Can't install Active X, WMP codecs

Hi, I've got a problem I've never encountered before, and can't seem to find in other forums. Hopefully this is in the right place.

My computer is about a week old, running windows xp home with the sp2 preinstalled by the manufacturer. The other day I tried to update the codecs on windows media player 9. It said I needed a codec, said the download was done, but it didn't work, so why not go to the website to download them. I go to the microsoft site, download, and install. It goes through everything and says it was installed correctly. I then try to open the video file that required the codec in the first place and...it says I'm missing the codec, and starts the process over. Closing WMP and restarting it, and even restarting windows doesn't seem to make a difference.

This might be related to another glitch I've found (in trying to solve the above.) Lots of Active X components won't go through either. I'm on a page, the SP2 security bar comes down, I say install, and then nothing happens. Often I'm then redirected to another web page saying I should really update my browser, even though I'm using IE 6. I've checked my security settings, even lowered them below the default medium for a while and that didn't help. I've temporarily disabled my Norton and Windows Firewall, but it doesn't change anything either.

Gateway tech support sort of washed their hands of me suggesting that it was probably spyware, but they had no suggestion as to which spyware. But Spybot, Adaware, the new microsoft anti-spyware program and Spyblaster all found nothing. Oh, and I've even reinstalled win xp too.

Any ideas? Any help would be immensely appreciated as I'm pretty stuck at this point.

Thanks in advance.

-Z

 

Z247--I am no expert on this, but have you been to this page
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/format/codecdownload.aspx or
http://www.soft32.com/download_2592.html or
http://www.free-codecs.com/download/K_Lite_Codec_Pack.htm
Also there is a program called G-Spot which will try to tell you what codec you need if you do not already have it.
http://www.free-codecs.com/download/GSpot.htm

Concerning ActiveX, it is possible your settings to allow ActiveX to run are at Disable. Look here
IE Tools|Internet Options|Security tab|Custom Level. Your setting for "Run ActiveX controls and plugins" should be set at Enable or Prompt|OK|OK.

 

Thanks Welshjim, but I've already been to the codec install pages. Figuring out which codec to use isn't the problem. the problem is that I download the codec automatically, but it won't actually install it. Then I do it manually, off the first site you sent me, and it gets to the "codecs successfully installed," except they're not. I hit play, and it starts over looking for the same codec.

It's the same with the active x components- I hit install, and they don't. I've made sure my security settings allow installs, scripts, you name it (usually with prompts if I can). The prompts come up, I choose install, and then nothing. The install seems to just die or stop, as with the codecs install (that's why I think they're related.)

I've also disabled the windows firewall, NAV, etc. They don't seem to affect the problem, which makes sense since I have another computer running windows xp with sp2, NAV, the firewall, etc, and it works fine. I think there's a bug in the OS somewhere.

-Z-247

 

Z-247--Sorry. I warned you I am no expert on codecs.
However, on ActiveX, I am not sure what you are experiencing. There is usually nothing to install (unless you get a separate window asking if you want such and such to be downloaded when you access some pages prior to being permitted to download a program. These are usually Browser Helper Objects and they also do not "install" but rather just download. You can see these BHO's at IE Tools|Internet Options|General tab|Settings|View Objects.).
Sites that have ActiveX components built in require that Active X controls be allowed to run, but there is nothing for you to install.

 

Maybe I was using the wrong word then. I guess that on these sites (and I don't mean anything terribly exotic here- one was an active x feature on microsoft's site to verify my genuine microsoft product, another was to see what my system specs were to send to Gateway's tech support about the codecs) after the sp2 security bar comes down, my option is to "install/run active x component" or not. I say yes, but then nothing works. I guess they're not running?

I looked in the IE objects folder you mentioned, and there's plenty in there, so I think things are downloading, but they're not continuing from there, as far as I can tell. Maybe this clarifies things?

Thanks for your help on this!

-Z

 

Uh, so here's something else that may "help ". I was in the aforementioned temp folder, found the codec installer (Windows Media Video 9 VCM Codec Setup) that didn't work before, and tried running it. Then I got this:

INF Install failure. Reason: Not enough storage is available to process the command.

I've got 200 gigs on my hard drive, plus a gig of RAM. So this doesn't seem right. Is it time to reinstall windows, or is there something else to try first?

-Z

 

Z-247--

I must have missed that info. Can you repeat what temp folder?
I cannot find any solutions to the INF failure problem.
What about updating to WMP 10?
Hope someone else can help.
P.S. Those messages from MS and Gateway are the BHO's I was talking about . You could right click on those relating to WMP, choosing Properties, and see if any are Disabled. If so, Remove, and try the download again.