Feel really stupid posting this as i SHOULD know how to do this......

[TheGMan]

Had a major system crash on Monday ( was running Windows 98 ) - As I result, I had to re-install but decided to upgrade to Windows 2000. Anyway, after some teething trouble, got most things installed and working again apart from my Videos.

Having problems with a few.... ( The files are displaying video but no audio - and there WAS audio before under Windows 98 )

GSpot reports that I have the following files missing to play back the first mpeg:

Audio

MPEG-1 Layer 2 CBR 0xc0:44100Hz 224 kb/s tot , Stereo Codec NOT installed

Video

Codec MPEG1 Name MPEG-1 Codec(s) are NOT Installed

Also, GSPOT says that another file needs XviD 1.1.2 Final

have tried search engines and downloading the codecs that are returned (and rebooting) but GSPOT still says that the codecs are missing.

Tried downloading the Nimo codec pack but still having same trouble. Any help much appreciated. TIA

[Soopafresh]

You can install ffdshow to get that functionality back. It'll support most file types, including the ones you mentioned.

Get the clsid build

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=173941

After installing, you'll be presented with video config screen. Turn on support for Mpeg1 like this:

[buttzilla]

Download K lite codec pack. It will take care of all your codec problems. Here a link below. download the full version.
http://codecguide.com/download_kl.htm

[disturbed1]

You have most likely fubar'd your multimedia by installing so many codecs. Codec packs are bad.

For mpeg1/2/3 audio and mpeg1 video update to the latest windows media player for Win2000 (ver 9?)

For xvid, just install the xvid codec from here http://www.koepi.org/xvid.shtml.

If you installed a version of the FHG mp3 codec (cough radium cough) this will also not only hinder your mpeg1/2/3 audio playback, but also hinder streaming media with audio playback.

[guns1inger]

Friends don't let friends install codec packs. Installing codec packs on your computer is like letting monkeys work on the engine of your car. You have no idea what they are doing, and how much other damage will be left in their wake. Follow the advice re: either FFDShow or g-spot and installing individual codecs as required.

For playback, consider VLC, which doesn't require install codecs for most formats.

[Balefor]

OK look you shold have told us that it was Blue-Ray DVD in the first place. 200 Minutes of Movie will definitely fit on one BDVD if it is at maximum quality giving you the best picture. I mean come on! BRDVD is a big difference from Single layer or dual layer regular DVD. The size on a single layer BRDVD is 25GB! So what have you got to worry about? You could add several 200 minute movies at Max Quality and still have plenty of room left.

[Balefor]

OOPS Wrong TOPIC I meant to reply to a different one sorry.

[Nelson37]

Extremely odd that MPG-1 will not work, this is built-in to Windows.

Did you install over the top of the Win98 or re-format? If you did not re-format, I would strongly recommend this. Otherwise you are building the new house on top of a bad foundation. Very high probability of future problems. The MPG1 failure is just one example.

Ditto on the NO to codec packs. Get what you need, don't install what you don't.

[TheGMan]

Basically, I have my HDD partitioned in such a way that I have 4 drives, C, D, E and F. My Windows 98 OS was on the 'C' drive along with lots and lots of valuable camera pictures. Luckily, they are all still there. Somehow my registry got corrupted along with a few other things which prevented me from running Windows 98. So, I installed Windows 2000 on drive E. Is this classed as installing over another OS seeing as it's the same HDD or is this the same as installing on a seperate drive?

Also, just to clarify... I can view the video feed but there is no sound. My soundcard is working and I can play mp3's.

[lordsmurf]

Download K lite codec pack. It will take care of all your codec problems. Here a link below. download the full version.
http://codecguide.com/download_kl.htm

Worst. Advice. Ever.

Codec packs kill computers. They are on the level with viruses. There is a reason you do not see them listed in the VH tools list.

[TheGMan]

Okay... Downloaded FFDShow as mentioned above and restarted computer... When I look in configuration, MPEG1 & MPEG2 are NOT listed. I'm assuming here that those codecs are therefore not installed and probably the associated audio codecs that go with them. How can I check? What am I looking for? Am quite comfortable working with Windows so could probably install them manually if need be. TIA

[Nelson37]

In such situations I become more concerned with the CAUSE of the problem rather than the SOLUTION.

