[kombuchakid]

Got a bunch of cd roms with a dat file on each, containing a tv show

This plays on the standalone dvd player but refuses to work on my computer.

I have tried all programs RealPlayer, MediaPlayer et all to no avail.

Any ideas?

[KnowItAll]

Are you on Windows XP? Running the latest media player from microsoft.com?

[mike2525]

try VLC it plays almost anything
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

[kombuchakid]

I am on Windows Me and alas the VLC doesn't work on .dat
Any more bright ideas?

[neither3nor4]

They are mpeg files (or at least I would be very surprised if they are not). Media player ought to open them. I'm guessing you have 'dragged and dropped' onto media player - it should try to read the files if you do this. Media Player Classic and the K-Lite Codec Pack will play almost anything.

http://home.hccnet.nl/h.edskes/mirror.htm - download

http://finalbuilds.edskes.net/ - descriptions

I know it looks a bit dodgy, but I've been using it for years without problems.

[discobay]

They are probably coded using an mpeg-2 codec which your computer does not have. You can download a few from doom9. Alternatively installing a DVD player like PowerDVD will install a codec for you and then you can watch the files using that or WMP if you're on XP.

[mike2525]

you could try virtualdub, or it might just be a problem with codecs

[kombuchakid]

Thanks for the suggestions which I hope to try out later this evening.

I have another problem-when I was desperately downloading vcd players I also got some unwanted ad programs such as WhenU. when I uninstalled these a file used by the sound system also went .

So now I have a mute machine-will reinstalling windows solve this?
Or is there another way?

[discobay]

It may just be a session problem. Did you try rebooting? If there is still no sound try reinstalling the sound driver from within control panel.