Computer Question (Video Playback)

[ringo]

This has been really bugging me. I am not really sure how to solve this one. My home computer plays games just fine (world of warcraft, bf2, etc). BUT, when I try to play videos or movies the computer will restart. I have already reinstalled the codac used for the video (divx) and reinstalled the video card drivers. I am at a loss. Any ideas on things I might be able to check? :confused:

[Acolyte]

That is freaky. What video player are you using-DivX Player, or just a DivX codec for another program?
Personally, I'd uninstall and reinstall the program, (Assuming you're on XP here) run Windows Update, and make sure you've got the most recent video drivers-go to the maker's website, not just the driver disk.

[NightWolf]

What are you using to view the media? Make sure you have all the updates for the program. If nothing else try a different program if you have one. It could also be that something else installed just doesn't get along with another piece of software installed. I know AVG and Roxio EZ CD Creator don't play well together.

my :2cents:

[ODZ]

Have you tried use VLC media player? Bizzare that your computer is rebooting on play:eek:

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

[Greenday]

It might be the video card itself. When I first got my computer, it would restart every time I played movies and such. But even games would make it do it too. I figured it was the video card. I took it in to the store to get it fixed and surprise, surprise, it was the video card. Luckily, the compy was still new so we didn't have to pay for it.

[Gopher]

As Greenday said it is possibly a problem with the video card.

When the computer resets, I'm assuming it completely re-boots going back to the video bios screen, and if your using a CRT monitor you get loads of crazy clicking and pings?

Just out of interest what resolution are you using for your screen, because if your forcing the card or your monitor to use a strange and possibly unsupported resolution or refresh rate often the card will simply go urrrghhhh and reset itself.

Try using some thing old like 800x600 with default refresh rates and see what happens - also you may want to check you have the latest, or a set that you know is reliable, set of drivers for your card.

[ringo]

I will check when I get home and get more information. As far as I know, I do have the latest driver from ATI's web page. Its a brand new video card too.

[Greenday]

I will check when I get home and get more information. As far as I know, I do have the latest driver from ATI's web page. Its a brand new video card too.
Mine was brand new too but it was still defective. It's work having it checked if repairs are still free for the time being.

[Gopher]

You say it's a new card,

Has this problem only appeared after installing the new card (which if it is the case points to a fault on the card) or has it suddenly appeared after having worked fine (which points to either a fault on the card or an incorrect setting for it)

To be perfectly honest, if a fault is going to manifest itself in a piece of electronic equipment, it normally appears as soon as it is used. Unless you have been overclocking it or beasting it at hideously high tempreatures you normally wouldn't have something like this occur simply as a sign of the card getting old or stressed, it would be accompained by other signs.

I would recommend a quick check of all the settings and a few tests which people have already suggested and if they don't solve it exchange the card or use the warranty, if it is very new the shop should do a straight swap for you.

[ringo]

I did a series of things, and I am not sure which one single thing fixed it. I booted into safe mode, removed the current driver and restarted into safe mode. I let windows install its own drivers. Restarted again back to normal windows, and the videos play just fine. Go figure. For some reason the drivers on their web page (ati) don't work with my system.

[Banrion]

I had a problem with my ATI 9600 pro causing BSOD (specifically "page fault in non-paged area"). It didn't start until about a year after I built my new machine. After some research I found that these cards tend to overheat. I found a really nice new heatsink on newegg that fixed the problem and have had no trouble since. Just something to keep an eye on.