out why Star Trek, Picard, Strange New Worlds, Discovery and other original content directly from Paramount Plus.com gives me an error code 111.
I finally cancelled my Paramount+ direct subscription and subscribed to it as a channel on Amazon Prime that works without this code 111 issue.
I've revisited this and researched in last week due to Paramount+/Showtime bundle and possibility of Paramount+ not being offered in the future thru Amazon Prime (like HBO went away).
I spent over 6 months with submitting support tickets and trying to fix this with Paramount Plus tech support and having tickets escalated.
The support techs pretty much pasted generic fixes, I got different support people on the same tickets that didn't read the details and keep offering the same suggestions and could not fix or help me with this issue.
I get this 111 error code using:
1. StreamFab on Paramount+ website
2. Paramount Plus App from Windows Store
3. Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera with *no* installed extensions (all removed)
4. No other Anti-Virus/Firewall/Blocking or filtering software except Microsoft Windows Security installed on Windows
5. No VPN
The culprit was/is Malwarebytes Pro (that I was running) and have uninstalled using Malwarebytes Support Tool (see attached picture) - but still get the error,
Malwarebytes created a support tool to gather information/logs and support in their Problem/Ticket process due to problems with Windows being modified by Malwarebytes in different areas and ways that uninstalling it via regular uninstall does not reset to original windows configurations.
The tool looks at your system and configuration and creates some information/log files (with detailed error information) for Malwarebytes to help if you have or don't have a ticket and attempts to clean up all the things that regular uninstall of Malwarebyte doesn't.
Remnants and changes that effect the firewalling/filtering/blocking of some programs as well as other issues.
Malwarebytes Support Tool
1. I originally did an upgrade of Win7/Pro to Win10/64 Pro due to all the programs (several of them no longer offered in "lifetime" subscriptions), games and tweaking that I spent mucho time on to get the system exactly the way I wanted.
2. I did a reinstall of Win10/64 bit over the existing one after running the Malwarebytes Support Tool and having it uninstall Malwarebytes Pro - I still could not play this content from Paramount+ website.
3. I finally installed (as the last option) Win10/64 pro new on a blank drive without Malwarebytes (only MS Windows Security) and am able to play the above content via Paramount+ website without any issues in Chrome/Firefox/Edge. I've considered investing time adding back all the programs I currently use, but quickly encountered some that wouldn't work correctly when trying to install new vs. the upgrade from the previous Win7 environment that work fine.
My hunch is that this is due to using Malwarebytes in my previous Win/7 Pro and upgrading it to Win10/64 Pro and possibly using different versions of Malwarebytes in the past before purchasing Malwarebytes Pro.
I installed Malwarebytes Pro on the new install of Windows 10 and I was able to play the Star Trek show in all browsers after turning off the Malwarebytes extension in the browser for the Paramount+ website.
So a "clean" install of Win 10 with Malwarebytes Pro doesn't seem to have an issue, but I'm wary of using Malwarebytes Pro again due to how they developed their support tool to deal with these issues and possible future problems with other things unknown.
I don't want to spent the many hours reinstalling Win10/64 Pro and all my old programs from past years (many of the being lifetime/non-subscription) that run great currently just to for Paramount+ Star Trek programs directly from Paramount+ website and to get the Paramount+/Showtime bundle discount.
I might revisit this if/when Paramount+ is no longer available or doesn't work via Amazon Prime.
As I said, this post is mainly informational for those that might be interested in this Malwarebytes entanglement issue and/or have the same uneasily reconcilable error code 111 on Paramount+ website.
Mike
This post is mainly informational for any other people that might have encountered this issue and I'm not really seeking suggestions.
Re: Error code 111 when trying to play certain content (Star Trek/Original) directly on Paramount Plus website when it's not simply "ad blockers"/extensions or other easily rectified software conflicts or issues.
******
I have spent *many* hours trying to figure out why Star Trek, Picard, Strange New Worlds, Discovery and other original content directly from Paramount Plus.com gives me an error code 111.
I finally cancelled my Paramount+ direct subscription and subscribed to it as a channel on Amazon Prime that works without this code 111 issue.
I've revisited this and researched in last week due to Paramount+/Showtime bundle and possibility of Paramount+ not being offered in the future thru Amazon Prime (like HBO went away).
I spent over 6 months with submitting support tickets and trying to fix this with Paramount Plus tech support and having tickets escalated.
The support techs pretty much pasted generic fixes, I got different support people on the same tickets that didn't read the details and keep offering the same suggestions and could not fix or help me with this issue.
I get this 111 error code using:
1. StreamFab on Paramount+ website
2. Paramount Plus App from Windows Store
3. Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera with *no* installed extensions (all removed)
4. No other Anti-Virus/Firewall/Blocking or filtering software except Microsoft Windows Security installed on Windows
5. No VPN
The culprit was/is Malwarebytes Pro (that I was running) and have uninstalled using Malwarebytes Support Tool (see attached picture) - but still get the error,
Malwarebytes created a support tool to gather information/logs and support in their Problem/Ticket process due to problems with Windows being modified by Malwarebytes in different areas and ways that uninstalling it via regular uninstall does not reset to original windows configurations.
The tool looks at your system and configuration and creates some information/log files (with detailed error information) for Malwarebytes to help if you have or don't have a ticket and attempts to clean up all the things that regular uninstall of Malwarebyte doesn't.
Remnants and changes that effect the firewalling/filtering/blocking of some programs as well as other issues.
Malwarebytes Support Tool
1. I originally did an upgrade of Win7/Pro to Win10/64 Pro due to all the programs (several of them no longer offered in "lifetime" subscriptions), games and tweaking that I spent mucho time on to get the system exactly the way I wanted.
2. I did a reinstall of Win10/64 bit over the existing one after running the Malwarebytes Support Tool and having it uninstall Malwarebytes Pro - I still could not play this content from Paramount+ website.
3. I finally installed (as the last option) Win10/64 pro new on a blank drive without Malwarebytes (only MS Windows Security) and am able to play the above content via Paramount+ website without any issues in Chrome/Firefox/Edge. I've considered investing time adding back all the programs I currently use, but quickly encountered some that wouldn't work correctly when trying to install new vs. the upgrade from the previous Win7 environment that work fine.
My hunch is that this is due to using Malwarebytes in my previous Win/7 Pro and upgrading it to Win10/64 Pro and possibly using different versions of Malwarebytes in the past before purchasing Malwarebytes Pro.
I installed Malwarebytes Pro on the new install of Windows 10 and I was able to play the Star Trek show in all browsers after turning off the Malwarebytes extension in the browser for the Paramount+ website.
So a "clean" install of Win 10 with Malwarebytes Pro doesn't seem to have an issue, but I'm wary of using Malwarebytes Pro again due to how they developed their support tool to deal with these issues and possible future problems with other things unknown.
I don't want to spent the many hours reinstalling Win10/64 Pro and all my old programs from past years (many of the being lifetime/non-subscription) that run great currently just to for Paramount+ Star Trek programs directly from Paramount+ website and to get the Paramount+/Showtime bundle discount.
I might revisit this if/when Paramount+ is no longer available or doesn't work via Amazon Prime.
As I said, this post is mainly informational for those that might be interested in this Malwarebytes entanglement issue and/or have the same uneasily reconcilable error code 111 on Paramount+ website.
Mike
Attached Files