Codec help

I would like to ask for your assistance in rectifying a problem I've been encountering on my comp. Fist off, I have a Pentium 4 1.6Ghz 512MB DDRAM, 60 Gig HD, WinXP OS. I currently have Kazaa Lite K++, WinMX, Windows Media PLayer 9, Real Player, and Quicktime installed on my comp. My problem is this: How can I start off from a clean slate, without uninstalling all the programs, when it comes to codec instatllation or removal? Can someone recommend the best codec package out here?? I tried installing K-Lite Mega Codec Package but it ended up messing up settings on my other media players. I am no computer genius and I need to be steered in teh right direction, as far as how to uninstall previously installed codecs so that they won't interfere with each media player. Also,I'd like for the codecs to be able to play all types of files. What can I do to have a smooth media experience on my comp?? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Most of the codecs you should need will be on your computer already (mpg, simple avi..) But its probably best to download the free ones yourself.

Real:
Get the real real or get the Real Alternative from good old Major Geeks

Quicktime:
Quicktime player or again, Quicktime Alternative

DivX
This is to play those AVI files that wont play normally. Newer versions of the encoding means you can have no video and audio or vice versa. Getting the latest version of DivX should solve this problem.
You can't get this at MG at the moment, but here is a direct link:
DivX Codec FREE

You may wish to try a different media player if you want faster loading times. Some to consider might be :
Winamp 5 (my favourite audio player)
BSPlayer
ZoomPlayer (my favourite video player)

Hope this helps

ADD : Oh yes and "codec bundles" arnt usually a good idea, since they dont run the codec installers given by the author, they just copy across the files that they install, and apply some registry changes. Plus some of the shadier codecs are probably illegal to re-distribute, as is the media they are used to watch!

 

You really are a big help. One more question. DO I have to go in and manually uninstall the older codecs, or does the installaiton of the newer codecs do that automatically??

 

Youre alright to do install over the top of divx i know for certain, though if youre going for the replacements you'll need to uninstall the originals first.