Vista - Help: Unable to play video files on RC2

I am not able to play any video files either using WMP or from Media Center.
Playing songs seems to work okay but video causes the mouse to freeze and
then the screen goes blank (black). No way to go except rebooting the system
as it just hangs there in black screen. Does this every time I try to play a
video file.

System is a P4 2.80GHz
1023 MB RAM
Nvidia GE Force 6600GT with current drivers from manufacturer dated
8/21/2006
Monitor is a DEll 20"Widescreen
OS is Vista RC2 Build 5744 which I installed over the RC1. Install went just
fine and system seems to work pretty good except for this video thing.

Hope someone can shed some light and point me to a solution.
Thanks in advance for any help
Winston

What kind of video file are you tryiing to play?
Can you play a normal DVD in WMP or Media Center?

"Winston" <replyme@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:46A7E3CF-B704-4D1D-9B5C-0EA0E7D71241@microsoft.com...
>I am not able to play any video files either using WMP or from Media
>Center. Playing songs seems to work okay but video causes the mouse to
>freeze and then the screen goes blank (black). No way to go except
>rebooting the system as it just hangs there in black screen. Does this
>every time I try to play a video file.
>
> System is a P4 2.80GHz
> 1023 MB RAM
> Nvidia GE Force 6600GT with current drivers from manufacturer dated
> 8/21/2006
> Monitor is a DEll 20"Widescreen
> OS is Vista RC2 Build 5744 which I installed over the RC1. Install went
> just fine and system seems to work pretty good except for this video
> thing.
>
> Hope someone can shed some light and point me to a solution.
> Thanks in advance for any help
> Winston

Do a clean install. I had issues with my TV card doing an upgrade of RC2 over
RC1.

"Winston" wrote:

> I am not able to play any video files either using WMP or from Media Center.
> Playing songs seems to work okay but video causes the mouse to freeze and
> then the screen goes blank (black). No way to go except rebooting the system
> as it just hangs there in black screen. Does this every time I try to play a
> video file.
>
> System is a P4 2.80GHz
> 1023 MB RAM
> Nvidia GE Force 6600GT with current drivers from manufacturer dated
> 8/21/2006
> Monitor is a DEll 20"Widescreen
> OS is Vista RC2 Build 5744 which I installed over the RC1. Install went just
> fine and system seems to work pretty good except for this video thing.
>
> Hope someone can shed some light and point me to a solution.
> Thanks in advance for any help
> Winston
>

Regular DVD's play fine but the sample clips ( Bear, Lake and
Butterfly),that comes with Vista causes the system to hang.
Even the Tutorial guide for Vista doesn't play but hangs the system.
Winston


"JW" <nospam@no.spam> wrote in message
news:%23atemv57GHA.4552@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> What kind of video file are you tryiing to play?
> Can you play a normal DVD in WMP or Media Center?
>
> "Winston" <replyme@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:46A7E3CF-B704-4D1D-9B5C-0EA0E7D71241@microsoft.com...
>>I am not able to play any video files either using WMP or from Media
>>Center. Playing songs seems to work okay but video causes the mouse to
>>freeze and then the screen goes blank (black). No way to go except
>>rebooting the system as it just hangs there in black screen. Does this
>>every time I try to play a video file.
>>
>> System is a P4 2.80GHz
>> 1023 MB RAM
>> Nvidia GE Force 6600GT with current drivers from manufacturer dated
>> 8/21/2006
>> Monitor is a DEll 20"Widescreen
>> OS is Vista RC2 Build 5744 which I installed over the RC1. Install went
>> just fine and system seems to work pretty good except for this video
>> thing.
>>
>> Hope someone can shed some light and point me to a solution.
>> Thanks in advance for any help
>> Winston
>
>

Since DVDs play fine I believe that you have no problem playing MPEG2 files
with your video card and the built in Vista MPEG2 Decoder. For some reason
you do not have a Coded(Decoder part) that will work with your other file
types. If you have installed other Codecs this may be the problem but I was
under the impression that Media center and Media Player at least came with
Codec that could play the sample file. I am sorry that I don't know have a
suggestion on what to try next.

