Video Playback Crashes XP - Help!

[Rob Torop]

My system won't play videos anymore. If I try to open any kind of video
file, the program will use up all the CPU and then hang - I can't even
kill it with taskmgr. I end up having to reset. To be more specific:

My system is based on an ASUS A7N8X-E board, and I used the Radeon 7000
onboard video. OS is XP SP2. DirectX is 9.0c. Other than this problem,
it has been working fine.

If I open an AVI, WMV, or MPG with Windows Media Player or VLC, it does
this, so it's not just an issue with wmp. I had been assuming that my
codecs got messed up, but now I'm not so sure. Anything I do involving
playing video causes a crash. This includes video editing with windows
movie maker or some thing like that. Basically, I am totally stumped.

Things I did:
1. Updated codecs from this site at Microsoft
2. Update my wmp to v11
3. Try using vlc instead of wmp
4. Install the K-Lite Mega Codec Pack. I had the same problem using the
provided "Media Player Classic"
5. Installed the latest video drivers. My drivers were pretty current,
installed by windows update. Instead i got the latest from the ATI site
and installed them. They were basically the same version and it didn't
help.

 

[DL]

Using winupdate for device drivers is a bad idea, use only manu web sites,
and there are those that say any update is not required unless the device
has a problem or the later driver gives extra functionality.
Why? winupdate has been know to supply corrupt drivers, the version given in
winupdate may not match the manu version, and it may be a limited function
driver.
Having said that try Dxdiag.exe the direct X checking utility.
If that doesnt indicate a problem, if it was me I would be checking my
winupdate page to show installed updates, then visiting all the HW devices
manu sites, for updates done by winupdate, to download and install their
drivers.
With video drivers it is sometimes neccessary to download a utility to
ensure all traces of video drivers, for that device, are permenently
deleted, prior to installing manu driver.
I would also perhaps install a driver version prior to the latest,
particularly if the latest version is very recent.

 

[Rob Torop]

Dl, you are wise. I got an uninstaller on the ATI site, and then
installed the drivers that came with motherboard. Problem solved! I
also switched windows update to never install drivers. Thanks for your
advice!

 

[DL]

youre welcome

Dl, you are wise. I got an uninstaller on the ATI site, and then
installed the drivers that came with motherboard. Problem solved! I
also switched windows update to never install drivers. Thanks for your
advice!