is this a codec issue? don't want to format

[precarious]

I've had a lot of shows on my computer for a couple years. They have always played fine with windows media player (yes, I know, gag me too, but you can't argue with function), when it had the right codecs involved, etc. One of my friends burned a whole episode of a show for me and said some wouldn't play without videoLAN/VLC, so I downloaded it. I'm using win2000 pro.

1st issue that I don't really care about anymore: Some of the stuff on the cd hung my computer up for hours and never played. This made it unhappy. Some did play.

Bigger issue: After a week or so of this, vlc and windows media player *both* stopped displaying video. Actually, I'd see a 1 second flash of video at the beginning of something I'd watched like 10 times before, and then just blackscreen, almost like something was overlaying it. Sound has been fine. Perhaps more oddly, if I play with stuff for a while, I can sometimes get one or two files to display sound (though that's it), and then the next day it refuses to.

At some point I uninstalled and reinstalled vlc, but it didn't help.

Some guy told me he had this problem, he blamed it on confused codecs, and reformatted his hdd to fix it. I'm not planning on reformatting. Any ideas? I don't want to install more codecs unless I can get rid of crappy ones first, but don't know how to do that.

Also interesting though hopefully unrelated: I ran a MAJOR defrag about this time as well (something like 60% to 6% fragmented)

[Afronaut]

Well, what format the shows are?
If its windows media files, it could be copyprotected, lisenced,
depends who made them and how.

To get the codecs workin, if my PC starts acting too funny,
I reinstall XP and then install Klite Megacodecpack.

I know the reinstalling windows is the last thing to do.
So, maybe gice us a little more info about the files and,
what type of codecs and how you have installed codecs before.

Also, if youuse WMP, would it be possible for it to automatically
download the missing codecs, if there's some missing.


Also, its also wise to check out the system for nasty stuff,
spyware, adware, crapware, viriis and such...

[Entity101]

Did you perhaps upgrade your graphics card drivers recently? Those can sometimes cause problems too. Try different versions of the drivers.

[precarious]

No, no new graphics card.

The files I have are *mostly* mpeg and avi. The chances of them being licensed are very small. If any are, most definitely aren't. Wmp has been refusing to download codecs for some time now, meaning it thinks it has all the ones it needs and tells me it can't download new ones.

I don't really know much about codecs except that they come with video programs, so I just get them with the programs and haven't done anything to change them.

Actually, someone told me again to delete all of them so I started playing with that and uninstalling most of my video programs yesterday. Used gspot to find a lot of the codecs. I deleted the ones that looked like they weren't multi-function (don't know what I'm talking about), and reinstalled vlc periodically, but still had the same problem. Also, wmp got really pissed and won't download its own simple codecs again. I didn't really permanantly delete them, though; they're in my "recycle bin."

[HailAntonLaVey]

right click the AVI files an post what format they are in,if your running a Xvid,3ivx,or divx.Some formats such as mpv42 or equal can show as AVI.This should help with your problem,as you posted nothing in your first post that would help.Either that or try different players.Real an quicktime may yeild different results.What are the *other* files,you say you have mostly Mpeg an Avi.Tell then adieu

[precarious]

The avis are divx/div3/div4/dx50/mpg4/mpg43 and it seems like they are playing okay in divx (I reinstalled it over things). This used to not be the case, but I reinstalled the new version, so maybe it did something magical.
As long as divx plays most things, I'll stop complaining.

For the record, I have ONE div3 file that will play with video in vlc. I have TONS that won't, and none of my other avis will.

I also have some .asf files that won't play.

Thanks for your help!

[HailAntonLaVey]

you had incompatable versions of DIVX,as for the other div3 files,they may be encoded wrong.Either with audio or video.The asf files i dont believe are supported by VCL.This here should help.Tell then adieu

P.S. Precarious if you are refering to me for thanks,I love me too.
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/features.html

[Afronaut]

One other thing pops into mind,
if you got Windows Media Player 10 installed,
could that cause trouble?

Im not sure because I had that for awhile, didnt like it,
and I have installed XP again and im not installing WMP-10
any time soon.

And, I've heard (seen on forums) some issues regarding that player.
Maybe it installs some new components to the Windows that might
mess up things.

This is just a guess.

[precarious]

Thanks, I love you guys (I'm supposed to say that, right?)

Seriously though, you guys definitey rock. This is a good place for help, so thanks!

P.s. Don't have WMP10, though I suspect WMP anything is a little suspect.

[Afronaut]

Luv is not required, simply "thanks" apply.

The WMP, like Internet Explorer is purty tightly embedded on the Windows OS's.
If one part has trouble running, it easily affects the whole OS's.

I dont use either. Got Firefox and Media Player Classic.