Dissappearing CODECs in XP: FIX!!

[DeXT]

Well I discovered this some weeks ago but only published it in a spanish forum (www.peque.org).

As you know, seems there is a 'bug' in XP, perhaps related to DivX 4 and up, which causes CODECs "dissappearing", so you cant install any new CODEC and the only solution being format and reinstall.

The fact is, I discovered what causes this and how to fix it without the need to reinstall everything again. The procedure is as follows:

1. Search the followind Key in the registry:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Drivers32]

2. You'll see a list of values containing FOURCC references and CODECs, such as:

"VIDC.I420"="msh263.drv"
"VIDC.IYUV"="iyuv_32.dll"
"vidc.iv50"="ir50_32.dll"
"msacm.l3acm"="D:\WINXP\System32\l3codeca.acm"
"vidc.DIV3"="DivXc32.dll"
"vidc.DIV4"="DivXc32f.dll"
"msacm.divxa32"="DivXa32.acm"
"vidc.DIVX"="DivX.dll"
"vidc.BT20"=""

Look at the empty one (vidc.BT20). Search empty values like this one and delete 'em (they are useless).

3. Enjoy your full list of CODECs again!!

The fun part is, seems no one was able to discover this even on the DivX official forum where there have been lots of requests for this subject. I did it with Sysinternals' RegMon utility. VDub reported an OVERFLOW error while enumerating the CODEC list so this was easy to track down.

Hope you find it useful. And if anyone wishes to publish it in a FAQ, just do it.

Regards,

DeXT

[Tsui]

I never had this problem with WinXP Pro, but I love those postings where people describe how they solve their own problems.

When this solution is verified by some other people, then it must be included into some faqs as well as in some fixing-tools.

Does anyone know when those empty strings appeare in the registry ?
What is the cause for that bug ?
What OS are affected ?
WinXP Home or WinXP Pro or Win2k ?

[avih]

it's verified. i had this sh*t happening few times while i was messing with xp installations. dext told me about it on irc vew days ago... worked like a charm :)

win xp pro, installed video related apps:

vdub REC 1.4.9
virtualdub 1.4.10
divx 4.11
various versions of xvid (starting from 30-jan, upto late april)
btwincap (5-april-2002)

cheers
avi

ps.
i had to remove 2 empty entries: the one that dext describes, and another one.

[consulting]

Great work.

Thank you.
(Must have been said...)

[tiki4]

Fortunately I didn't have this problem yet, but thanks anyway.

tiki4

[sh03z]

yes...it's simple registry manipulation.

go to START run, regedit

go to local machine

and there you will find a lot of things to look at.
like DeXT said, you can delete entries or add stuff to them.

@ DeXT: have you tried making a backup of that particular section of the registry, then making an easy batch file to restore it when it goes bad??? or even a batch file that just deletes them using reg.exe???

[dTb]

I've known about this for some time, DigitAl56k has a little app to correct this on the divx forums.

[poopa]

thank you !!!!
You really saved the day for me !

[SeeMoreDigital]

Originally posted by dTb
I've known about this for some time, DigitAl56k has a little app to correct this on the divx forums. Can you post a link to the 'little app' please dTb?

Cheers

[Gaia]

I found this http://www.btinternet.com/~digital56k/BigFix1.6b.exe

I am not sure is this application you're talking about?

[DigitAl56K]

Yes, bigfix will clear up that problem for you automatically.

[mulderfox01]

thanks man
this tip have just saved me a lot of trouble :)

[cjaar]

This was posted in this forum when divx5 realesed, and my first divx5 isntall hd this prob. The first fix was posted in some russian site, and since then i am using it... i believe couple of people repoted this prob in doom's forum.

How about making this as a sticky!!!!! in divx forum or add in FAQ section. i think many people come across this problem!!!

thx
cjaar

[rafaila]

Thank you, DeXT.
You helped me (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&postid=455761) a lot. I was about to get nuts. :(

[DK64_MASTER]

OMG!!!! Thanks so much!!! I was having so many problems with Sony's Click to DVD. And amazingly, they started to happen as soon as I uninstalled DIVX!! It has been bugging me for the past (counts on fingers) 7 months. I thought to myself, hey, a simple bugfix might help (long shot in my head), but it worked like a charm!!!'


Thanks so much. You do not know the relief one has when he gets software to work after 7 months of it crashing!!!:D :D :D :D :D :D