Playing MPG movies makes Explorer.exe use CPU 99

[zeep]

When playing an MPG file in *any* player, explorer.exe CPU cycles rise to 99. The movie then starts skipping and only when i end Explorer.exe task, it returns to 0 CPU.

I'm pretty sure it has to do with an installed filter. There are many audio apps and plugins installed on my pc, some of them come with video decoders aswell, so one of them is bound to nag.

What information should i post if someone would want to look into my problem?

Specs:
pc: Athlon 2400+ (@2ghz), Winxp sp1, ram 512 c2 333mhz, ati 9800pro 128mb (catalyst 3.9)
players: MPC 6.4.8.2 , BSplayer 1.0 Build 810 , MicroDVD 1.2 and Power DVD 5.0

I wanted to get all my codecs together but that can be a long list and i didn't want to make a too big post.

[rigel]

the first possibility that comes to my mind, is that this might be caused by explorer trying to show the video preview (or video info in a tooltip).
does the same problem occur if you open a video file directly from a player? (for example if you open the MPC (by double clicking on mplayerc.exe, not by doubleclicking on a video file !!!), then File->OpenFile, and select a random MPEG file from the recent file list (don't browse for the file!!!)).

[zeep]

Originally posted by rigel
the first possibility that comes to my mind, is that this might be caused by explorer trying to show the video preview (or video info in a tooltip).
does the same problem occur if you open a video file directly from a player? (for example if you open the MPC (by double clicking on mplayerc.exe, not by doubleclicking on a video file !!!), then File->OpenFile, and select a random MPG file from the recent file list (don't browse for the file!!!)).
Hi. Yes when i open a MPG file from any player then explorer.exe will do the same. On some occasions it won't go all the way up to 99 but as soon as i rewind or ffwd or skip a part then it will go up.

I know there was a time when it was fine. Nothing really changed on my pc since then , only more programs/plugins got installed, so i think it's one (or more) of the filters.

I was having another problem with MPC (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&postid=552759#post552759) (with subtitles) and eventually by overriding a few filters i could solve it.

Should i post all filters i have installed? If so, can you recommend a tool that puts all filter names in a txt file? It's a lot of them and typing may take a while ;)

Note: Only MPG makes explorer.exe hit CPU 99, MPEG doesn't.

/edit added cpu to specs in 1st post

[rigel]

Note: Only MPG makes explorer.exe hit CPU 99, MPEG doesn't.
MPEG and MPG files are the same!!
There is no difference whatsoever.
And I think that the complete list of filters would not be very helpful at the moment.
How many different files have this problem?
Are they all really with .mpg extension?
No problems with .mpeg?
This is a very silly idea, of course, but does the problem go away, if you rename the file to .mpeg?

[Asmodian]

This sounds like it may be a regular problem I solve by deleting entries in the registry that reference 'shmedia.dll' and video files. There are three entries I delete, Video Media Properties Handler {40C3D757-D6E4-4b49-BB41-0E5BBEA28817}, Avi Properties Handler {87D62D94-71B3-4b9a-9489-5FE6850DC73E}, and Video Thumbnail Extractor {c5a40261-cd64-4ccf-84cb-c394da41d590}, there may be others you don't need. I think the Thumbnail Extractor causes the most problems and it tries to get thumbnails even if you aren't in a thumbnail view. Deleting all of the entries that reference shmedia.dll will not break your system but some of the properties it retrieves have never caused problems for me so I leave those entries (such as the midi properties handler). Of course once you delete these entries you don't have thumbnails and the extra info tabs on avi's and other videos.

[zeep]

Thanks. I will give this a try. Will i get the thumbnail function back if i re-add the keys?

But to clarify my problem a bit more, Even if i play an MPG from inside a viewer like PowerDVD, so no explorer is open, then CPU for explorer will hit 99 -but not everytime- as soon as i skip throught the playback once or a few times.

pfew.. I guess more than one things are messed up now that i think about it.

[Asmodian]

I imagine thumbnails would come back if you re-added the key but I have never tried it.