Codecs Lockup (??!!?)

[SaSi]

I am trying to sort out a rather weird problem I have.

As of this afternoon, VitualDUB - and other video editing applications - are not able to produce a list of codecs for me to select from - typically at the file save or export steps.

In VirtualDUB, selecting "Compression" from the Video menu just locks-up VirtualDUB for ever (well I waited 15 minutes) while CPU utilization is almost 50% on VirtualDUB (which is as much as VS can get since I have an HT P4).

The same behaviour is exhibited with any recent version of VD or VDMPEG or VD-MOD, as well as Tmpgenc (when trying to export to AVI), and Premier going through the startup wizzard.

I use WinXP SP2 and the codecs installed are only the ones installed by XP as well as DivX 5.2, Huffyuv and xVid 1.04. These have been installed for some time now and no problems were encountered until now.

Before I go on and create a new system disk and install everything fresh, I was wondering if anyone has any smart idea to help me through.

TIA

[vhelp]

I will experience this about every so often. Usually results in my
resintalling windows (I just did a reinstall of W98 a few weeks ago)

.. I guess you will have to re-register at MS again

But, about as close I've ever come to narrowing down what causes this,
is still vage. But, so far, I feel its due to one of the following:

* one too many crashes (crossed links slowing killing off files you
.. chaulk off to the trash (*.chk) etc. I see this all too often in
.. my many scandisk runs, when my system crashes. This like slowly
.. eating away at your leg (IMO)

* install of a new app ( usually effect DirecDraw; DirectX; Codec(s) )
.. This also slowly eat away at your fine-tuned system. What is working
.. in top shape today, ends up sick as a door nail tomorrow. I've found
.. this to be true many times over.

* again, install of a new app (or reinstall or Fix) or whatever.
.. I get this with delphi. I install a fresh copy of it, I louched a
.. clean *.dpr project of mine (that I know is clean) and for some strange
.. reason, it locks up my system to never-land.
.. Then, I proceed to Fix/repair it (cd disk) and when I re-run delphi,
.. it still hanges in the splash screen. Other times, I have to leave
.. the machine off over night, (same steps as above) and for the life of
.. me, it's working w/out any lockups. This bugs the heck out of me, as
.. to why the lock ups and over-night cure-all as the workaround for delphi,
.. but this is an isolated issue with delphi. But, my point about this, its
.. not every case, but in one of them, it was Virus-related, an attacked file
.. in one of my projects. I've stumbed across this a few times (virus files
.. in my project) Anyways. You see, in one of my project files recently, was a
.. 114k in size (from last year I think) but was a 16k file (after the virus
.. attack) But I did not remove it because it was a part of my project and I
.. didn't think it would hurt, just so long as I did not dbl-click the .exe file,
.. and after a re-compile, the file would rebuild to a new 114k .exe file. Anyways.
.. But, when I dbl-clicked the *.dpr file, delphi went ka-puts on me, and locked
.. up forever, every time. Even when I would just start up delphi by itself.
.. It's all too crazy, but it could also be virus related in some Trojan kind of
.. way or something. Ok. I'm grabing at straws there

EDITED: (revised above - I was too quick w/ my paste.. sorry)

Well, I think that clean install will probably result in your end madness.
At least you'll experience faster internet surfing, and other system speedup
areas. ..until you proceed to install your upgrades and service packs, etc
It's the same for W98 too.

Anyways, good luck.
-vhelp 3261

[celtic_druid]

XviD 1.04?? That could be your problem as I don't think they have released 1.04, although I haven't really been paying much attention to that branch.

Only times I ever had problems with the codec list, it was DivX. It didn't lock up though, there was just a pause.

[SaSi]

Well, as per advice I posted in some threads, I have kept a fairly recent ghost image of a fresh system volume with the typical array of applications and tools required.

I restored this to a fresh disk and only had to re-install a couple of applications or updates.

Problem gone, system is now much faster and the only question remaining is: should I install the 15 odd "critical updates" Microsoft is buggin' me about?

BTW, the fresh system volume also made another problem of mine - mentioned in another thread - go away. When trying to burn DVDs at 16x, the DVDRW buffer was emptied constantly, causing the burning speed to drop to half.

Suspected cables, drivers, even the burner.

It was the OS - or rather - the OS installation was getting old aged.

And a parallel discovery I made is also worth mentioning. My first attempt to run Ghost 2003 from the boot diskette failed. Ghost would lock up as soon as starting.

During my attempts, I disconnected all my HDs but the system volume. That made the trick. It seems that Ghost is not happy with a system with 8 Hard Disks. Perhaps they are a bit too many for it to handle. However with 1 or 2 disks (and even 5 if I remember correctly) it works like charm.