How do I update my video driver?

Hi!

Hopefully someone out there is able/willing to help me out - I am trying to watch downloaded .avi files. Many of them appear on my desktop (once downloaded) as black files (black strip through the file where the Windows Media Player logo would be), and other have a colorful bar code image instead. When I try to play them (was using DivX Player to watch them), time passes on the player as through they are playing, but there is no video and no audio.
Someone told me I needed to update my video driver to watch these files.
My current driver is Matrox MGA-G100 AGP (older computer) - HP Vectra VL series. OS: windows XP home. Is there any hope for downloading a more current video driver onto this computer? My knowledge is pretty limited as to how this stuff works. . I can find drivers, just need to know if I fidn them will they be compatible with my setup.

Anyone willing to tackle this for me?

Thanks for reading and any comments/support you can provide . .

Emonkey

 

it would help to know what kind of video card you have on there, then we'll have more luck finding drivers.
however it could also be a codec problem. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/format/codecdownload.aspx
go to the link and download the codecs for your version of media player.
once you install them see if it'll play the files.

 

The codecs worked!! I used the ' K-Lite Full' bundle. .

Thanks for your help!!!