Using Windows Media Player 11 to play large movie files

THX 1138 November 5, 2013 at 19:01:14

"2 hour avi files" AVI is just a container, it could be one of a dozen or so codec types and some take more processing power that others to play. You might try grabbing a video converter program and converting it to a different format such as MP4 or mpeg2. You could also try compressing it down a little, that will ease up on processor usage. There are a plethora of converters out there, do a Google search and you will get tons of hits. Handbrake is a great converter and it's free. I use it all the time to convert videos for my iPad but it also will convert to all the most popular formats as well. http://handbrake.fr/ You could also try a different video player such as VLC. You can download it from www.videolan.org message edited by THX 1138

Ok, but why does it mess up my computer to the point where I need to reload the operating system? Even after several reboots the system lag makes the box unusable. Is there a way to reset the system after something like this happens without reloading Windows XP and its programs/settings? message edited by doesWindowsXPRock

riider November 6, 2013 at 05:35:03

Why would you reload the OS? More than likely, the system is overheating. Please post your complete system specs & CPU temp readings.

Derek November 6, 2013 at 11:07:07

If the system is overheating it is not beyond possibility that it could screw up dynamic registry entries, thereby requiring reloading. Always pop back and let us know the outcome - thanks

Is there a free utility that I can have running to let me know when I am overheating? Something that will tell me my cpu temperature and if possible have the ability to set the heat sync fan speed? Isn't there supposed to be some sort of high temperature grease between the cpu and the heat sync in a laptop?

Johnw November 8, 2013 at 15:02:48

"Isn't there supposed to be some sort of high temperature grease between the cpu and the heat sync in a laptop?" If you haven't removed it, there shouldn't be a problem. Lets see if you have a overheating problem. Curing Laptop/Notebook Overheating http://is.gd/ck0tXA http://is.gd/SKlNjg http://is.gd/vkq6Iz http://is.gd/cNfZzK http://is.gd/N8ZLiY Cleaning a Laptop/Notebook Computer http://www.instructables.com/id/Ext... http://www.techradar.com/news/mobil... http://www.cnet.com.au/how-to-clean... Maximum CPU temperatures http://www.heatsink-guide.com/ http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/arti... http://www.pantherproducts.co.uk/Ar... http://batteryzyp.supersized.org/ar... AMD http://www.cpuscorecard.com/cpupric... Intel http://support.intel.com/support/pr... Motherboard/CPU temperature http://mbm.livewiredev.com/ http://www.softpedia.com/get/System... http://www.softpedia.com/progScreen... http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php http://www.motherboards.org/moboidt...

Derek November 8, 2013 at 15:03:13

There are free utilities such as this one: http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/det... They can only work if your computer has sensors fitted - hard to say, especially without knowing the make and model number of your computer. You could install the free software and see what it reports. Yes there is thermal paste between the CPU and the heat sink but its presence does not mean that a computer can't ever overheat. It depends how it was applied and there can be other reasons (dust in fans, vents and CPU heat sink). EDIT: Seems I overlapped with the previous post by a few seconds. Always pop back and let us know the outcome - thanks message edited by Derek

Well thinking back when tinkering with older desktops, books recommended that the paste would help dissipate/transfer heat to the sync best but I haven't seen any paste in any laptop nowadays. I like that there is free monitoring software but has anybody tinkered with Speedfan? http://download.cnet.com/SpeedFan/3... Sorry John, i will check your links when I have time.

Johnw November 8, 2013 at 17:09:22

"but has anybody tinkered with Speedfan?" Why tinker, until you know you have a dust free comp, which leads to overheating. Make sure the laptop is sitting on a solid surface so the air can get into the vents. You can also put an external fan on the comp, if after cleaning out the dust, it still overheats. message edited by Johnw

Yip, when checking the cpu I did clear/clean/dust the sync's exit port from debris. http://postimg.org/image/u6jb887bb/ This laptop started overheating this year and taking off the bottom panel that covered the cpu and onboard video seems to prevent it from automatically shutting off when it overheats, but hasn't prevented it from other problems. Also gluing rubber nipples at the bottom and allowing the bottom to be raised an extra inch for air flow seems to have solved the overheating problems in the way that it doesn't shut off unexpectedly(doesn't at all). The maximum heat capacity for a AMD ML-34 is 95 C so it is well below the maximum.

