Need Help with VOB files not recognized by windows/Cannot open

[cpayne76]

I'll try to be short here... I have several 30 min. Sony Handycam DVDs of family Xmas, bdays, etc that I had ripped to my harddrive in the anticipation of creating a larger/longer playing DVD (basically combining multiple into 1). I've done it in the past with DVD authoring software... however I had a computer issue and needed to erase harddrive and reinstall operating system. I had a technician back up the ripped folder and reinstall on harddrive. They now will not open...

message: Windows cannot open this file VTS_01_1. VOB
To open file windows need to know what program created it.

Does anyone have any suggestions on a remedy. My wife would be pissed if I've someone lost these family video.

If this is not the correct forum could someone please post in the appropriate forum. SOrry for any hassle

[guns1inger]

XP probably won't play the files because it won't have the right codecs. Simplest solution for playback would be to install the KM player or VLC or Media Player Classic.

If you have an authoring tool that opens the VOBs then open the authoring tool first, rather than trying to open the VOBs. Or use VOB2MPG to convert them to an MPG file and work with that.

[cpayne76]

Will try opening authoring program first... and try other suggestions. I do have VOB2Mpeg... can also try that, but it almost as if the file is not recognizable

[greymalkin]

Will try opening authoring program first... and try other suggestions. I do have VOB2Mpeg... can also try that, but it almost as if the file is not recognizable

that most likely is the problem. A fresh XP install doesn't recognize .VOB files..just like it wouldn't know what to do with a .DOC file if you didn't have a program that reads Word documents installed. The error message is saying just that.

[cpayne76]

I believe last time I authored the DVD the files played through Real Player... which currently is not installed. The interesting part is that the were copied directly from the Sony 1.4 discs on to the hard disc without being ripped by a program. Does this shed any more light on the matter? I have played DVDs through the computer since this and windows Media player recognized those VOB files... just thinking out loud

[greymalkin]

the fact that you were able to copy it directly from the DVD simply means it isn't copy protected. The DVD's only need to be "ripped" when some sort of copy protection needs to be removed and/or you want to only copy particular audio/video streams.

Sometimes you can open a particular file from an application that understands it but there still isn't a file association established such that you can simply double click on the file and have the right program open it. I doubt that is the case with Windows Media Player however since it is intergrated into XP..but we really won't know unless you try opening it with something like Media Player Classic.

[cpayne76]

What are the chances that the data is lost or irrecoverable? Are any of the suggestions posted using freeware? I am not at my home computer now to attempt the authoring option or the VOB2mpeg suggestion... i'm just trying to predict the future and possible other potential steps... thanks for the commentary.

[greymalkin]

unfortunately i was stripped of my omniscience last year, so I can't tell you any more until you try the things we have already suggested.

Media Player Classic is freeware.

[cpayne76]

DVD authoring tool was able to open the files? Much relieved... thanks for the imput guys. Haven't tried the other suggestions as of yet.

[cpayne76]

Finally getting back to this thread. Running out of 1.4 gb sony discs and trying to make larger files. Media Player Classic did play the video files. Here is my concern. How do I get from MPEG to DVD in order to us TMPEG DVD Author. I was able to convert the VOB to MPEG but but IFO, VOB, and BUP files do not exist. I'm a little confused as what to do next