Hmmm - some comments:

Why would you only install a single MKV codec and then install the VCP x64 package, when the VCP package *includes* MKV as one of the codecs?

Also, you *do* know that you need to have the VCP 32bit package *before* you install the VCP 64bit package, right?

Finally, The stuff you have in between the lines is a registry entry - and saving that as MKV to *any* folder saves it as a .txt file. You need to specify mkv.reg in order for those tho be imported to your registry correctly.

And that thread shows two posts, one asking about MP4 and one reply by you - to get the Vista Codec package....edited roughly one hour before I made this post....

okay if you have the codecs...make a backup of your registry, then save the infomation below to avi.reg and import it into your registry by double clicking the avi.reg file.

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.avi]
"PerceivedType"="video"
"Content Type"="video/avi"
"VLC.backup"="WMP11.AssocFile.AVI"
@="avifile"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.avi\OpenWithProgIds]
"avifile"=hex(0):
"WMP11.AssocFile.AVI"=hex(0):
"WindowsLive.PhotoGallery.video.12.0"=""
"QuickTime.avi"=hex(0):
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.avi\PersistentHandler]
@="{098f2470-bae0-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.avi\ShellEx]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.avi\ShellEx\{BB2E617C-0920-11D1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}]
@="{9DBD2C50-62AD-11D0-B806-00C04FD706EC}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.avi\ShellEx\{e357fccd-a995-4576-b01f-234630154e96}]
@="{9DBD2C50-62AD-11D0-B806-00C04FD706EC}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.avi\ShellEx\{FFB699E0-306A-11d3-8BD1-00104B6F7516}]
@="{FFB699E0-306A-11d3-8BD1-00104B6F7516}"

I decided to come back to this topic - and then edited it to add the codebox so it will be easier to copy the text into a file....

Copy the text, open notepad (or your favorite text editor) paste and then save the file ***with a .REG extension***

Make sure that your editor is not going to automatically append a .txt to the extension - for example, in Vista, notepad will still (sometimes) try to save the file as .txt, so naming it avi.reg will make a file called 'avi.reg.txt' - so, underneath the filename change the file *type* to All files then save as avi.red - or whatever filename you choose.

I use VLC to play DVD's on my computer so I don't have to buy and install a decoder for windows media player.

I must be the only one who uses Media Player with VCP installed first and VLC as a backup.... 97% of the video stuff I throw at MP 'just works'. It's only the occasional odd file that I'll use VLC for, even though VLC has much more options than MP.... and normally I like more options than I would use...