OFF97: Camcorder .Avi Plays with Gray or Black Screen

WARNING: The information in this article has not been confirmed or tested by Microsoft. Some or all of the information in this article has been taken from unconfirmed customer reports. ANY USE BY YOU OF THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS ARTICLE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. Microsoft provides this information "as is" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose.

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Office 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you play a movie that you record with Microsoft Camcorder, the movie appears with a dark gray or black screen in all color depths except for "16 Color" in Windows 95 Safe mode. Movies recorded on other computers appear correctly when you play them.

CAUSE

The problem occurs when you play the movie on an AST Ascentia P-series laptop computer with a Cirrus Logic video driver (CL-GD7548), basic input/output system (BIOS) version 1.25. The problem appears to be caused by a conflict with a Dvideo.dll that is called from the [Drivers32] section in the System.ini file.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, try remarking the VIDS.DRAW=DVIDEO.DLL line in the System.ini. Doing this appears to solve the problem and allows you to play the movie correctly in all color depths. To remark (disable) this setting, do the following:

1. In Microsoft Windows 95, click Run on Start menu and, in the Open box, type:

         System.ini
   

   Then, click OK.

2. On the Search menu, click Find. Type the following:

         dvideo.dll
   

   and then click Find Next. Click Cancel.

   You should see the [Drivers32] section on the VIDS.DRAW=DVIDEO.DLL line.

3. Insert a semicolon (;) before this line to remark the statement.

4. Click Save on the File menu, and then click Close on the File menu.

STATUS

Microsoft is researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.