WinAmp-plugin conflict with Windows Movie Maker

[mltwitz]

I figured something out, but I don't know the solution:

I had problems in the past with Windows Movie Maker (Version 2.1), where I couldn't preview the project (title text on top of preview screens flickers), couldn't add any titles and in addition would get the infamous "class not registered" error. After consulting the PapaJohn Movie Maker site and many attempts to fix the problem I gave up and re-installed XP incl. SP2. I re-installed all the other software I had originally but systematically tested Windows Movie Maker after every installation to check if it still runs properly, in order to narrow down the potential conflict, and I think I finally identified the cuplrit: After installing the Mpeg codec for Winamp by the name PowerPlayer II, Windows Movie Maker started acting up again, as described above. On noticing this, I uninstalled the plugin, but alas....somehow movie maker did not recover!!! It seems PowerPlayer overwrote some codecs that movie maker uses. Does anyone have a suggestion, other than re-installing XP/SP2 ?

[zoobie]

System restore?

[mltwitz]

Yup, tried that, but for whatever reason I can not restore to any of the available restore points. I get "System Restoration Incomplete.
Your computer cannot be restored to....blablabla..." which seems to be a whole other problem in itself.

[zoobie]

Upon reflection, you're first going to need your restore function anyway throughout the lifetime of your OS.

If you can't fix this, you may have to re-install XP.

Then maybe you could remove/re-install WMM.

I have XP but have not installed any service packs...works fine. I use a 3rd party firewall & antivirus.

[mltwitz]

It's just another one of Microsoft's many genius ideas to embed Movie Maker withing SP2 so that it can not be uninstalled/re-installed by itself, so I guess I have to set up Windows from scratch again, just to fix that damn Movie Maker application!

[zoobie]

You'll need your system restore anyway. I think it's the most important feature on XP. Try it without the SP's.
You've tried the windows encoder?