Downloaded Canon .avi crashing my PC...

[FunkyDunc1st]

Hi I'm new here so apologies if I have posted in the wrong place...

I have recently bought a Canon Powershot S3 digital camera. I have been using the video function on it, which records .avi files. For about a week I have been using it ok, without any problems. However in the last couple of days I havent been able to watch any video I have downloaded from the camera to PC. When I click on the folder in XP it causes the folder to freeze. If I try and play the video in Windows Media Player I just get blocks of colour but full audio. If I try and use TMPGENC 4.0 to view the .avi it just closes, as does Canon's own software.

I had been trying out various bits of software for converting the .avi's to other formats, and have since deleted them, which is when my problems started.

I'm not hot on terminilogy sorry, but from doing a little reading on the net, I may have deleted a CODEC by accident?

[edDV]

Hi I'm new here so apologies if I have posted in the wrong place...

I have recently bought a Canon Powershot S3 digital camera. I have been using the video function on it, which records .avi files. For about a week I have been using it ok, without any problems. However in the last couple of days I havent been able to watch any video I have downloaded from the camera to PC. When I click on the folder in XP it causes the folder to freeze. If I try and play the video in Windows Media Player I just get blocks of colour but full audio. If I try and use TMPGENC 4.0 to view the .avi it just closes, as does Canon's own software.

I had been trying out various bits of software for converting the .avi's to other formats, and have since deleted them, which is when my problems started.

I'm not hot on terminilogy sorry, but from doing a little reading on the net, I may have deleted a CODEC by accident?

Do you still have the original files on Flash Media or in a directory? Those should be backed "up as" to CDR or DVDR as first priority.

Canon "video files" are usually MJPEG in an AVI wrapper. You need an MJPEG codec to play them.

Try to play with Windows Media Player. I'm not sure if an MJPEG codec is part of WMP or Movie Maker 2 on first install but they will use the MJPEG codec if it is installed by other programs.

Most current commercial video or still editing softwre will load an MJPEG codec since all are now supporting digital still camera video modes. If you have to buy a codec, PicVideo http://www.pegasusimaging.com/picvideomjpeg.htm is a good one buy you shouldn't need to buy one.

In the meantime, try VLC which includes an MJPEG codec that only works in that player.