Video crashes all the time

[manicradio]

Hi.

I have been having a problem playing avi files and its #$$%$ me right off. It plays for about 10 minutes and always crashes out. This happens on every media player I have tried (BS Player, Windows Media Player, DIVX Player and Media Player Classic). I have run Malwarebytes - nothing, AVAST - nothing, Spybot - nothing. Out of desperation I reinstalled Windows, still happens. I thought it might be hardware so I changed the RAM and fiddled with the BIOS - still nothing. It gets worse if I install DIVX, Xvid or ffdshow.

Please can someone help me out as this is killing me!

This is the error message on Media Player Classic -

Code: 0xc0000005 (There is a print screen attached).

I run Windows XP Pro Service Pack 3
AMD AthlonXP 3000+
2.16GHz 1.00 GB of RAM
NVIDIA GeForce 6800 XT

Thanks for your help,
Jo

From HijackThis -

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.4
Scan saved at 10:48:59 PM, on 07/10/2010
Platform: Windows XP SP3 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v8.00 (8.00.6001.18702)
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS.2\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS.2\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS.2\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS.2\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS.2\system32\nvsvc32.exe
C:\WINDOWS.2\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS.2\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS.2\Explorer.EXE
C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\AvastSvc.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\ALWILS~1\Avast5\avastUI.exe
C:\WINDOWS.2\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\WINDOWS.2\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS.2\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS.2\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jqs.exe
C:\Program Files\Nero\Update\NASvc.exe
C:\WINDOWS.2\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS.2\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS.2\system32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\TuneUp Utilities 2010\TuneUpUtilitiesService32.exe
C:\Program Files\VIA\RAID\vialogsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS.2\system32\wuauclt.exe
C:\Program Files\TuneUp Utilities 2010\TuneUpUtilitiesApp32.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\plugin-container.exe
C:\Program Files\Trend Micro\HiJackThis\HiJackThis.exe

R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHelperStub - {18DF081C-E8AD-4283-A596-FA578C2EBDC3} - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEHelperShim.dll
O2 - BHO: Groove GFS Browser Helper - {72853161-30C5-4D22-B7F9-0BBC1D38A37E} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\GRA8E1~1.DLL
O2 - BHO: Ask Toolbar BHO - {D4027C7F-154A-4066-A1AD-4243D8127440} - C:\Program Files\Ask.com\GenericAskToolbar.dll
O2 - BHO: Java(tm) Plug-In 2 SSV Helper - {DBC80044-A445-435b-BC74-9C25C1C588A9} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jp2ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: JQSIEStartDetectorImpl - {E7E6F031-17CE-4C07-BC86-EABFE594F69C} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\deploy\jqs\ie\jqs_plugin.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Foxit Toolbar - {D4027C7F-154A-4066-A1AD-4243D8127440} - C:\Program Files\Ask.com\GenericAskToolbar.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [avast5] C:\PROGRA~1\ALWILS~1\Avast5\avastUI.exe /nogui
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS.2\system32\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [KernelFaultCheck] %systemroot%\system32\dumprep 0 -k
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS.2\system32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-18\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS.2\system32\CTFMON.EXE (User 'SYSTEM')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-18\..\RunOnce: [_nltide_3] rundll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSectionEx nLite.inf,C,,4,N (User 'SYSTEM')
O4 - HKUS\.DEFAULT\..\Run: [CTFMON.EXE] C:\WINDOWS.2\system32\CTFMON.EXE (User 'Default user')
O4 - HKUS\.DEFAULT\..\RunOnce: [_nltide_3] rundll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSectionEx nLite.inf,C,,4,N (User 'Default user')
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O9 - Extra button: Send to OneNote - {2670000A-7350-4f3c-8081-5663EE0C6C49} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\ONBttnIE.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: S&end to OneNote - {2670000A-7350-4f3c-8081-5663EE0C6C49} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\ONBttnIE.dll
O9 - Extra button: Research - {92780B25-18CC-41C8-B9BE-3C9C571A8263} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\REFIEBAR.DLL
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS.2\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: @xpsp3res.dll,-20001 - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - C:\WINDOWS.2\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe
O16 - DPF: {1E54D648-B804-468d-BC78-4AFFED8E262F} (System Requirements Lab) - http://www.nvidia.com/content/DriverDownload/srl/3.0.0.4/srl_bin/sysreqlab_nvd.cab
O16 - DPF: {6414512B-B978-451D-A0D8-FCFDF33E833C} (WUWebControl Class) - http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/V5Controls/en/x86/client/wuweb_site.cab?1281995723343
O18 - Protocol: grooveLocalGWS - {88FED34C-F0CA-4636-A375-3CB6248B04CD} - C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office12\GR99D3~1.DLL
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: Browseui preloader - {438755C2-A8BA-11D1-B96B-00A0C90312E1} - C:\WINDOWS.2\system32\browseui.dll
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: Component Categories cache daemon - {8C7461EF-2B13-11d2-BE35-3078302C2030} - C:\WINDOWS.2\system32\browseui.dll
O23 - Service: avast! Antivirus - AVAST Software - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\AvastSvc.exe
O23 - Service: avast! Mail Scanner - AVAST Software - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\AvastSvc.exe
O23 - Service: avast! Web Scanner - AVAST Software - C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast5\AvastSvc.exe
O23 - Service: Java Quick Starter (JavaQuickStarterService) - Sun Microsystems, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jqs.exe
O23 - Service: @C:\Program Files\Nero\Update\NASvc.exe,-200 (NAUpdate) - Nero AG - C:\Program Files\Nero\Update\NASvc.exe
O23 - Service: NVIDIA Display Driver Service (nvsvc) - NVIDIA Corporation - C:\WINDOWS.2\system32\nvsvc32.exe
O23 - Service: TuneUp Drive Defrag Service (TuneUp.Defrag) - TuneUp Software - C:\Program Files\TuneUp Utilities 2010\TuneUpDefragService.exe
O23 - Service: TuneUp Utilities Service (TuneUp.UtilitiesSvc) - TuneUp Software - C:\Program Files\TuneUp Utilities 2010\TuneUpUtilitiesService32.exe
O23 - Service: VRAID Log Service - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\VIA\RAID\vialogsv.exe

