Infinite software/codec problems

[m00c0w04]

Hey ladies and gents, I have a problem..I watch literally hundereds of different things on my machine pretty much daily.

Recently I've been getting a ton of problems with software and codecs. I watch alot of .mkv files and have installed the required software packs to do so, but one day something was changed and since then, the chroma/hue/luminosity etc have all be changed...even for non-mkv files.

I can usually get around this problem by loading a file which utilizes the ffdshow codec and hitting the apply button - without actually changing any of the settings. All I do is start playing the file from the start and everything has returned to normal.

I was fine doing this, until the problem migrated to every type of movie file across every software used to play it. Even DVDs in a brand new install of PowerDVD. This was too far, since my last complete format/XP-reinstall was only 2 days previous to the problem starting, I went through the process of formatting and reinstalling XP again. Thus, to no avail, the problem is still with me.

My question to you, what the hell is wrong?

If it helps, I have a P4 oc'd to 3.5ghz, 1gig of ddr3200 and an ASUS FX5700.

[redwudz]

If you installed a full codec pack or more than one, that would be my first guess as to your problem. You may have conflicting codecs, which can screw up playback of all your files. Codec packs are almost always bad news.

Codecs should only be installed as needed and when you have conflicts that are common with codec packs, it's not easy to clean up the mess.

Codec Sniper is one way to remove the excess. Gspot should tell you what you have.