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DVD Decoder help (and now sound problems)

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Old 10-29-2006, 08:15 PM
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Unhappy DVD Decoder help (and now sound problems)

I just got an off-lease laptop for my mom, which came with no O/S, so I've been installing numerous programs and doing lots of tweaking to make it user friendly for her, but have one last issue to resolve - this is the error message I get when I load a DVD:

"There is no Windows 2000 compatible DVD decoder installed on this system. A DVD decoder device or decoder software is required to play movies (a DVD drive alone is not sufficient)."

I installed Media Player 9, but that still didn't help. Can someone tell me where to download a DVD decoder? I searched Microsoft's website, and couldn't find one.

Laptop: IBM ThinkPad
O/S: Windows 2000 Pro
DVD-ROM: Hitachi GDR8081N

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Old 10-29-2006, 08:19 PM
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Hey Barbie...Just get WinDVD or something like that. Media Player 9 and up are supposed to run DVD but its a bit iffy on quality and functionality.
Try www.download.com and search on DVD player...try a few out before you decide
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Old 10-29-2006, 08:42 PM
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Thanks, Coolie! Can anyone recommend which one I should download? I have to finish tweaking this puter by tomorrow night cuz my Mom is leaving, so time is limited for trial-n-error.
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Old 10-29-2006, 08:53 PM
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I have this and it works for me.

http://www.sonic.com/products/Consum...quicklook.aspx
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Old 10-29-2006, 09:01 PM
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I havent tried it on Win2K Barbie, but I personally use BSPlayer for all my video needs...its small and simple and doesnt seem to have many issues

http://www.bsplayer.org/
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Old 10-29-2006, 10:09 PM
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VLC Media Player is what I use. I used it in Win2000 when other programs had issues. VLC worked flawlessly.
I've got XP now though but i still use VLC
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Old 10-29-2006, 10:53 PM
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I tried VLC, had no issues with it at all but just wasnt as easy to use as BS...both will do the job though
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Old 10-30-2006, 08:59 AM
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VLC is very basic its true. But I had problems with other programs ever since I upgraded from Win 98 to 2K. VLC worked for me!

With XP I think I have more options but I don't care. If it works, dont' fix it. I just stick the movie in and go. I don't need all those fancy buttons and stuff...
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Old 10-30-2006, 08:07 PM
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Thank you, guys! I downloaded VLC cuz it's easier for my mom to use. I got it to play a DVD, but there was no sound. Since I haven't tested the sound yet, I inserted a music CD, and got this stupid error message:

"Windows Media Player cannot play the file because there is a problem with your sound device. There may not be a sound device installed on your computer, it may be in use by another program, or it may not be functioning properly."

The Device Manager shows an unknown Multimedia Audio Controller and says "The drivers for this device are not installed". I tried to install them with the Device Wizard, but it can't find any. It also says "This device isn't using any resources because it has a problem." So, now what to do?

I gotta have this laptop working right before my mom leaves at 7 AM.
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Old 10-30-2006, 08:39 PM
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Ok, I think this laptop has an S3 Super Savage IXC video subsystem. Where can I get drivers for it? I've been Googling, with no luck.
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Old 10-30-2006, 09:44 PM
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laptop is onboard sound. Look up the make and model of your laptop. Find some system drivers for it from that website...
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Old 10-30-2006, 10:27 PM
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yup, sound drivers...IBM's website and model number is all thats needed
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Old 10-30-2006, 10:50 PM
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IBM's website says to get the drivers from the manufacturer. Microsoft says the same thing. The manufacturer is VIA Technologies, which I just found out a few mins. ago, but they don't even have the drivers for the S3 Super Savage IXC.
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Old 10-31-2006, 10:18 AM
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find any bundle of drivers for the 'onboard devices' or motherboard. Load that and a lot of the time it will load the sound drivers along with other junk.
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Old 10-31-2006, 03:32 PM
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Yeah the VIA drivers were hard for me to find when I needed them...
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Old 10-31-2006, 04:08 PM
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I think thats the video card barbie, youll need to find out what the sound card is. what model thinkpad is it?
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Old 10-31-2006, 05:00 PM
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It's an IBM Thinkpad T3 2647-KU3. I found some drivers, but can't get them to install - files aren't executable. My mom left this morning and took the puter with her. I just told her I'd try to fix it when we all meet during Christmas at my grandma's house ...

... dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh ... over the hills we go, laughing all the way ...

Thanks for your help, guys!
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Old 10-31-2006, 05:25 PM
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resurrect the thread then barbie

I dont get the sleigh thing, when I was growing up Xmas day was always 40-45 Celsius heehee
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Old 10-31-2006, 05:31 PM
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song was made for cold weather in winter.
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Old 10-31-2006, 05:40 PM
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you have a G-ma still???? thats amazing good her her. wow..... my mom is only 5 yearsolder than you i think and she doesnt have a G-ma... she has a step Grandpa..or grandpa in law...however that works...aka her stepdads dad...but he is like the age of my dad (her stepdad) (my popop) so thats not really fair i guess.... my gma on my ma's side remarried someone 13 years younger something liek that
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Old 10-31-2006, 05:44 PM
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Originally Posted by Coolie
I dont get the sleigh thing, when I was growing up Xmas day was always 40-45 Celsius heehee
WOW! That's 104-113 degrees Fahrenheit! I didn't realize it got that hot in the land down under.

I haven't seen it snow in FL since I moved here 13 months ago, but hope to see some during Christmas after I drive my 145-horse closed sleigh to Grandma's house in Alabama.
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Old 10-31-2006, 05:46 PM
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you have to remember though barbie...there X-mas is the same time as ours...and he is in the southern hemisphere...so his summer is at the same time as our winter...there for X-mas is a summer holiday for them... so very very hot.
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Old 10-31-2006, 05:58 PM
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LOL thank god snowy is here heehee

NY Day here in Sydney this year was 47 C and 12% humidity or something like that...that was like old school out west type hot.

When I was growing up I always had tar on my shoes from the roads in summer
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Old 10-31-2006, 06:00 PM
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Originally Posted by snwbrderphat540
you have a G-ma still???? thats amazing good her her.
Yeppers! She'll be 82 years old in two weeks, and is a retired nurse, but still works 5 days a week as a residential hospice caregiver.

Originally Posted by snwbrderphat540
you have to remember though barbie...there X-mas is the same time as ours...and he is in the southern hemisphere...so his summer is at the same time as our winter...there for X-mas is a summer holiday for them... so very very hot.
Oh, that's right. Me forgot about that. 104-113 F is still too hot though, at any time of the year. Yikes!

Originally Posted by Coolie
NY Day here in Sydney this year was 47 C and 12% humidity or something like that... When I was growing up I always had tar on my shoes from the roads in summer
Holy cow! Tar on your shoes??? Yah, I could imagine! 47 C is like 117 F!!!

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Old 10-31-2006, 08:34 PM
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nurses don't retire--we're not allowed.
your gramma is 2 years younger than my dad.
bikini weather for thanksgiving--fun!!!!--too bad that we always had snow!!!
now i have socali winter--much better.
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