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Answered Computer freezes when playing video

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      Monday, January 12, 2009 5:39 AM
       
       
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      As soon as I start to play any video file (.avi for example) in any player, the computer freezes up.  No errors, just completely locks up until I force a shut-down/restart.

      I've installed all the necessary codecs; it did this before and after I installed them.  I've tried Windows Media Player as well as Media Player Classic.  

      Display Adaptor:  Mobile Intel 915G/GMS,910GML Express Chipset Family

      Any ideas?
       

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    • Tuesday, January 13, 2009 2:53 AM
       
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      I ran into the same issue. After researching the problem, it turns out that it is because there is no WDDM driver available for the Intel 915 graphics chipset. The only driver available is an XPDM driver. From what I've read, Windows Vista worked with an XPDM driver, just not with Aero. Windows 7 apparently does not support the use of an XPDM driver.

      See the release notes here (scroll down to the 'Video drivers' section): http://download.microsoft.com/download/F/D/B/FDBFC5A5-51CD-4C8D-9F18-7BCC3810498E/Windows%207%20Beta%20Release%20Notes.htm

      Read Intel's response on why a WDDM driver is not available: http://software.intel.com/en-us/blogs/2007/04/02/video-why-intel-915-graphics-dont-have-a-wddm-driver-for-vista/
       
    • Thursday, January 15, 2009 8:44 AM
       
       
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      Reading up, on the 'net... there's not going to be any WDDM drivers for the 910/915 chipset (regardless of intel employee and 3rd party blogs, which have gone silent since the 'Vista capable' lawsuits).

      Trying Microsoft's suggestion (from the 'release notes, Video section' link above)... I managed to load "Standard VGA" drivers... and pushed my display res upto 1280x768... and... Windows Media Player played a sample video withOUT locking up... but display quality suffers a bit.  And, right now, my desktop on an external monitor is pushed down and to the right of the VGA display limits, slightly... I'm using a Westinghouse 26" HDTV (capable of 1366x768)... so I guess I'd have to try adjusting the tv to bring my desktop up properly... don't know where any software adjustments are, don't seem to be any... set to 'hardware defaults'.

      I had to reboot, with external monitor unplugged, to get the display to switch back to laptop screen, which placed the 1280x768 display properly.  I couldn't adjust the tv/monitor enough to get 1280x768 all on the limited VGA display area, portions were still cut off. But 1024x768 displayed the entire desktop within the VGA limits, on the external monitor.  And... I was able to run the Windows Experience rating (1.0 for graphics) without locking up.

      "Standard VGA Graphics adapter" also allows the playing of DVD's.... without locking up ...on the 910/915 chipset.

      But... I don't have the intel chipset accelerator features... like dual monitor, etc. And, I still can't use my Fn key ;)... to switch between notebook screen and external monitor.

      Hmmm.
      • Edited by RDrr Thursday, January 15, 2009 9:46 AM
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    • Thursday, January 15, 2009 9:43 AM
       
       
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      Hi all!

      I'm glad I came to this forum - this has been driving me nuts! I have installed Windows 7 beta on a Dell Precision M60 laptop, which has an nVidia Go FX 700 card. The problem manifested itself as a complete freeze whenever I tried to run the Windows Experience Index process - the machine froze when the process reached the test around encoding and decoding media files. I narrowed the problem down to opening the video files in the C:\Windows\Performance folder. The process ran through, still with errors though, when I uninstalled the drivers (which were 2004 XP drivers from Dell - I couldn't find anything later for this adapter).

      I'm guessing this is never going to be resolved - presumably nVidia won't be developing compliant drivers for such old hardware?