You have a complex, rather than simple, partition table. Boot OS has failed completely. Second OS install to a different partition on same drive displays failure of a standard, built-in component.

Zing, boom, done. Drive is suspect, partition table is suspect, OS install is suspect, these concerns can be eliminated by backing up data, deleting partitions and recreating (preferably fewer, as in ONE), re-formating (the long one, not the quick one), and re-installing.

If there is any question about the foundation, you do not build your new home until those concerns are addressed.

Multi-partitions and Multi-boot drives can work fine, lots of times, for lots of people. Over a period of many years, and hundreds of PC's, you discover that catastrophic failures of such setups are significantly more common than drives without such complications. This is pure software failure, not counting drives that mechanically fail, which is about even with the two different setups.

[Soopafresh]

Yeah, that is REALLY weird that the Mpeg codecs don't show up in the ffdshow config panel.

[RabidDog]

Backup your highly valuable photos now, before you do any other work on your banjaxed computer. Then take a rest and decide which operating system you wish to use.
Consider everything that you have not backed up as gone.
Now Backup everything you wish to keep.
Re-install your OS of choice onto a freshly formatted hard disc.
re-install your software and files. Relax.

[TheGMan]

So, basically, what you are saying is that I back up my photos and then reformat my whole drive and lose about 80GB of music, mpegs, avi's etc etc etc?? If I have to back up everything then that's a lot of time and effort not to mention a good few hundred cdr's when all that's not working on my PC is a simple codec.

I would much prefer to risk the collapse of the foundation. With that in mind, does anybody know what these missing codecs are called, where they are located and how to install them manually??

If the Windows 98 software is still on the other drive then they should be present on there and I can probably move them across.

[ntscuser]

So, basically, what you are saying is that I back up my photos and then reformat my whole drive and lose about 80GB of music, mpegs, avi's etc etc etc?? If I have to back up everything then that's a lot of time and effort not to mention a good few hundred cdr's when all that's not working on my PC is a simple codec.

But then you still have the original CD titles so all is not lost

[TheGMan]

Please clarify.... When you say I have to reformat. Are you talking about the whole drive or just one of the partitions?

I could move everything from one partition to another, format that partition and then re-install. At least I wouldn't lose anything then. Or do you mean format the lot?

If that's the case then I may as well get a small HDD and install that, then put Windows 2000 on that, leaving the larger drive for all my files.

Any thoughts?

[SanderMan]

Copy everything you want to keep from c: to another partition, then format c: and reinstall your OS. That's the way I do it.

[Nelson37]

No. The drive's basic partition table must be considered possibly unsound. When that goes, you lose ALL data on the drive in the blink on an eye. There is no performance advantage to partitioning a drive, same as using folders. Defrag and some others can be run in smaller chunks, still the same total drive and total data needing addressed. The increased risk is just not worth it.

Backup to another hard drive, 160Gb is cheap now. Delete ALL partitions on that drive. Recreate (preferably ONE) partition. Observe testing during partition creation. Format. Observe for errors. Install as secondary drive in other PC. This is because it may not be worth the time to install Windows on it. Chkdsk the drive, Defrag, copy over some large files, copy them around to folders, defrag again, chkdsk again, IF it passes then put it back in the original PC and start setup. If you have other HD diagnostic software, run these on the drive. For several hours, or even days, if possible. If you are in a big hurry, get the new drive, install to that, copy the old data over, and work on the suspect HD when you get the time.

PC's do lots of whacky things. When they start happening to basic foundational components, you want to prevent loosing all your Data before you find out the box doesn't work anymore.

How paranoid you want to be about that is a personal choice. I tell my customers that I can always tell the people who have experienced a serious hard drive cash by their backup procedure. Its like fire insurance, once you come home to the smoking embers of what used to be your house, nobody has to convince you of its value.

