Bad Codecs

[Griffin NoName]

I think I might finally have found the item(s) that cause my BSODS - all inidcators indiacted it was third party driver issue. I've just run Windows "Fix It" - quite a nice little utility, and it has found corrupt codecs - two .ax files. It offers to disable them which is tempting but they aare not in the registry where they would be expected to be, so I have to go on a hunt for them as if the disabling does not cure my probs. I may want to re-enable them. Which won't be offered by "Fix-It". Also, hhhm, I can't find any fresh copies online outside very dodgy looking websites, and not on manufacturers sites, one of which has been bought out by Corel Draw.

I've searched the registry for the particular .ax dvalue and it does not find it in drivers at all. It's referenced in
/HKEY_LOCAL etc etc /MMC /{06F1AF5A-F36A-43F3-9B40-50A8C070A563}   ie. one of those - mS management console ... FFS what is that doing using codecs....... can't find relevant MM listed for codecs..... . Also found dvalue in a inprocservice2 dvalue.

Caan't work out if ok to disable there (I understnad one just puts a semi-colon at start to disable. I need to know how to re-enable. why it is only where it is. etc.

Fed up as usual.

Anyone?

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

I know what a "codec" is, it's usually a format or method of encoding data.  Typically, visuals or audio, but can also apply to methods of communication too, such as Bluetooth streaming.

I'd try disabling them and see what happens.  You may find that nothing apart from reduced BSODs.   Windoze is pretty good at letting you know if something it wants is missing and/or disabled, and helping you to find a piece of software that lets you re-enable it.  (adding CODECS is one of the things it seems do do reasonably well)

Before you disable them, though?  Try creating a "rollback" file-- that is a file you can use to restore things, post-disable.  XP and upwards have this ability built in.  

Edit:  I did not say, I have no clue what .AX is for.  However, according to this, it's typically MP4, which is a video encoding/compressing protocol.

[Griffin NoName]

Bob, I am pretty to sure it should be disabled by fix-it but I must kmow how to re-enable. before I try this.

I can't find it exepected place in register but in other places. I don't know if enable/disabe relevant to these entries.

For the life of me googling, I cannot find any answers.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Bob, I am pretty to sure it should be disabled by fix-it but I must kmow how to re-enable. before I try this.

I can't find it exepected place in register but in other places. I don't know if enable/disabe relevant to these entries.

For the life of me googling, I cannot find any answers.

There should be a roll back feature in Windoze, that would undo the fixit stuff, if you do the backup thing first.  Go to control panel, look for backup (or similar). 

[Griffin NoName]

Oh it's easy enough to create a rollback, or even use one already logged. It's just a bit heavy handed - given disable/enable is a matter of adding a semi-colon in front of the dvalue or removing the semi-colon to re-enable - I just need to know where! ie. need to understand why the only place I can find them is under MMC. and InProc.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

That, I cannot say.   If you had some extra $$, you could buy a superior registry editing program-- I had one for quite a few years, but then it ran out & they quit updating it.   There's likely free ones out there that are better'n what Microsquish packages with.

[Griffin NoName]

Hurrah!!! I have found this nifty utility which displays all installed codecs and allows disable/enable. Totally brilliant.

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/installed_codec.html

Both suspect codecs now disabled. Just have to wait to see if it stops the BSOD.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Woot!

[Griffin NoName]

As a result of a very noticeable speeding up of hibernate/shutdown from curing the codec issue, I have spent hours going through processes aand services getting rid of ones not needed. The huge amount I have disabled is quite disgusting. MS%%hit just place all this stuff one never uses but which degrades performance massively. I knew that of course, but when I actually went through disabling it really brings it home. I have now speeded up startup massively, freed up lots of resources (memory etc) and further speeded up shutdown.

[Lindorm]

Yeah, a massive process massacre can do wonders not only for system stability, but also for your blood pressure. Hope your computer behaves better now!

[Griffin NoName]

It's better although had to back track on a few things I'd disabled as found they were actually needed and this has slowed startup from hibernate down a little, but still faster than before, and hibernate still very fast. Certainly getting fewer errors but still plagued by a device slowing down stuff error on resume from startup and no idea what device. Why they can't just tell you which driver it is? It's like they are deliberately taunting one.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

I found that less than optimum USB devices were often the culprit in slowing things down enormously.

Awhile back, my video was so slow, that even simple games would stutter under the most modest of settings, and forget about high settings.  This was from what was supposed to be a screaming (at the time) high-end video card.

I searched high and low for an answer, but finally as I was preparing to do a clean boot, I realized I had still plugged in, and old Zune player plugged in to the USB port, and the player had died.

Removing that dead USB device fixed all my slow-down issues.  I was quite surprised at that, but apparently an ailing USB device still connected can cause the BIOS to keep re-trying it, slowing down everything at the lowest level.

Check your USB devices.  Unplug anything you don't require & retest.   

[Griffin NoName]

I don't have anything plugged into USB drives. I always unplug when device not in use. So defo not that. I've been searching and searching on the internet and there seems to be a certain amount of opinions that over-heating can cause the sorts of problems I am having (not sure how, doesn't really make sense) and I have noticed my fan is mostly on high. Advice is to clean it out but not sure how to open a laptop.

chkdsc found nothing........... all clear, which is great but not any help.

EDIT

Just had a clean startup....................... bit odd as chkdsc found nothing..............

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

To clean the fan for a laptop?  Turn the machine off.  Then connect a soft bristle-brush attachment to a vacuum sweeper, and vacuum the keyboard, pressing the soft bristles into and between the keys.  A secondary smallish paintbrush can help dislodge debris.

Next, attach the crevice tool (to increase the suction power) and vacuum the opening where the fan dumps the hot air-- it'll usually draw it in past the cracks between the keyboard keys (hence cleaning there first).

Finally, if your sweeper has a blow mode?  Using the crevice tool and in blowing mode, direct the airstream first at the keyboard, taking care to get all the cracks between each key, then direct it into the fan's exhaust port(s).

You'd be surprised how much dust the above process removes. 

If you're allergenic to dust?  Wear a dust mask.  One of those disposable ones ought to work.   And if you're worried about your house?  Do this in the bathroom with the exhaust fan running, or out on a patio deck/porch/etc.   Or even in the garage (if you have one), or even out in your hall...

But whatever dust you remove, will help the thing run cooler.  I used to carry around a little air compressor, just to blow the dust bunnies & other carp out of PC's I was servicing.

[Griffin NoName]

Got so excited by my success with disabling the bad codecs that I got a great utility called DriverUpdate and updated all drivers it indicated were out of date using it. - all those that MS$hit said were up to date, but clearly weren't. Everything running so much smoother now and so far no errors and speedier and keeping fingers crossed the BSOD has gone away. DriverUpdate seems to work ok, it tells you if the update it recommends does not fit your set up during the install and stops the install, so seems safe.