Video content not playing

Some users have experienced difficulty playing videos, such as the video content failing to load, not dsiplaying on an attached projector or doesn't play when users click on the 'Play' button.

There could be several causes of this error:

1. An old version of Windows Media Player.
Check that you have installed the latest version of Windows Media Player, as these problems are commonly the result of an old version of Windows Media Player. You can update to the latest version of Windows Media Player by going to:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/

2. Incorrectly mapped network installation.
Video problems may be the result of an incorrectly mapped network installation. If the program is running from a network server, ensure that you have have correctly mapped the network drive, and have set your user permissions to a minimum of 'read only' access.

3. Dual monitors.
Video problems may be related to a common limitation when using two displays. Many video card devices can easily run two windows desktops, but can only display video content on one display at a time. The simplest solution is to try disconnecting any additional display devices, and ensuring that your primary monitor is plugged into your primary (on-board) video card.

Note that if you are running a laptop and projector you may only see video displayed on the laptop screen. To fix this:

1. Right click on your desktop and select "Properties"
2. Select the "Settings" tab
3. Select the "Advanced" button
4. Select the "Troubleshoot" tab
5. Turn off hardware acceleration  
 

If the above fails to correct your video problems, you can diagnose this further by:

1. Playing video outside CDX in Windows Media Player.
Do a search for any video video content on your PC, using file extensions .wmv, .mpg or .flv. When you find some of the video files, try playing them outside the CDX program in Windows Media Player. If the video still doesn't show, or only plays the audio stream, it means there is an underlying problem in your operating system or hardware.

2. Another video program may be interfering with Windows Media Player.
If your using another program that deals with video, such as video editing software, alternative video players, codec packs, etc... this may interfere with or override Windows Media Player, and caused the video to stop working. Try uninstalling, or disabling these, then reinstalling Windows Media Player to repair the video decoding software..

3. Faulty video card or driver software.
If your video card or video card driver are faulty, this may explain why installing Windows Media Player 11 doesn't fix the problem. Try updating your video card driver, or replacing your video card with a different one.