Problem with VLC Player update

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VLC player needs an update to v. 2.1.5.

There was no problem with my machine, or that of the wife, but it will not install on the laptop, although all three are running Win 8.1 Update. I have downloaded at least 6 times now, trying both VLC Media Player and VLC for Windows, and utilising all the download sites listed, but always the same result.

A pop-up says this version is only for Windows XP or better. Win 8 may not be better than XP, but is certainly more secure.

On one occasion I tried the trouble-shooter, thinking it was from MS, only to find it had downloaded something called ‘Total Care System’ from Safebytes Software LLC, which claimed to have found 359 critical errors on the PC, as follows;

80 dll
139 Empty or corrupt Active X entries
126 Invalid user software paths and missing entries.

Never having heard of Safebytes Software I looked them up and found only one site calling it crapware amongst a mass just listing what it claims to do. So far I haven’t been able to remove it, as both its own uninstaller and Control Panel/ programmes and features say ‘error launching installer’.

There would seem to be three options:
a) install an alternative to videolan,
b) pay up and risk the consequences,
c) restore the laptop with the only existing image, about 7 months old.

The latter seems to be the safest, providing Macrium will work – I have just started a thread about Macrium on my PC under Maintenance.

I would welcome any suggestions for removing Safebytes Software, and comments on the above listed choices.

George

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http://windowssecrets.com/forums/showthread//163578-Macrium-Reflect-Pro-won-t-open?p=961990#post961990

I would welcome any suggestions for removing Safebytes Software, and comments on the above listed choices.

Remove Safebytes Software:
http://totalsystemcare.org/support/uninstall-our-software/
There should be no reason to seek an alternative to VLC, or pay for an alternative.
Restoring a “months old image” may, or may not work, at least until you’ve exhausted other avenues.

A pop-up says this version is only for Windows XP or better. Win 8 may not be better than XP, but is certainly more secure.

There should be no reason for the above to be occurring. Make certain your getting VLC from the maker and not from anywhere else.

1. Make an image of your OS now, preferably with Macrium, or whatever you have that you are confident will work.
This way you’ll have a degree of safety when it comes to troubleshooting and manipulation, especially if a first attempt makes thing worse.
2. Uninstall the older version of VLC.
It’s not typical to have problems installing newer versions of VLC, even overtop of older versions, unless
you’ve made some non standard changes to, and or deep file associations with VLC, even then it’s highly unusual
not to be able to upgrade.
Make certain you have full admin privileges.
3. Run a mild registry cleaner, like CCleaner’s registry cleaner, then boot the computer.
Typically, when having issues with updating software, it’s best to remove all traces of a previous installation
prior to installing a newer version
4. Attempt reinstall of the latest version of VLC
Make certain you have full admin privileges.
If this doesn’t work you’ll have to rethink your strategy.

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VLC is very good but I did have the occasional glitch of one sort or another.

I suggest you try MPC-HC (Media Player Classic – Home Cinema) – after – you get your system cleaned up.

It is free and will play anything you can throw at it, with the default settings.

I never had a problem with it.

It is at mpc-hc dot org

Good luck.

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Hi uncleStu,
Computers are a real puzzle, or in this instance laptops.

After resolving the issue with Macrium reflect on my desktop, I returned to the laptop, downloaded and installed Media Player Classic – Home Cinema, but could not get it to work. Testing it on a couple of audio files failed, as they opened in Windows Media Player. Selecting ‘open with’ presented a choice of WMP, Irfanview or Music, which seems to be the thing from the Metro desktop.

Deleting that, I decided to try VLC once more, and after 6 downloads which failed, saying this version was for XP or better, this time it worked. The only problem is that it clicking on a file opens the Metro app, which has supposedly been deleted. To use VLC it is necessary to choose ‘open with’ each time, but I can live with that.

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