Video icons problem

DarkStar · Mar 01, 2011, 21:48:14

Quote from: Lona on Mar 01, 2011, 18:11:35
Have you tried installing Windows Classic Player. I've found that when I can't get some videos to play on VLC, Classic player will usually play anything you throw at it.

Have just logged on to download Classic to see if it helps, I had it on my XP machine and never had any problems with it at all.
I have actually managed to get rid of VLC, it seems another program was holding on to remnants of it.

I will be out for a lot of the day tomorrow as I have work to do over my Grandaughters so will be late when I get back. Retire and sit about, don't you believe it

Lance · Mar 01, 2011, 22:06:10

Maybe try deleting the file association and then recreating it.

DarkStar · Mar 01, 2011, 23:25:48

Quote from: Lance on Mar 01, 2011, 22:06:10
Maybe try deleting the file association and then recreating it.

Sorry to appear ignorant but how exactly do I do that?

Rik · Mar 02, 2011, 10:43:17

In XP, Ian, open Explorer, then go to Folder Options > File types.

DarkStar · Mar 06, 2011, 15:47:48

An update:
Have spent some time searching the web and there appears to be more than a few people with this problem. The only surefire answer seems to be reinstalling Windows (whatever flavour) as the root cause seems to be a corrupted registry, everyone seems to be missing a particular registry entry, including me

I have however found a temporary workaround by installing the Canon software that I got with my new camera (Powershot S95). This shows all my Canon created video with their thumbnails and also plays them in their correct screen size based on the image size they were recorded at. I also have Picasa for viewing my photos and that also shows all my Sony video thumbnails and also the Olympus ones I have. So I can now see the thumbnails for all my video and play them but not all in one place as I would if Explorer was working correctly.
While all (?) photos seem to be a common standard - JPEG - the situation with video seems to be a real mess, I have three different formats with Canon alone and the new(ish) AVCHD format seems to be causing more than a few problems for playback options.

Rik · Mar 06, 2011, 16:45:01

JVC have their own format too, Ian.

Technical Ben · Mar 07, 2011, 08:41:45

Can you install/reinstall media player? That should set a new registry entry to have media player set the thumbnails for you. Then use VLC by hand (click and drag etc).
I would guess, setting VLC player to default, will make windows turn off previews, and set vlc icon instead. No idea how\if VLC is integrated into the shell to show thumbnails.

DarkStar · Mar 07, 2011, 19:58:37

Quote from: Technical Ben on Mar 07, 2011, 08:41:45
Can you install/reinstall media player? That should set a new registry entry to have media player set the thumbnails for you. Then use VLC by hand (click and drag etc).
I would guess, setting VLC player to default, will make windows turn off previews, and set vlc icon instead. No idea how\if VLC is integrated into the shell to show thumbnails.

I have looked for a download of WMP for Win7 but MS tell me that Windows 7 Pro comes with WMP installed, that WMP is an integral part of Win7. Well it isn't on mine and wasn't when I first got it. To be honest I'm beginning to wonder just what I have got installed on this computer.

Glenn · Mar 07, 2011, 20:03:17

you can try reload Windows Media Player by going to Control Panel. For your reference, I have included the steps below:

1. Open Control Panel -> Programs and Features.

2. Click "Turn Windows features on or off" in the left pane.

3. Expand "Media Features", uncheck "Windows Media Player". Click "Yes" to continue, and click OK to quit. Then Restart.

Note: If you turn off Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center will be turned off either. You may need to re-configure settings for Windows Media Center after re-enabling it.

4. Open "Turn Windows features on or off" again. Turn on the features "Windows Media Player" and "Windows Media Center". Restart.

5. Launch Windows Media Player, initialize the program.

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/w7itpromedia/thread/aa03b2d8-34ec-4c2f-b38a-ecf43510cddf

DarkStar · Mar 07, 2011, 21:45:43

Thanks for that Glenn, a bit late now but will try it tomorrow and report back

DarkStar · Mar 08, 2011, 09:36:09

Quote from: Glenn on Mar 07, 2011, 20:03:17
you can try reload Windows Media Player by going to Control Panel. For your reference, I have included the steps below:

1. Open Control Panel -> Programs and Features.

2. Click "Turn Windows features on or off" in the left pane.

3. Expand "Media Features", uncheck "Windows Media Player". Click "Yes" to continue, and click OK to quit. Then Restart.

Note: If you turn off Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center will be turned off either. You may need to re-configure settings for Windows Media Center after re-enabling it.

4. Open "Turn Windows features on or off" again. Turn on the features "Windows Media Player" and "Windows Media Center". Restart.

5. Launch Windows Media Player, initialize the program.

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/w7itpromedia/thread/aa03b2d8-34ec-4c2f-b38a-ecf43510cddf

Tried that just now, see the attachment. So that doesn't work

pctech · Mar 18, 2011, 09:44:07

Sounds like VLC has changed something at quite a low level in both OSes.

Can't help much with Ubuntu but regarding the Windows setup problem you are having if you have a Windows DVD make sure it is in the drive while you are trying to re-enable Windows Media Player so that any files can be re-copied.

Something I don't like about Windows post 98 is that the errors don't explain much and you have to go hunting in the system Event Viewer.

If the problem still occurs with the DVD inserted go to Start and type Event Viewer in search.

Click it in the list of results and then select the System Error log and look for one with a white x in a red circle with today's date and the time would should be within a few seconds.

Double-click it and tell us what error it says occurred.

armadillo · Mar 18, 2011, 16:51:35

It's probably a bit late to say this but I never install software if there is a portable version available that can just be run without installation.

VLC does have such a portable version. You just download the zip file, extract it to a folder and you can run VLC simply by double clicking the VLC.exe that is in that folder. You can even make a desktop shortcut to it and drag a video onto the shortcut to play it. No need to install anything at all or make any system changes.

That may or may not help with your original problem. Personally, I do not have thumbnails enabled for any files whatever in Windows. I allow applications to display their own thumbnails. ACDSee displays thumbnails when nothing else does. Video files appear to adhere to few standards if any for thumbnails.