gazerwolf

Sigh

Past couple of weeks I've been have "error loading codec" problems from Media Player...

Just on a few videos..wmv format.

I've been putting off trying to fix it because well...windows program debugging is a pain...and I don't watch enough videos to make it a priority.

Yesterday I decided to look into it...first off I needed a video that gave me the error...wasn't too hard to find one.

Next up, a video analysis tool to tell me what codec it was looking for...that was a bit harder...found one that wouldn't do wmv...found another that just told me what codecs I had and whether they were currupt (useful but not what I needed)...finally found one that would do wmv...only to find out that the codec is one that is with the media player package...so apparently I gots a problem.

I look up what to do on the microsoft site..and it recommends reinstalling Media Player...I figure...well that makes sense and I decide to do so....

It kept telling me that the program I was installing did not pass windows logo testing and would not be installed....ITS A MICROSOFT PRODUCT!

At that point I was no longer able to play videos at all...so I figure...allright something is wrong with my windows installation...not surprising, I quit updating Win XP a while back when Service pack 2 started causing my system not to boot.

I think...well maybe they fixed that problem....so I go to the update site...it tells me that they have a new system for updating and that it will dl and install a few programs that are now used....all of them fail to install....sigh.

So I figure...looks like my install is really messed up. I had heard that a lot of people who had booting problems with SP 2 were doing so because they were on emachines and the OS was futzed to begin with so I decide to reinstall from a regular xp disk.

It goes fairly well...a few problems but nothing that kept it from not working...

It was late by the time I finished installing...and I couldn't get the update site to come up...not sure why....didn't have time to work it out... thats a task for today....

BTW...after installing I checked the video and wouldn't play before and it plays now...so problem solved! (now I just have to get the problems caused by the fix fixed...)

I hate windows.

Son uv a...

Suddenly today our computer would not finish booting.

It would sit there with the  little animated progess bar going and never get to the log in screen.

It would bott into Safe Mode...even Safe mode with Networking so I started trying to find a solution...

Everywhere I turned I saw mention of SP 2 causing boot problems...but I've had SP 2 installed for a while now and it has been working just fine.

After hours of trying everything I could think of I decided...what the hell I'll uninstall SP2.

Booted right up.

fucking windows.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;834489

Basically microsoft has decided basic authentication method is insecure...so the cut it off entirely with the latest security update to windows explorer.

It is a standard method of automatically including a username and password in a url...

(Ie. http:://gazer:mypass@warzonefive.com/secure/ would pop me right into password protected directory (assuming I had one there) without my having to type a username and password)

Now you get an error page.

This bites.

I used this form to create URLS to automatically log me into password protected areas of sites I use frequently (on my homepage, which is stored locally...I'm not a total fool)

I also used it as a convenience to people on the free reading networks. I had it set up so that people could go to the password protected members area easily from within their roster log-in.

I set it up so a rock could get to the members area...and most rocks use what they get with their computer (i.e. explorer) so now the rocks can't get in the easy way.

crap.

They didn't even offer an OPTION for renabling it...except for editing the registry. (and I'm NOT going to lead a rock through THAT)

sigh