DivX Pro and Vista (x64)

[Zach]

This has been asked a few times on the official DivX forums, but like most questions there, it has gotten ignored. :(

Has anyone figured out how to register one's DivX Pro encoder under Vista (x64) so to unlock all its "Pro" encoding goodness? (It complains about a missing DLL whenever one tries to launch the little app that registers it.)


As extreme as this sounds, this is sole reason I ditched Vista (x64) and went back to XP; well, that, and also I couldn't configure that free AC3Filter (http://ac3filter.net/) codec: Vista would generate an error whenever I launched it.

Vista cost me $300, and it's bugging me no end that a little $30 encoder is preventing me from using it. :)


(Yes, I bought the retail version of Vista Ultimate so not to have to deal with OEM activation issues/headaches like I have in the past since I upgrade my hardware quite frequently. Begging some stranger in India to let me use my own software is annoying and aggravating, not to mention a little demeaning. :angry:)

[weaver4]

Zach: it appears that most of DivX's energy is going into DivX's new porn site (I think it is called Stage6). So, it could be a long time before DivX is Vista ready.

Have you considered using XviD or H.264 instead of DivX. Good tools; run now on Vista and the quality is just as good, or better.

[burfadel]

I'd prefer x264 myself, but the problem is a poorly written installation system. Its more of an oversight I guess, but it shouldn't happen. The same thing occurs with Macromedia Shockwave install on x64 systems.

What happens is that 32 bit dll's install into the syswow64 directory, which when a programme calls for it should automatically find it. What you need to do is copy that file into the system32 directory, if you know what it is.

With Shockwave, install, ignore the error, copy the Macromed directory from the syswow64 directory to system32 directory, install again and everything is fine :)

The problem you have is finding what file you need to copy! and if there's anything else you need to copy. Again, an error with Divx and not Windows. Actually, technically to be Vista compliant programmes, drivers and games now HAVE to fully support 32 and 64 bit versions. Drivers especially, unless you get around it which the normal user wouldn't be able to do, drivers have to have WHQL and they can't get that without both 32 and 64 bit drivers :)

You made the right choice with Vista x64, vista 32 bit is kinda a waste of money. I've seen both 32 and 64 bit versions on a friends computer, as he bought ultimate too which has both versions, and a fully updated XP, although not looking as fancy and without Directx10, was performing better. However, when we tried x64 version it had a much better 'feel' to it, even if running 32 bit applications.

Just unfortunate some companies take shortcuts with their installation programmes and you end up with the problem you currently have.

[Zach]

You made the right choice with Vista x64, vista 32 bit is kinda a waste of money. I've seen both 32 and 64 bit versions on a friends computer, as he bought ultimate too which has both versions, and a fully updated XP, although not looking as fancy and without Directx10, was performing better. However, when we tried x64 version it had a much better 'feel' to it, even if running 32 bit applications.

Yeah, Vista (x32) is unbearably slow. *shudder*

After I torture tested my system (to make sure my timings and voltages were stable), I installed and ran benchmarks on all three OS's: memory (Sandra and Everest), 3D graphics (3DMark06), CPU, and hard drive I/O.

With the exception of hard drive I/O, the results went as follows: WinXP (fastest), Vista64, and Vista32 (slowest). I expected WinXP to be the fastest, of course, but I didn't expect the WoW64 emulator (what it essentially is) to best the native 32-bit environment of Vista32. :cool:

Of course, it should be noted that I have 4 GB of RAM installed, and I have "heard" (around the net) that Vista64 runs poorly with anything less. <shrug>


Anyway, to get back on-topic, yes, the missing DLL's are cited in the error: that actually *is* the error, i.e., that it can't find some DLL.

It occurred to me after I wiped Vista64 off my hard drive that I should have searched for the DLL rather than just assume that it was not installed. I wouldn't copy it to the system32 directory, though. Speaking as a professional software developer, that's one of my biggest pet peeves, and as a corollary, that's the thing I love most about the UAC in Vista in that it prevents just that. (Attention S/W Devs: the system directory is the LAST place Windows searches for a DLL!! So stop copying them there! [Dynamic-Link Library Search Order (http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms682586.aspx)])

No, if I find the DLL, I'll either just copy it to the DivX's executable directory (the FIRST place Windows will look for a DLL), or just add the wow64\system32 directory (or whatever it is) to my path (the SECOND place Windows will look for a DLL).

[celtic_druid]

32bit DLL's should go into the syswow64 directory. You don't want to be copying them to system32. I did an Xvid installer for x64 a while back. Installs 32bit and 64bit versions. No idea whether it works on Vista or not though.

[Zach]

To close out this thread since it might get retrieved in future forum search queries, thanks to squid_80 (in my other thread here (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1019104#post1019104)), I was able to work around the problem.

To register the codec, go to the properties of DivX's "Register Products" shortcut and change...

C:\Windows\system32\rundll32.exe

to

C:\Windows\SysWOW64\rundll32.exe

[fight2win]

kewl post

[siva]

It is most disappointing purchase i have ever made. I purchased divx 6.6 after I bought vista notebook. I was jut dreaming that compatibility issues will be solved, soon.

6 months gone..... pity is that divx is not having any idea? I do not think there is a plan on that. May be stage6 is getting more money than divx.

[Zach]

It is most disappointing purchase i have ever made.

What do you mean? :eek: It works perfectly under Vista, both 32-bit and 64-bit.

See my post #6 above on how to properly register it to unlock all the Pro goodness. :)

And not that I ever liked/used it anyway, but they also now have a beta version of their DivX Converter for Vista. (link (http://labs.divx.com/))

[siva]

What do you mean? :eek: It works perfectly under Vista, both 32-bit and 64-bit.

See my post #6 above on how to properly register it to unlock all the Pro goodness. :)

And not that I ever liked/used it anyway, but they also now have a beta version of their DivX Converter for Vista. (link (http://labs.divx.com/))

Thanks for the information. I know that divx codec is working with virtualdub etc. But divx converter is still a problem. sometimes I still use divx converter for simple encodes. After installing the new version (downloaded today), it says the converter is a trial and expires after 15 days.

Anf after a google search, I found that this is a known problem.
Am I wrong to get annoyed?

In between, I learnt virtualdub and xvid too. So finally I am happy. Still I need to say divx 6.6 is fatser.

[Zach]

And after a google search, I found that this is a known problem.
Am I wrong to get annoyed?
No. I, too, wish everyone (not just the DivX devs) would get their act together regarding Vista. Particularly annoying is nVidia--man, that company has tanked.

They should go back to concentrating on 3D h/w; it was when they started expanding (chipsets, motherboard designs, etc.) that their drivers started going downhill fast. :( Now I am stuck with a $600 8800 GTX card and a $300 OS which refuse to work together most of the time.

ANYWAY, going back to DivX, I guess if you like their converter, then yes, it sucks to be a Vista user. Fortunately for me, I always hated their cheesy converter and never used it anyway. ;)


You could try out Dr. DivX. It's better than the converter, but I did find it was rather unstable, i.e., the beta version made for Vista crashed more often than not. Maybe you'll have better luck. :)

[siva]

:( Now I am stuck with a $600 8800 GTX card and a $300 OS which refuse to work together most of the time.

tooooo bad, I am crying for $19. Everyone can sue microsoft for vista troubles.... :devil:

I don't like Dr. DivX. Any way now I can live without that.