Any help in managing codecs?

[Pa Kettle]

Does anyone have a good method for keeping their codecs in order? I've been loading codecs over codecs for over a year and some have stopped working properly.

Also are there any recomendations for codec packs

I've been looking for a good guide to codec maintenance here and Doom 9 but not much luck.
Thanks Pa

[Ender11]

This is EXACTLY what I wanted to post here... but someone did it already. However... it seems that no one responded to this question, which I am a little bit sad about.

I am by no means computer illiterate but I find the part about codecs completely impossible to get a grasp on.
I often use GSPOT to check if my PC has the codecs installed I need to convert a file (usually .avi to vcd or dvd format) for which I use tmpgenc.

Often the conversion doesn't work (screwed up picture, no sound) but I CAN watch the movie in one or another player (often only one manages it). Which means I must have the right codec installed.

What puzzles me is:
- how I can force tmpgenc to use the codec I need to use (taking the advice on that from gspot)
- where ARE these codecs on my PC ??? Sometimes I read here that I should uninstall packs and codecs but I wouldn't know how to do that
Are they located in one particular folder or are they all over the place (and does windows keep track of them through the registry... oh my)
- why is there (perhaps?) not a tool that allows you to switch on and off codecs so you can REALLY drive your PC the way you want to?
- why I couldn't find a guide on how to deal with codecs (or did I just not find it!) even though there are so many great guides out here on other subjects....

Hope you don't mind me asking... and I also hope someone can enlighten me here!

Thanks!

[Gazorgan]

All you need is:

MP3 Codec
MPEG2 Video Codec
AC3 Filter codec
OGG-Vorbis if you d/l AVI's
FFDShow

That's it. DivX/XviD codec if you want to encode mpeg4 AVI's.

There are ways to clean up your codecs, but it's fairly technical and failure can result in a total system crash (aint the windows registry grand?). It varies with operating system on how to do it.