I think you are about right, this is a codec problem I expect.
Not being connected to the internet is a problem - how do you post here? :-)
There is a range of small movie players available for free on the web, the one I like is at www.divx.com. It seems to have more luck playing the carious types, including ones which Media Player won't ply (or stalls on).
Microsoft usually provide stand-alone downloadable packages on major updates - they are designed for corporate use, where they are put up on a server and all PCs get it from there, rather than each PC going onto the internet. I certainly downloaded XP Service Pack 2 in this way, then burnt it to CD. So I think that's what you need - someone who can download and burn for you. If you want to make a shopping list and mail it me, I don't mind doing some stuff for you (depends on you having a CD reader though). Email address is in profile.
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btw - I'll only d/l or copy legit stuff...
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Many thanks Smokie - I've stopped pulling my hair out now :) I hate computers, just when you think you've got to grips with the basics it all goes wrong. The error message I got said:
"not a cryptographic message or the cryptographic message is not formatted correctly"
Does that shed any more light?
PS I post here using Digital TV Internet not via a PC.
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VM
sorry me old mate, you need to download a later version of media player, which will then need to connect to MS to update its codecs.
If your PC is not connected to internet you will need someone
to download it for you to CD (and the latest codecs) and load it on your from there.
Why you no got your XP connected to net?
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If your PC is not connected to internet you will need someone to download it for you to CD (and the latest codecs) and load it on your from there.
Doesn't it occasionally get supplied free on a disc with some computer mags?
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"Doesn't it occasionally get supplied free on a disc with some computer mags?"
Yes sometimes, usually after a new version is released.
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>>Yes sometimes, usually after a new version is released.>>
Unfortunately this isn't correct - Microsoft ceased this practice about a year ago or slightly longer. The only exception was allowing SP2 to be included on cover disks and this was for its own convenience because of the vast number of XP users.
Re codecs. You should make sure that your version of XP is fully up to date i.e. has SP2 (plus later SP3 updates) which will also install Windows Media Player 10, along with the latest version of DirectX (9c) which can be downloaded from the Microsoft website's DirectX home page.
In addition you should download the latest WMP9 codecs pack from the MS website and, once installed, check that all File Types are enabled in WMP from Tools>Options>File Types.
To ensure that you have virtually all the audio and video codecs you are likely to require, also download the free standard K-Lite pack from:
www.k-litecodecpack.com/
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PS
MPEG4 codec can be obtained from various sources including:
www.undercut.org/msmpeg4/
www.tomdownload.com/multimedia_design/video/mpeg_2...m
www.411forsex.com/help/codecs_and_tools/codecs.html
IIRC you used to have to pay to download the MPEG4 codec.
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Stuartli - got your post after I entered my last one. Starting to wish I hadn't :( - My version of XP hasn't been updated at all since it was supplied 2-3 years ago so how big a problem is this likely to be (see my question re. 'sequential' updates in my last post). Thanks again.
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Well its all a bit complex VM
I certainly saw media player 10 on magazine disk and that was less than 6 months ago. YOu dont actually need to update Direct X to use new media player codecs, but you will for any new games.
I think my old fruit this is all pointing you to having to have XP online for a good update session.
Your best bet is to find a mate with a home network set up on broadband and plug into his network for a "mass" update of all the things Stuartli pointed out or toddle the machine aloing to your local PC shop and ask him to do it.
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Oh and media player 10 will load ontop of any version down to 8 (whcih you should have)
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>>I certainly saw media player 10 on magazine disk and that was less than 6 months ago.>>
I'd be very surprised if you did...:-) It is also only for use with XP and not earlier Windows versions.
Re XP - if you install SP2 it also installs SP1 and earlier updates which will save a lot of downloading; update it once installed.
You will need to create a System Restore point and close down everything that is currently open before installing SP2; full guidance can be found at this MS link:
tinyurl.com/3w4tb
However, you are better using a superior firewall such as ZoneAlarm (free) rather than the Windows version (Disable it from the Security Centre).
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Further to the point about cover disks - one of the key reasons MS stopped its programs, utilities etc being available on such disks was the attempt to dramatically reduce piracy and/or unauthorised use of its operating system(s).
That's why it now requires validation of your OS and genuine ownership first when you are collecting updates and other downloads from its website.
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>That's why it now requires validation of your OS and genuine ownership
Ahem, you mean licensing, not ownership; you don't own Windows XP even if you've paid for it. But yes, I'd read this too. Strangely piracy is one of the things that gave MS such amazing market penetration and they tolerated it for years; now of course it is working against them.
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I think my old fruit this is all pointing you to having to have XP online for a good update session.
This will present volvoman with the infamous Windows XP Catch-22: it's dangerous to connect an unpatched XP PC to the net, but you need to connect to the net to get the updates.
There were a few articles last year highlighting how quickly an unpatched Windows XP PC would become infected after being connected to the outside world. I forget the exact time, but it was in minutes and certainly less time than it would take to download all the patches and updates needed to prevent it happening.
At the very least, I'd install Service Pack 2 before even thinking about connecting the PC to the net. You can always get this on CD from Microsoft. As far as I know they supply it free.
I suspect you'll get a faster response if you take smokie up on his kind offer!
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Thanks RF & DD - come to think of it I've recently seen several such discs offering various tweaks to XP but didn't realise I would be in the market. I didn't bother noting what these discs contained but I'll keep a look out. Incidentally, how do these update discs work? Do they need to be loaded sequentially i.e. I do get a disc will there be a problem if the update version is say to upgrade the second version of an application whereas I still only have the original version on my pc - I know what I'm trying to ask but don't know if I've quite managed it :) - or will any upgrade disc update all/any previous versions of the relevant application no matter how recent they are?
please keep it simple eh :)
Cheers guys.
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>>... I'verecently seen several such discs offering various tweaks to XP but didn't realise I would be in the market. I didn't bother noting what these discs contained but I'll keep a look out.
If you've seen these on computer magazine discs in the past few weeks they'll almost certainly be programs that enable you to fiddle with settings. These are aimed at compulsive fiddlers and are not what you need at all.
When SP2 came out, it did appear on lots of magazine cover discs but that was a few months ago.
Incidentally, how do these update discs work? Do they need to be loaded sequentially...
To the best of my knowledge, SP2 doesn't mind whether you have previously installed any updates. I've certainly installed it on a clean XP installation without problems. If this were not the case, it would be a devil of a job to do updates if you'd missed something out!
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Please note, I'm posting this on behalf of Volvoman as once a thread reaches a certain number of replies, he's no longer able to contribute - long story, but the shortened version is that he doesn't use a pc to browse.
Anyway, that aside, here's what he's asked me to post:-
I've ascertained that I've got XP Home with Support Pack 1 installed. I've also found out that SP2 can open up a whole unwanted can of worms - install problems, system crashes etc. etc. I don't want any of these so what I'd like to be able to do is just load what it takes for mediaplayer to unencrypt the MPEG4 code my device uses. Can this be done and if so what's the easiest way to do it. Many thanks.
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>>I've also found out that SP2 can open up a whole unwanted can of worms - install problems, system crashes etc. etc.>>
If you have an XP Home or Pro system running satisfactorily, installing SP2 following Microsoft's basic advice will cause no problems - out of many millions who have installed it a comparatively tiny number had difficulties, but there were always good reasons why this was so.
I've installed it on three or four systems as well as my own and my son, an IT support specialist, on literally hundreds....:-)
People are usually quick to complain no matter what it involves, yet rarely publically express satisfaction, thus distorting the overall picture - this applies to almost anything involving cars, computers, services, after sales attention etc.
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"just load what it takes for mediaplayer to unencrypt the MPEG4 code my device uses. Can this be done and if so what's the easiest way to do it. Many thanks"
Already answered, several times in fact. But I will say it again, You need media player 10 and all the latest codecs downloaded to it.
Unless you put your PC on the Net, someone is going to have to do it for you,
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You need media player 10 and all the latest codecs downloaded to it. Unless you put your PC on the Net, someone is going to have to do it for you,
Or Quicktime from Apple of course. The Quicktime file format was the basis for MPEG4 as I recall. Quicktime *does* appear on the front of magazines.
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"Or Quicktime from Apple of course. The Quicktime file format was the basis for MPEG4 as I recall. Quicktime *does* appear on the front of magazines."
But that does not synch with his super dooper portable mp3/mpeg4 player. Which I understand has prompted this whole saga
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Doesn't it? Where does VM say that? Just had a quick scan through the thread and can't find it anywhere, but willing to admit I might have missed it. As far as I can see he just wants to play an MPEG4 file; it shouldn't matter what he plays it on.
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"I've been trying to load an MPEG4 encoded ASF video file from a multimedia device to my PC"
It makes sense to play the clip on the prog you synch on
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But not if it means faffing around with getting an Internet connection or borrowing someone else's, installing a firewall and spyadkillerware, when you can get a player off the front of a magazine.
MPEG4 is an iso standard so should play nice with anything that supports it; can't see that it would make a difference.
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Hang on a minute before you throw the toys out. Are you saying that this media player doesn't just appear as a hard disk in the XP file manager so the file can be dragged and dropped onto, say, the desktop? It *has* to be synched with WMP10 and can't be played as effectively on any of the many, many multimedia players out there?
If so I am truly staggered.
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Me again, posting on behalf of Volvoman.
Just a quick note to say he's now sorted the problem and he thanks everyone for their help.
I don't have the details to hand, but will post them later for anyone that's interested / experiencing similar problems.
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I don't have the details to hand,
But now I do:
Volvoman seemed to have solved the problem by loading some video production software he got with another product - so far so good. He also managed to crack how to download files from his PC to the multimedia device.
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