Multimedia Err Msg: Video Not Available, Cannot Find 'VIDC.IV50' Decompressor

When you attempt to play a video clip in one of the programs listed at the beginning of this article, you may receive the following error message:

This behavior can occur if the proper video codec is not installed on your computer.

To resolve this issue, use the following methods in the order in which they are presented.

Reinstall the Video Codec from the CD-ROM

To do this:

1.	Insert the Encarta Encyclopedia Installation and Resources CD-ROM into the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive. Press and hold down the SHIFT key when you insert the CD-ROM to prevent Encarta from starting automatically.
2.	Click Start, point to Programs, and then click MS-DOS Prompt.
3.	At the command prompt, type the following lines, pressing ENTER after you type each line: cd \windows\system copy cd-rom:\aref\codec\ir50_32.dll exit where cd-rom is the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive. NOTE: If you are prompted to replace an existing file, click Yes.
4.	Restart the computer.

If the issue continues to occur, proceed to the next method.

Download and Install the Latest Indeo Video Codecs

Download and install the latest Indeo video codecs from the following Intel Web site: For additional information about how to reinstall or troubleshoot video compression, please click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: