Missing Codec?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jack B
  • Start date Start date
J

Jack B

I just loaded Vista a few days ago, tried tonight for the first time to play
a .avi video file. If I double click the file, sound plays, but there is no
picture. If I try to load it thru the "windows media center", it doesn't
play at all and I get an error message saying "one or more codecs required
to open this file could not be found."

Does anyone have any idea how to fix this?

Thanks,

Jack
 
Yes,

You can download K-Lite Codec pack. http://www.k-litecodecpack.com/

Then, choose the codecs you wish to install, and your set.

--
Please comment about my performance about helping and/or resolving your
issue to Brian
Boston by emailing (e-mail address removed). If you could please nominate me
for Windows Vista MVP it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

Jonathan Yaniv
Windows Live Butterfly Expert
 
Jack B said:
I just loaded Vista a few days ago, tried tonight for the first time to
play a .avi video file. If I double click the file, sound plays, but there
is no picture. If I try to load it thru the "windows media center", it
doesn't play at all and I get an error message saying "one or more codecs
required to open this file could not be found."

Does anyone have any idea how to fix this?
Click to expand...


When you got the message about the missing codec you should have seen a link
to fix the problem. I can't remember the exact wording. If you click on it
you will get a Microsoft site that lists where to get the needed codec. I'm
guessing the missing codec is xvid or divx from your description. You can
find codecs here:

http://www.wmplugins.com/
 
Yes,

You can download K-Lite Codec pack. http://www.k-litecodecpack.com/

Then, choose the codecs you wish to install, and your set.
Click to expand...

I do video work for a living. NEVER install any so-called "full" codec
pack or you just may so badly screw up your system you'll have to do a
clean install and start over.

There is nothing wrong with the K-lite or any of several other similar
packages IF you pick and choose which codecs you install. This package
probably has a hundred or more codecs and if you just let it install
via the kitchen sink method anybody's guess what the result will be.
Rather do a custom install, take one codec for a specific file type at
a time and install that and see if it cures what's wrong. If it don't
work, uninstall and then try the next one.

As far as the problem, Media Player NEVER could handle AVI file types
right and probably still can't. Why not? Kind of embarrassing since
Microsoft developed this format, or I should say started to, then gave
it up and developed WMV instead, which is pretty decent. The trouble
is AVI is really just a "wrapper" which means nearly any kind of video
and or audio file type can be inside and there are literally dozens of
varations. Media Player and several other players may play some, not
others. Some it will play the video only, others the audio only,
usually it says it will get a codec if you let it, what it won't tell
you is the codec its going to get is already in the system 32 folder
but you guessed it, Media Player is too dumb to know what to do with
it, yet other players have figured it out. Classic Microsoft design.
 
Advising anyone to install an All-In-One codec pack is a bad idea.

Those AIO packs are often a cause of PC stability issues and issues with
playback.

They install things the user does not need/want.

What I would recommend is downloading the (yes don't make fun of the name)
G-Spot application.

It is able to determine what codec is used by the video. From there you
should find the individual codec required by the video you intend to play.

Typically with AVI files what you are going to be looking for is DivX. It
will play back nearly all files using the .avi file wrapper extension, even
XviD based files or any "generic" MPEG-4 based file.

Right now there is not officially a fully compliant version of DivX
released. It will work for playback, but you will get explorer errors when
you open a folder that generates thumbnails with any content that uses the
DivX filter for playback.

Also just a final note regarding the Codec pack that was recommended. The
site that hosts that file has been well known as a site that spreads
viruses. I'm not saying that the owners of the site in question do it
intentionally. However that site has been hijacked more than once, and it's
distributions have been "corrupted" more than once to include trojans,
adware, spyware, etc.

So that being said, Permissum alio caveo
 
Jonathan,

You really shouldn't post someone else's email
in your sig. I would think an experienced computer
user such as yourself would know better.


-Michael
 
I do video work for a living. NEVER install any so-called "full" codec
pack or you just may so badly screw up your system you'll have to do a
clean install and start over.

There is nothing wrong with the K-lite or any of several other similar
packages IF you pick and choose which codecs you install.
Click to expand...

Uhhh..

Didn't he say "hen, choose the codecs you wish to install, and your
set."?
As far as the problem, Media Player NEVER could handle AVI file types
right and probably still can't. Why not? Kind of embarrassing since
Microsoft developed this format, or I should say started to, then gave
it up and developed WMV instead, which is pretty decent.
Click to expand...

I seem to recall "Microsoft Video for Windows" once corresponded to
the .avis extension.
The trouble
is AVI is really just a "wrapper" which means nearly any kind of video
and or audio file type can be inside and there are literally dozens of
varations. Media Player and several other players may play some, not
others. Some it will play the video only, others the audio only,
usually it says it will get a codec if you let it, what it won't tell
you is the codec its going to get is already in the system 32 folder
but you guessed it, Media Player is too dumb to know what to do with
it, yet other players have figured it out. Classic Microsoft design.
Click to expand...

What I'd like to know is why MS doesn't just install every freaking
codec they might ever consider offering to download for you. It seems
that would save everybody some time.

Yes, I know 2/3 of them needed aren't once MS has to begin with, but
still, that response and delay is annoying.

--
Scott http://angrykeyboarder.com

A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
NOTICE: In-Newsgroup (and therefore off-topic) comments on my sig will
be cheerfully ignored, so don't waste our time.
 
Well, to tie this off, I did go online and download a file that installed a
codec or codecs, and then I could play the clip, which was simply a Lost
episode from ABC, not some oddball clip from an obscure site. So my
question is Why in the blazes could MS not install this codec from the start
instead of making it's customer spend a couple of hours dinking around to
find a needed file just to watch a video clip after spending $159 for the
Home Premium version of Vista which is advertised as providing the latest in
multi media enjoyment.

Furthermore, as I downloaded and loaded this codec or codecs, I was asked 2
or 3 times if I would allow something. Well, of course I allowed it!! How
could I not? Then what would I do to watch this clip? If this were the
only problem I've had in the first 4 days I've had Vista, I wouldn't be
complaining, but I've had a long list of issues.

I've been using computers since 1988 with my first 8088, and I've never
been a Microsoft basher, but now I find myself turning into one, and I'm
even contemplating going over to the Dark side. Anyone got a good Apple?

Jack
 
Jack B said:
Well, to tie this off, I did go online and download a file that installed
a codec or codecs, and then I could play the clip, which was simply a Lost
episode from ABC, not some oddball clip from an obscure site. So my
question is Why in the blazes could MS not install this codec from the
start instead of making it's customer spend a couple of hours dinking
around to find a needed file just to watch a video clip after spending
$159 for the Home Premium version of Vista which is advertised as
providing the latest in multi media enjoyment.
Click to expand...

There are a great many codecs some of which may be free to an end user but
are not free to distribute with an OS. The choice of which codec to use is
made by whomever encoded the file. I don't know of any OS that includes all
possible codecs.
Furthermore, as I downloaded and loaded this codec or codecs, I was asked
2 or 3 times if I would allow something. Well, of course I allowed it!!
How could I not? Then what would I do to watch this clip? If this were
the only problem I've had in the first 4 days I've had Vista, I wouldn't
be complaining, but I've had a long list of issues.
Click to expand...

That was UAC. Installing a codec alters system areas of the registry and
installs system files. Many sites that distribute codecs also include
malware with them as this is an easy way to get malware into a system. This
is the price of security. All secure OS' require the user to specifically
allow system wide changes.
I've been using computers since 1988 with my first 8088, and I've never
been a Microsoft basher, but now I find myself turning into one, and I'm
even contemplating going over to the Dark side. Anyone got a good Apple?
Click to expand...

Apple also does not include all codecs. You probably would have had to
download a codec for the Mac as well. In addition you would have been
prompted for a password to install it. OS X as a another fairly secure OS
does not allow system wide changes without the user giving permission to do
so.
 
Kerry Brown said:
There are a great many codecs some of which may be free to an end user but
are not free to distribute with an OS. The choice of which codec to use is
made by whomever encoded the file. I don't know of any OS that includes
all possible codecs.
Click to expand...

Well, I didn't have any trouble running video files before in XP, and I
never heard of a codec until I tried to run a video in Vista. And if there
are so many of them out there, how come the first one I downloaded worked?
Coincidence?
That was UAC. Installing a codec alters system areas of the registry and
installs system files. Many sites that distribute codecs also include
malware with them as this is an easy way to get malware into a system.
This is the price of security. All secure OS' require the user to
specifically allow system wide changes.
Click to expand...

I don't know what UAC is, nor do I really want to. I just want to use my
computer for various tasks. Having me blindly "allow" various things to
occur does not provide security. It simply provides MS some degree of
protection from lawsuits. MS, like many software vendors, seems to feel the
way to protect themselves from the pirates and thiefs of the world is to
beat up on their honest paying customers.
Apple also does not include all codecs. You probably would have had to
download a codec for the Mac as well. In addition you would have been
prompted for a password to install it. OS X as a another fairly secure OS
does not allow system wide changes without the user giving permission to
do so.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't really go to Apple, I'm just venting.
 