It doesn't take that long, the re-install has many other benefits, and you have a stable foundation from which to proceed. If the HD is flaky, you could be chasing rainbows for weeks till one day you get a pot of BSOD, or "no boot device available". And its all gone. Poof.

[TheGMan]

Just a few points to make....

My HDD is fairly new. When I say fairly new, I mean that it was bought from new (not second hand) and I've probably had it about a year and a half.

The problem I had with Windows 98 was that my registry got corrupted (for the umpteenth time) The PC found a back-up copy, but it must've been an old copy which didn't match my system. Hence, it wouldn't boot up.

When I installed Windows 2000 on my PC I had about 257 malwares/spywares and a dozen or so viruses that I didn't know about. As soon as I booted up I got a message saying that my registry was corrupt and to download 'registry fixer' or something like that (which I DID) Little did I know that this was doing further damage as pop-ups like this are normally INSERT spyware/malware/viruses when you download things.

Anyway, got PC up and running then. Internet was a bit dodgy but email worked. Then got a popup saying to download 'Drive cleaner' which I did (This is BEFORE I knew what these programs were - I would NEVER have downloaded them if I'd known then what I know now)

That did some sort of scan and removed a few things but then I couldn't access my emails as the 'Identities' folder in my registry was corrupt.

So, got the Windows 2000 disc out again and at the prompt chose to repair an installation of Windows 2000.

Since then, have updated IE to SP4, updated the Windows Installer and got rid of a SHED load of viruses (Alexa etc) So, I don't think that the drive is totally to blame.

System is now CLEAR. No pop-ups and running smoothly.

So... Back to the question I asked earlier...

I will probably look for a second drive (20GB or so, just for windows 2000) but in the meantime does ANYONE know where the MPEG1/2 audio and video codecs are stored???? Is there an entry in the registry to load them up on startup. If my registry got a bit messed up when I installed 2000 then that may be why they are not working.

[Nelson37]

Well, you went out of your way to mangle this one, eh?

Happens to lots of folks, don't feel bad. I would still wipe it clean and re-install, re-partition somewhat less necessary but still my preference.

If the registry is so fubared than MPG-1 does not work, from your description I would say cut your losses and start all over.

What I tell customers about that software is "you are walking down the street in New York City and somebody with a raincoat opens it wide and says 'wanna buy a Rolex cheap'?". Just Say No.

[45tripp]

Okay... Downloaded FFDShow as mentioned above and restarted computer... When I look in configuration, MPEG1 & MPEG2 are NOT listed.

Would be interesting to see a pic of this.

My Windows 98 OS was on the 'C' drive along with lots and lots of valuable camera pictures. Luckily, they are all still there. Somehow my registry got corrupted along with a few other things which prevented me from running Windows 98. So, I installed Windows 2000 on drive E.

I'd say that was a big mistake.
You should have installed over 98 on the same partition.
Salvaged data on the particular partition, formated it and gone with a clean install.

My HDD is fairly new. When I say fairly new, I mean that it was bought from new (not second hand) and I've probably had it about a year and a half.

Why was it running on 98 then?

System is now CLEAR. No pop-ups and running smoothly.

Maybe...
Still the damage has been done.
Irreparable damage
Most likely you'll run into new problems all the time, and you'll find ones with only one solution. format.

I will probably look for a second drive (20GB or so, just for windows 2000) but in the meantime does ANYONE know where the MPEG1/2 audio and video codecs are stored????

If your going to attempt a halfway solution you may try checking/replacing quartz.dll. Probably corrupted.
You could look into using an app to find and delete broken filters like codec sniper (if it works)
Try directshow filter manager or radlight filter manager. Maybe filmerit is best
At some point you could try restoring directx defaults and re-installing directx or going to a more updated version maybe.
As for alt codecs. Plenty.
Try ympeg, dscaler, stinky.
Could also just try using a self contained player like vlc as your default player too.

Copy everything you want to keep from c: to another partition, then format c: and reinstall your OS. That's the way I do it.

I agree.
Although i'd back up drive E and wipe that as well. Get rid of any trace of any OS.

gl