"Winston" <replyme@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:FB8CFC04-1ADC-4B8B-8380-7C351551C389@microsoft.com...
> Regular DVD's play fine but the sample clips ( Bear, Lake and
> Butterfly),that comes with Vista causes the system to hang.
> Even the Tutorial guide for Vista doesn't play but hangs the system.
> Winston
>
>
> "JW" <nospam@no.spam> wrote in message
> news:%23atemv57GHA.4552@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>> What kind of video file are you tryiing to play?
>> Can you play a normal DVD in WMP or Media Center?
>>
>> "Winston" <replyme@comcast.net> wrote in message
>> news:46A7E3CF-B704-4D1D-9B5C-0EA0E7D71241@microsoft.com...
>>>I am not able to play any video files either using WMP or from Media
>>>Center. Playing songs seems to work okay but video causes the mouse to
>>>freeze and then the screen goes blank (black). No way to go except
>>>rebooting the system as it just hangs there in black screen. Does this
>>>every time I try to play a video file.
>>>
>>> System is a P4 2.80GHz
>>> 1023 MB RAM
>>> Nvidia GE Force 6600GT with current drivers from manufacturer dated
>>> 8/21/2006
>>> Monitor is a DEll 20"Widescreen
>>> OS is Vista RC2 Build 5744 which I installed over the RC1. Install went
>>> just fine and system seems to work pretty good except for this video
>>> thing.
>>>
>>> Hope someone can shed some light and point me to a solution.
>>> Thanks in advance for any help
>>> Winston
>>
>>
>

Winston:
Install ffdshow (http://www.free-codecs.com/download/FFDShow.htm).
This will install all the necessary codecs you need for viewing your video
files.
ffdshow is the one-stop program you need for video/audio decoding.
It is freeware.
Works an Windows XP x86/x64 and Vista x86/x64
Carlos


"Winston" wrote:

> I am not able to play any video files either using WMP or from Media Center.
> Playing songs seems to work okay but video causes the mouse to freeze and
> then the screen goes blank (black). No way to go except rebooting the system
> as it just hangs there in black screen. Does this every time I try to play a
> video file.
>
> System is a P4 2.80GHz
> 1023 MB RAM
> Nvidia GE Force 6600GT with current drivers from manufacturer dated
> 8/21/2006
> Monitor is a DEll 20"Widescreen
> OS is Vista RC2 Build 5744 which I installed over the RC1. Install went just
> fine and system seems to work pretty good except for this video thing.
>
> Hope someone can shed some light and point me to a solution.
> Thanks in advance for any help
> Winston
>

Uninstall the nvidia drivers and use the ones that come with RC2. The
supplied drivers are newer and work.

"Carlos" wrote:

> Winston:
> Install ffdshow (http://www.free-codecs.com/download/FFDShow.htm).
> This will install all the necessary codecs you need for viewing your video
> files.
> ffdshow is the one-stop program you need for video/audio decoding.
> It is freeware.
> Works an Windows XP x86/x64 and Vista x86/x64
> Carlos
>
>
> "Winston" wrote:
>
> > I am not able to play any video files either using WMP or from Media Center.
> > Playing songs seems to work okay but video causes the mouse to freeze and
> > then the screen goes blank (black). No way to go except rebooting the system
> > as it just hangs there in black screen. Does this every time I try to play a
> > video file.
> >
> > System is a P4 2.80GHz
> > 1023 MB RAM
> > Nvidia GE Force 6600GT with current drivers from manufacturer dated
> > 8/21/2006
> > Monitor is a DEll 20"Widescreen
> > OS is Vista RC2 Build 5744 which I installed over the RC1. Install went just
> > fine and system seems to work pretty good except for this video thing.
> >
> > Hope someone can shed some light and point me to a solution.
> > Thanks in advance for any help
> > Winston
> >