VLC MEDIA PLAYER

hAVING had this player for 4 or 5 years
with no probs, suddenly it stopped working

I deleted it and tried to download vlc again
but it wont install for some reason.... "cant write" or something comes up....

I tried one or two diff sources for downloads but always
coming up with same problem it just wont install.

I fell back on my BS Player... it works great,
but.... no sound, I tried other movies, no sound

I went to winamp, plays ok but again, no sound


I tried an audio file no joy,
then I tried the same audio file in windows media player
and the sound was there ok

( for some reason most of my movies dont play in media player so
I rarely use it )
For years Ive been playing movies in vlc... good for taking
caps in there too.

So now I seem to have lost sound on all my movies by default


Could it be down to uninstalling vlc ? has that
messed up some settings somewhere ?


The sound in xp must still be ok as the audio file played
in windows media.

Im stumped with 1000 movie clips that are now silent movies !

thanks for any advice or commisurations

Could be a number of things. I'd first try reinstalling the sound card drivers or do a system restore to a point before the problem started.

I don't think uninstalling VLC would cause audio problems elsewhere in the computer because it's largely a stand alone application.

thanks,
I v'e rebooted the comp and that seems to have changed
things
Most vids are working now, ( using winamp and bs player )
but strangely a few vids are playing without sound.

another strange thing, despite removing vlc player
the vids are still opening up in there and with sound too.

But a strange thing happens when I open a vid with vlc
the screen goes black for a second.. then
the window comes up on a desk top with icons double
the usual size
even the mouse pointer is double size.
but it works and even takes caps

I close it the screen goes black again
and then everything is back to normal size.
its almost as if it is switching off screen mode
and going into a screen mode of its own.

VLC has been great for 4 or 5 years,
now its acting up a little.

I guess I can live with BS Player as by
pressing P you get caps

Any other media player around that takes vidcaps ?