re: codec problems
Sunday, May 16, 2004 at 11:27 pm
Windows XP Annoyances Discussion Forum
Posted by Peter Hollo
(1 messages posted)
Hello,
Originally in W9X systems the codecs were listed in System.ini under DRIVER32 section.
It is the same in Win32, so you can find the codecs under two keys in the registry.
The one of the places to check is:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Drivers32]
There is a list of all registered codecs, mixers, mappers, and other components that
are let's say "normal". (In Windows multimedia it is very hard to tell what is what
and to find what is where :-)
The video codecs' keys start with VIDC then a dot, after the name of the FOURCC.
"VIDC.WMV3"="wmv9vcm.dll"
"vidc.DIVX"="DivX.dll"
"vidc.XVID"="xvid.dll"
"VIDC.IR21"="IR21_R.DLL"
"VIDC.RT21"="IR21_R.DLL"
"VIDC.IV31"="Ir32_32.dll"
"VIDC.IV32"="Ir32_32.dll"
"VIDC.PIM1"="pclepim1.dll"
"VIDC.IV40"="Ir41_32.ax"
"VIDC.IV41"="Ir41_32.ax"
"VIDC.IV50"="Ir50_32.dll"
"vidc.DIVF"="DivX412.dll"
"vidc.vp31"="vp31vfw.dll"
The FOURCC name is a four character long name in the video and/or audio stream that
identifies the used codec in an AVI file. It can be even changed by a 4CC changer
tool.
The value is the filename of the codec in the %WINDIR%\System32 directory.
The Audio codecs start with MSACM, the a dot + the name.
"msacm.sl_anet"="sl_anet.acm"
"MSACM.CEGSM"="mobilev.acm"
"msacm.iac2"="C:\\WINDOWS\\System32\\iac25_32.ax"
"msacm.l3radius"="L3CODECP.ACM"
The other place is the description part:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\drivers.desc]
"mciqtz32.dll"="mciqtz32.dll"
"midimap.dll"="midimap.dll"
"ir41_32.ax"="Indeo v.4.51.16.2 Interactive codec"
"msacm32.drv"="msacm32.drv"
"sl_anet.acm"="Sipro Lab Telecom Audio Codec"
"mobilev.acm"="Hewlett Packard Mobile Voice"
"wmv9vcm.dll"="Microsoft Windows Media Video 9 VCM"
"DivX.dll"="DivX 5.02 Codec"
It tells how to call the codec file in its common name.
If the description is equal with the filename, it usually means - as I detected -
that the codec is blocked and invisible from the Control Panel's Hardware area.
If you give incorrect name, eg. NONAME CODEC for Microsoft Video 1, it will be visible
in that name in the Control Panel, you can even configure, but will not work.
So, as a result of this story, I could only find this manual way to reinstall the
codecs under XP, because it seems, that the codecpacks (I mean the Microsoft Originals
originals as WMFADIST, WM*.*, etc.) repair only WMV & WMA, and for the rest they
put back only the files into the System32 directory, but don't repair the Registry.
So, the files are usually still there, or you can download the WMFDist, or WMFADist
plus the Windowsmedia codecs from Microsoft to reinsert them.
http://www.softpile.com/Multimedia/Video/Opinions_16326.html
The only wrong part is the blocking in Driver.desc & Drivers32, that can be done
by a codecpack as ACEMEGA, or Nimo, or just self-destroy by Windows :-)
So, all you need to get the files. They can come from another XP's system32 directory
that works, or the MS codecpacks can repair them.
Afterwards you have to only know what file is what codec, then how its FOURCC is
named (it can be even more, e.g MSVideo1 is called MSVC and CRAM also), and you need
to know the original description to show it is the correct name.
Here is a short list:
http://www.mediamacros.com/item/item-1005643990
The longer description can be found at FOURCC page:
http://fourcc.org/index.php?http%3A//fourcc.org/fcctxcod.php
In win32 you need only use the Registry instead of System.ini .
You can even export a good registry part in REGEDIT, then edit, then import in the
wrong machine.
The GSPOT and AVICODEC are good freewares to use instead of Control Panel. They can
even identify a file for codecs, GSPOT even can render them from the source to the
decoded Directshow flow.
There is another good tool called AVIDiag:
http://www.am-soft.ru/avidiag.html
That can show you exactly everything that is on your machine concerning multimedia.
To get more help, please use this searchkey at search.yahoo.com or at google.com
:
codec drivers32 vidc msacm
Then you will find several sources.
If only the MP3 is wrong, you can simply download and install the LAME codec (some
versions caused crash to me), or the WMPlayer should download and install automatically
the original Fraunhofer codec if the Download Codecs automatically checkbox is selected.
I hate reinstalling, but if it still doesn't work, you can reinstall WMPlayer.
As many others, I don't recommend to use CODEC packs. They cause mostly problems.
The only codec that is needed and not free is MPEG2 for SVCD + DVD decoding. There
are some codecpacks that are told free, as CODA for example, and you can install
only MPEG2 part of them in case you want MPlayer to play DVD.
I checked many free codecs for MPEG2, but there were always some DVD-s, that I had
to work a little to get sound, or to get the DVD menu.
I recommend to buy a commercial codec for MPlayer, or to buy WinDVD or PowerDVD for
MPEG2.
All the rest except for MPEG2 can be left original, + WM*.* extended from Windowsmedia
page, then DIVX, XVID, AC3Filter, Quicktime, Realmedia, and the others if really
needed can be followed easily.
For Quicktime and Real ther is a codec called ALTERNATIVE, but they didn't work to
me, there were mostly no sound.
Good luck,
Peter
On Tuesday, May 13, 2003 at 10:26 am, Justin wrote:
>HI
>
>I am having problems with the mp3 codec I have installed in Windows XP. They are
>not the original ones. How would I get the original codec back? What are the files
>associated with the codec?
>
>Thanks in advance,
>Justin
- Written in response to:
- codec problems (Justin: Tuesday, May 13, 2003 at 10:26 am)
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