I don't know what UAC is, nor do I really want to. I just want to use my
computer for various tasks. Having me blindly "allow" various things to
occur does not provide security. It simply provides MS some degree of
protection from lawsuits. MS, like many software vendors, seems to feel
the way to protect themselves from the pirates and thiefs of the world is
to beat up on their honest paying customers.
Click to expand...


The prompts you see are just the tip of the iceberg for what UAC is actually
doing. And yes, contrary to what you think UAC adds a new layer of security
to Windows. Security is a two edged sword. the more security you have the
less freedom you have. This applies to everything not just Vista or even
computers. XP cannot be secured if you run as an administrator. UAC allows
Vista to be much more secure while running as an administrator.
 
I just loaded Vista a few days ago, tried tonight for the first time to play
a .avi video file. If I double click the file, sound plays, but there is no
picture. If I try to load it thru the "windows media center", it doesn't
play at all and I get an error message saying "one or more codecs required
to open this file could not be found."

Does anyone have any idea how to fix this?

Thanks,

Jack
Click to expand...

Give up on Windows and media.
Use LInux instead and you will get Xine which has every CODEC known to
mankind included.
It plays EVERYTHING and right out of the box at that.

Forget about Pista.
Use Linux!
 
YAWN

Give up on Windows and media.
Use LInux instead and you will get Xine which has every CODEC known to
mankind included.
It plays EVERYTHING and right out of the box at that.

Forget about Pista.
Use Linux!
Click to expand...
 
The Linux community is pissed because Vista is making such a great hit.
So now they are trying to spam this group with there Linux spew!

Vista rules! They can't give Linux away even if its free.
 
CODEC stands for COmpress/DECompress CODEC.
Much like MODEM stands for MOdulate/DEModulate.

Lets say you use Windows Media Player and you want to playback an AAC
encoded iTunes file (but of the non-protected variety), you won't be able to
by default.

The reason being that the music is compressed and needs to have the proper
CODEC to decompress the stream.

It's almost like a zip file. Try unzipping a file in Windows98 without
installing any 3rd party utilities. You can't do it since Windows98 doesn't
understand the zip archive file format. So you have to buy something in
order to get it to unzip files.

It's the same with video, it's not just video and there are hundreds of ways
to compress it.

Standard video files that you will see out on the net typically don't
require anything special codec wise as they either use wmv, or standard
mpeg.

However there are specialized video applications on the web that require
specific codec's. So it's not that you didn't need them in XP, it's that XP
didn't warn you as well about what you were installing. Also the reason why
the first one you tried worked is that when you went to the site it told you
what you needed, and that's what you installed. So basically your question
is like asking well if there are so many types of gasoline out there then
why did my engine work when I put diesel in it after my gas gauge told me to
use diesel.

Also you are sadly mistaken about UAC. If you are "blindly clicking allow"
then you really do not need to own a PC in the first place. UAC is there to
warn you about changes to your system that could cause harm. So any
intelligent person would really pay attention.

As for lawsuit protection for MS, how would this change that? If you
install a virus on your PC, MS is not legally liable for that at all. The
moronic user who installed the virus however is. So it's not offering them
any protection, but it is warning the user in a way that basically says,
"Hey, do you really want to do that? It may cause issues."

End of Rant.
 
On Fri, 2 Mar 2007 18:37:38 -0800, "Shane Nokes"

order to get it to unzip files.
It's the same with video, it's not just video and there are hundreds of ways
to compress it.

Standard video files that you will see out on the net typically don't
require anything special codec wise as they either use wmv, or standard
mpeg.
Click to expand...

Actually no, just the reverse. There are hundreds of varations that
call for as many different codecs. WMV isn't that popular. DivX is
especially in newsgroups that have video binaries, no such thing as
"standard" mpeg. You got mpeg-1, mepg-2... you get the idea.
However there are specialized video applications on the web that require
specific codec's. So it's not that you didn't need them in XP, it's that XP
didn't warn you as well about what you were installing.
Click to expand...

Not sure I follow where you're going. The web is just a medium, there
aren't any applications "on" the web, its just a pipe to carry traffic
like a water pipe delivers water to your house. FILE types require
encoding and decoding. XP did the same stupid dance. Try to play a
file type it didn't understand, it suggests it can "find" a decoder
for it, goes out on the web and 99 out of a 100 times says it can't
find any. The kicker for certain file types it already has the decoder
installed , but you guessed it, Windows is too dumb to know what to do
with the CODEC and refuses to play the file while other multimedia
type applications you have installed typically have no trouble at all
loacting the CODEC on your system and playing the file.

Suggestion, if a file don't play, first try to play it on ANOTHER
player. Then if it is truly is a CODEC problem you'll know.
 
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