Attract Video - AVI codec issue, tried Xvid, now NONE will play (not even audio)

[RoninEditor]

This is so crazy, I have no idea what's going on.  Okay, I downloaded some AVI files for my attract videos that I want to use for Mala.  At first, I didn't have the right codec to play them (in the source folder, not through Mala) but they'd try to open through Windows Media Play (9, at the time), but then I'd just hear the audio.  I did some digging and downloaded Divx (when I needed Xvid).  But they instantly played in the folder. 

At the time, I didn't have Mala configured correctly anyway but I found out that I need Xvid as well as Windows Media Player 11.  So I downloaded them both, uninstalled Divx, then installed Xvid.  Nothing at all, not even in the source folder... they wouldn't open or give me any audio. 

Long story short, I fiddled with them some more, still nothing, so just to see, I reinstalled Divx to see if I can get them to play again.  What's weird, now, is that with Divx installed again, now they won't play at all!!  Let alone play in Mala.

I don't know what else to do.  I don't even know where the codecs are stored in Windows XP or how to 'point' the player to one codec or the other.  Something's obviously blocking these files because they used to work.  I downloaded AVIcodec to see if it would tell me which codec I needed, but they won't open in there at all either.

Has anyone experienced this?

[loadman]

First stay away fro Divx.  Mala hates it!

I would download a codec cleaner app and flush out any crap codecs

They re-install Xvid or another Codec pack that other may recomend with mala

[RoninEditor]

Alright, cool... I'm on the hunt for a cleaner right now.  I have the K-Lite codec pack so I'm hoping that'll make everything run smooth after I fix this.