Videos Codecs for Dummies
Don’t know why the video won’t play on your brand new laptop or desktop? Don’t worry, your computer is not “spoil”, and please don’t bring it back to the salesman. I will show you the light……
If you’re on Windows XP, go ahead and download XP Codec Pack. To find out more about the program, check here. Don’t worry, its totally free and spyware free. Those of you on Vista, you can download the Vista Codec Package instead. I am not on Vista, thus the following screenshots which I am showing is for XP Codec Pack. However, there should be minimal differences with Vista.
Default installation will bring you to here. Make sure you thick all the grey box.
Ensure all codecs are selected as shown above before proceeding.
If you’re installing Vista Codec Package, remember to choose the “Complete” option to meet most of your needs.
Additional setup
Although the codec pack you install will more or less cover everything, you can install these 2 additional codec to complete the package:
- Real Alternative for rmvb and rm files
- QT Lite for mov files
For the installations of these 2 package, just follow through with the default options and finish the installations. There’s no need for any custom intervention.
Non-Installation Solution
If installing codecs is not an option for you, you can try always try out Portable VLC. Follow these simple steps:
- Download the applications
- Double click the downloaded file (e.g: vlc_portable_xxx.paf.exe) and click “Browse” and select desktop as the location.
- You will now see a folder named VLCPortable at the location you selected.
- Go into the folder and double click on the VLCPortable.exe to start the program.
Once the program is started, go to “File” and select the video which you are unable to play. Do note that the program is running directly from the folder, and noting is installed. You are also able to transfer the folder onto a thumbdrive and use it everywhere.
Neowster is short for Noel's & Esther's Own World. This is a personal hobbyist site, maintained mainly for the purpose of honing my knowledge in WordPress, and sharing useful information or knowledge to make someone's life easier. To a smaller extend, I hope to propagate the ideology of Crowdsourcing, as I see it as the best mechanism in regulating our unregulated capitalistic world, overcoming humanity's trait of greed, self interest, and fear, in arriving at the best decision. 
