How to reinstall MPEG-1 in Win2K?

[FredThompson]

This has happened to me more than once. Each time I have to completely rebuild my system. There has to be a better way.

MPEG-1 files will no longer play with Media Player on a Windows 2000 Professional installation. At best, Media Player 7.1 will open the file but they will not parse at all. If I choose to play the file, there is never any display. It just stops playing as soon as I start it.

How can I re-create the codec associations which appear to be hosed?

Using a different media player isn't a solution. My embedded video in PowerPoint isn't working anymore.

[FredThompson]

Update:

:angry:

This is NOT a Windows issue. RealOne is partially reassigning .m1v associations. I'm making another top-level post about this. Hope to have a "fix" within the next few hours. Right now I'm so mad at losing another week's work due to this crap that I can't think straight.

:angry:

[Arky]

In the past, I've always found that when I get this problem (although I DON'T use RealPlayer, so I'm not sure why...), simply installing the Ligos MPEG suite and selecting the Ligos splitter as the default MPEG1 player sorts the problem out very nicely, even if actually playing back the MPEG files with MediaPlayer. It really is a pain in the ar$e when software developers are so appallingly RUDE and arrogant to deliberately alter such file associations, in existing system setups, WITHOUT even asking first, during the installation procedure. Two other programs which I wish to publicly name & shame for this behaviour are:

# HeroSoft mediaplayer

# Nero MIX mediaplayer.

Both of these should NEVER be installed. They make a "right royal cockup" of your system's file-playing abilities!


Arky ;o)

[FredThompson]

Thanks for the warning and the "fix" info.

I've already started a complete re-install but will keep a note of this for the future.

Hoping there's a way to view Real streams without running RealOne.

It's beyond rude when they do this, it's intentionally malicious. I've had to rebuild five times in the past year because Media Player will "forget" the linkage for MPEG-1. Put a whole day into comparing registries and that's not where the problem is. Add/Install components doesn't solve the problem, nor does installing MP 7.1 and all the security updates for 6.4 and 7.1 with the "reinstall all" option.

It's not really Microsoft's responsibility that somebody else goes in and trashes stuff. Would be nice if they gave a way to properly reinstall, though.

If this happens to me, how many other people lose work time because they have the same problem? All because Real wants to get in a pissing match with Microsoft. I don't really care HOW the files are played as long as it's done with Media Player. This isn't recreational video, it's embedded in PowerPoint so standard MPEG-1 and Media Player have to be used for compatability.