Best Way To Strip Down Win Xp For Video

I have an old laptop that is a Windows XP Pentium 1200mhz cpu and 785mhz 1gb memory. I want to set it by my wife's desktop so she can view training videos I made for her about using a computer. I first tried VLC Player. The player used too many resources. I then downloaded Daum Potplayer which ends up that I like better as a video player anyway. Better results but still not perfect. I then took out the Wi-Fi pcmia card to get more resources. I'm almost there for video quality. I still have lag. The audio plays ahead of the video. Just enough to make a solid disconnect in the objective of the training videos. I have also stripped down msconfig startup as far down as I think is safe. There are still 3 or 4 startups still running.

Is there anything else I can do to strip down the setup to get some more resources so that the video will play perfectly???

 

Try this.
Media Player Classic - Black Edition.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/media_player_classic_black_edition.html

 

Thanks plodr, I will give this a shot. Any other thoughts on how to get resource hungry stuff out from the background??? Trying to get this puppy stripped way down on resources.

 

Thanks Eldon, I just looked at the link. Will download and try. Any other thoughts on how to get resource hungry stuff out from the background??? Trying to get this puppy stripped way down on resources.

 

Do you have a Windows XP disc?
BTW Why don't you use Windows Media Player 11?

 

As far as I know 1GB Ram is the max in the unit. Dell C610. I would give the world to put more in it, but, I don't think I can. Will research that aspect once more. Secondly, Under Task Mgr. >Processes>MemUsage - the three highest usages appear to be (from highest to lowest) Avast @44,352; explorer @ 39,784, and Scvhost.exe/system @ 24,000

Yes I do have all OEM/MS OS disks for all my systems. WMP is in the quick launch toolbar on the Dell C610. Strange interface. Can't tell if it's 11 or not. Also cannot find a way to put the file into the library of WMP. Tried advanced methods to add to library but - no go. The file is a MP4 file; 378,341kb. Is that the problem??????

 

1 GB RAM is more than enough for Windows XP SP3 - I ran it with 256 MB RAM.

I suggest you re-install Windows - then there won't be any junk running in the background.
Also install Windows Media Player 11, and the K-Lite Codec Pack Basic.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/k_lite_codec_pack_basic.html
Or just use MPC - BE as already mentioned.

FYI You will not be able to add any file to WMP Library if it's not supported by WMP.

 

I guess I will have to try to go that route. The current XP install is an upgrade from Win98. I do have two OEM XP Pro install disks though that are no longer associated with a running OS on any computer. I guess I'll use one of those.

Are you telling me that .mp4 files do run okay on XP??? Even when you were running 256MB Ram??? Also since XP is no longer supported then will I loose SP3??? Both XP DVD's that I have are XP Professional SP2. Will that suffice??? I suppose then I'll have to go to Dell's website for Drivers - right? Which in turn means having to temporarily install Avast for security purposes while downloading drivers. I just checked the Dell website and it still has the drivers for the C610.

BTW. Windows Control Panel did inform me that I have Windows Media Player 11 installed. But, like I said, I don't see a way to open the .mp4 file that I want to view. Any comments on that issue??

 

I played MP4, MOV, DIVX, OGG, XM, etc. files in WMP 9, 10 & 11 thanks to the K-Lite Codec Pack.
You'll have to download SP3 but, if you're just using the PC to play videos and not for anything else, it's not necessary. You'll have to install drivers for the onboard audio. Easiest will be to use DriverEasy to find them - unless you have the motherboard support CD.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/drivereasy.html

You'll also have to re-install WMP11 - even SP3 for Windows XP only includes WMP9. Then again, read the first line of this post.
And no, WMP11 and older, will not play or import MP4 files.

 

RESPECTFULLY inquiring - there seems to be contradiction in the two sentences above. I need clarification.

Also, I did a quick look on the web for XP Pro SP3. Could not nail anything specific. Since MS is no longer supporting it - where do I go for the best reliable and trusted download for XP SP3??

 

WMP9, 10 & 11 will not import or play MP4 files unless you have a codec pack installed.
But, why bother? Just install MPC - Black Edition or Home Cinema. They include the necessary codecs to play MP4 files, and both are available on MajorGeeks.

You said you have all the discs?
If you want SP3 for Windows XP, you can download it here.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/microsoft_windows_xp_service_pack_3.html

Also, you should install this.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=8109

 

Thanks Eldon for sticking with me. Yes, I have two individual, different key, OEM Win XP Pro SP2 disks. I am first going to try the two media players you have mentioned. I will keep you posted. If they don't work then I'll look at the time involved to do a fresh install of Win XP Pro and decide from there which way to go.

 

Well - I'll be a monkey's uncle - that was painless!!!!!! MPC Black Edition did the trick. Played the MP4 file perfectly. Nothin' like dragging one's feet for a day or two to learn from someone that's already been down the road. Yeeeesh!

Thanks Eldon and plodr.

 

Your welcome!
Always.