Please Help Me With My PC

[Feanor]

OK, that's a bit more info.

Here's a bit of history:
XP as-shipped could not play DVDs.
Because MS would have needed to pay license fees for the mpeg codecs.

You needed to install a 3-rd party DVD player which would install the necessary codecs.

That would enable not only the 3-rd party player to play DVDs, but also Windows Media Player.

So install a DVD player and all will be well.

[Biggsy]

 Clarion's PC also isn't playing YouTube sound.

[border-rider]

The problem there is not hardware, it's the lack of a decoder - a piece of software. XP is a real PITA in that it doesn't come with a DVD decoder. You have to acquire one, or update one you have to work properly

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_xp-pictures/windows-media-cannot-play-dvd-because-a-compatible/64effaa4-8acc-4371-869d-77c46374c9e4

edit: X-post

[Biggsy]

Clarion's PC also isn't playing YouTube sound.

[border-rider]

The specific error message he posted is about a missing DVD codec. The issue with Youtube playback,  might also well be a codec problem in XP

Piling in and messing with hardware drivers may be premature.

[Biggsy]

PB Claz, check if you can get any sound at all from your PC.  It won't be a codec problem if you can't even get a beep out of it.  Or will it?  I don't think so.

[border-rider]

The specific error message is that there is no DVD codec, so whether there is or isn't a hardware problem, there is a codec problem.  That's all my post was addressing.

[Biggsy]

Fair enough.  Personally I'd get a squeak out of the computer first, but fix the codec thing first if you like, PB Claz.

[Polar Bear]

Baggsy, it is Clarion's problem, not mine 

[Biggsy]

Sorry, I need a new driver for my brain. 

[Polar Bear]

And I need to check what the predictive crap software is doing   

[Kim]

It's probably worth mentioning that the VLC media player bypasses the standard windows codecs, so is something of a swiss army knife^[1] for codec issues.  That said, if there's no sound at all, it's probably more complex than that...



_{[1] In the best tool for the job being the one you actually have to hand sense.}

[clarion]

When you've been successful, can I beg for the old memory module for my charitable good causes old lame pc upgrades please?  Happy to pay for it of course.

Posted.

[Polar Bear]

You are a star.  Thanks very much Mr. C 

[GraemeMcC]

But now I don't seem to have any audio output.  Windows says I don't have a decoder or something.
Any clues?

Been away ski-ing so just catching up and I've had a similar problem, so check this...

Go to the root directory ( c:/ ) via My Computer and right click on C:/ then <Hardware> tab, select your CD/DVD player and click on properties.
Then, in the <Properties> tab for your CD/DVD device, check that the "Digital CD Playback" option is unchecked.

i.e. set your CD/DVD player to analogue settings (unless you feed your PC to HiFi audio equipment with a DAC/digital amp...)

It took me ages to find this out after I'd re-installed Win Media Player 11 updates... Some codec somewhere had over-ridden this. Or some numptie when they (ok, it probably was me) re-setup the system. You need the analogue signal setting to send output through the PC's sound card/devices. The digital output option will divert it direct to an output connector (such as an HDMI or S/PDIF terminal) bypassing all the PC's own sound devices.

[clarion]

Ah.  Handy hint.  I'll give that a go.  Thanks.

[clarion]

Ooh - here's an interesting can.  What is it?  Worms?  OK. *reaches for opener*

I have an HTC android phone (can't remember the model, though Desire S seems familiar).  I was just poking in the revised FNR dates into my calendar, when I realised it would be much easier if the darned thing could sync with my PC (home or work).

Best way to achieve this?

[clarion]

Thanks, Capt Contours.  The instructions weren't in quite the right order, but the digital thing was ticked.

Now it says I don't have a decoder. 

Downloaded VLC mediaplayer, and the disc is playing better, but.....still no audio. 

So what's a decoder?

[Sergeant Pluck]

Ooh - here's an interesting can.  What is it?  Worms?  OK. *reaches for opener*

I have an HTC android phone (can't remember the model, though Desire S seems familiar).  I was just poking in the revised FNR dates into my calendar, when I realised it would be much easier if the darned thing could sync with my PC (home or work).

Best way to achieve this?

I mainly use Google Calendar at home. That will automatically sync with your Android phone. At each end (home and work) I use Google Calendar Sync to sync Google calendar with Outlook. So anything edited on the phone, or using Google Calendar or Outlook at home (Vista) or work (XP) all syncs. Never a bother with it.

[clarion]

Ooh - that sounds promising, thanks.  I shall experiment with that once I have sorted out the audio difficulty.

[Sergeant Pluck]

I use Outlook for everything at work. Use Google Cal Sync (2-way sync selected) on work PC which syncs events (only) with Google / Android. At home, just use Google (but if you also have Outlook at home, use G Cal Sync (2-way) to do the job.

[I use Exchange Activesync for work email <> Android, but I don't use its calendar or contacts sync for various reasons - for events, the method above works better for me].

[clarion]

I have Outlook at work for work stuffs.  No reason I couldn't use some sort of version for home an all.  I don't want or need work email on my phone.

[tonycollinet]

When you've been successful, can I beg for the old memory module for my charitable good causes old lame pc upgrades please?  Happy to pay for it of course.

Hi PB - I've just replaced a 1GB 6400 (800MHz) desktop ddr2 stick with 2GB - is the old stick any use for you (free to good home)?

[Polar Bear]

When you've been successful, can I beg for the old memory module for my charitable good causes old lame pc upgrades please?  Happy to pay for it of course.

Hi PB - I've just replaced a 1GB 6400 (800MHz) desktop ddr2 stick with 2GB - is the old stick any use for you (free to good home)?

Yes please tc.  Will pm when at a proper pooter.   Many thanks. 

[Canardly]

Clarion I have not trawled all the way through the thread but you can give remote access to a TRUSTED amigo and there are a number of (free) tools out there to enable this. This allows the other bod to take over your pc and run various things such as a deffrager, spyware finders etc and gen tidy up your pc. I have been doing this for my dad for years.