--
End of file - 5888 bytes

[redwudz]

That doesn't really sound like a malware problem.

Have you tried VLC Media Player? It uses it own codecs, so if it works, you may have a codec problem.

Other things to check. Open Task manager and check how much CPU and RAM the player is using. Both should be fairly low.

Check your system and CPU temperatures and system voltages. HWMonitor is one easy program for checking those. http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html

You could also check your RAM for problems with Memtest 86. Bad RAM causes all kinds of odd problems: http://www.memtest86.com/

[Bjs]

Sounds more likely it's pointing to an issue with the nvidia card itself ... anything from 5500 to the 8 (or did it go all the way to the 9 series) are dubious ... the material that bonds the gpu and the board is weak and well documented across the net as being problematic ... either the cards keep ticking but trigger these errors when faced with an intensive task such as gaming / video playback ... or the cards suddenly and utterly fail.

Try: Enter bios and check memory timing ... change to manual and set to the correct timing (do NOT use auto) ... it may be preferable to lower this timing for troubleshooting ... Save and reboot and test the systems stability.

Should the errors repeat but have reduced in frequency ... check for motherboard bios update and apply.

Repeat test

If same then re-enter bios and reduce memory timings again.

Repeat test

If now the number of reappearances has reduced then this points more likely at the gpu being the fault ... not a ram issue.

[manicradio]

Thanks for your help guys!

Reducing the DRAM memory timings helped big time. What kind of 256/512mb AGP card would you recommend? Is an ATI better than NVIDIA?

Thanks,
Jo

[Bjs]

Personally I dont think you'll find much from nvidia covering "agp" which may still have problems ... have a look around ATI cards ... HD 3850 is one.

When choosing a gpu take note as to "purpose"

1: Connection type (agp / pci / pci-e)
2: Outputs (do you require svideo out) ... this option has disappeared from many offerings
3: Your either a heavy user (gamer) or light (excel spreadsheets, web browser)

From there it's a matter of tracking down one that fits all three requirements ... gamers should review "core speed" spec's.

A gpu released by different vendors may use the same model (example > 9200) ... but have different core speeds ... the higher the better the performance.

Review three models that fit your systems requirements and by applying what was said before you should be able to make a wise choice.