Johnw November 8, 2013 at 17:32:32

"The maximum heat capacity for a AMD ML-34 is 95 C so it is well below the maximum" I think you are saying it is not overheating, which gets me thinking we should run some special tools. This tool I keep for use on any comp I work on. 1: Run ESET Online Scanner, Copy and Paste the contents of the log please. This scan may take a very long while, so please be patient. Maybe start it before going to work or bed. http://www.eset.com/us/online-scann... http://www.eset.com/home/products/o... You may have to download ESET from a good computer, put it on a flash/thumb/pen drive & run it from there, if your comp is unbootable, or won't let you download. Create a ESET SysRescue CD or USB drive http://kb.eset.com/esetkb/index?pag... How do I use my ESET SysRescue CD or USB flash drive to scan and clean my system? http://kb.eset.com/esetkb/index?pag... Configure ESET this way & disable your AV. http://i.imgur.com/3U7YC.gif How to Temporarily Disable your Anti-virus http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/for... http://www.techsupportforum.com/for... Which web browsers are compatible with ESET Online Scanner? http://www.nod32.fi/eset-online-sca... http://kb.eset.com/esetkb/index?pag... Online Scanner not working http://kb.eset.com/esetkb/index?pag... Why Would I Ever Need an Online Virus Scanner? I already have an antivirus program installed, isn't that enough? http://www.squidoo.com/the-best-fre... Once onto a machine, malware can disable antivirus programs, prevent antimalware programs from downloading updates, or prevent a user from running antivirus scans or installing new antivirus software or malware removal tools. At this point even though you are aware the computer is infected, removal is very difficult. 5: Why does the ESET Online Scanner run slowly on my computer? If you have other antivirus, antispyware or anti-malware programs running on your computer, they may intercept the scan being performed by the ESET Online Scanner and hinder performance. You may wish to disable the real-time protection components of your other security software before running the ESET Online Scanner. Remember to turn them back on after you are finished. 17: How can I view the log file from ESET Online Scanner? http://kb.eset.com/esetkb/index?pag... http://www.eset.com/home/products/o... The ESET Online Scanner saves a log file after running, which can be examined or sent in to ESET for further analysis. The path to the log file is "C:\Program Files\EsetOnlineScanner\log.txt". You can view this file by navigating to the directory and double-clicking on it in Windows Explorer, or by copying and pasting the path specification above (including the quotation marks) into the Start ? Run dialog box from the Start Menu on the desktop. If no threats are found, you will simply see an information window that no threats were found. http://www.trishtech.com/security/s... message edited by Johnw

Sorry John, no thanks. My experience with ESET is not very good so when it comes to that company I will not use their products, that and I don't have time to dick around in the way described. I actually have a ESET rescue disc and stopped using them as I have no need for any rescue discs because of the way I am setup, I have no malware of any kind at any point.

Johnw November 8, 2013 at 18:01:43

"My experience with ESET is not very good so when it comes to that company I will not use their products" Eset is used all the time, together with other tools, by people who are trained to remove infections & spend all their spare time cleaning up computers. Here are a few of the sites. 71 posts http://www.cybertechhelp.com/forums... 50 posts http://www.cybertechhelp.com/forums... 48 posts http://www.cybertechhelp.com/forums... 72 posts http://www.smartestcomputing.us.com... 41 posts http://www.computerhope.com/forum/i... 50 posts http://www.spywarewarrior.com/viewt... 58 posts http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/for... 43 posts http://forums.whatthetech.com/index... 69 posts http://forums.whatthetech.com/index... 28 posts http://www.techsupportforum.com/for... 55 posts http://www.techspot.com/community/t... 28 posts http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topi... 50 posts http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topi... 45 posts http://forums.techguy.org/virus-oth... 41 posts http://forums.malwarebytes.org/inde... 46 posts http://forums.malwarebytes.org/inde... Read Me First Before Requesting Help http://forum.iamnotageek.com/showth...

Derek November 8, 2013 at 18:04:53

Re #8 "I haven't seen any paste in any laptop nowadays" As far as I know it is still used but you wouldn't see it without detaching the CPU from the heat sink. It's applied to cater for microscopic irregularities in the contact area and very small quantities are used. Whatever, if you do exactly what the CPU manufacturer recommends then you can't go wrong. Always pop back and let us know the outcome - thanks

sdfox 7 November 10, 2013 at 15:33:04

On some systems I've worked on (especially single-core/Pentium 4) I have noticed stability issues with the later version of VLC 2.x. It seems to run fine with dual-core processors. Once I installed VLC 1.1.11 the problems went away. I'm guessing VLC 2.x might be more resource intensive in some way. http://sdfox7.com