Computer freezing, CPU usage maxing @ 100% when trying to play vids!

[CAN-build]

I've been trying to play a few movies I've downloaded...
When using Win Media Player the movies start up and play relatively fine when in 100% zoom. Whne I swith it to 200% it enlarges for a few seconds then shrinks back down to 100% and is now off-center to the left of the screen. If I try to go to full screen the computer tries to for a couple of seconds then flips back to 100% zoom again and sometimes locks up.

I've also downloaded Zoom Player Standard. Playing movies with this worked fine and I could go into full screen, but now as soon as I open the file to play I see my CPU usage max out and hold steady at 100% using the task manager. Nothing happens and I have to either use task manager to shut the Zoom Player down or re-boot the system.

I have in my new build:

Barton 2500 stock
512MB Pc2700 Samsung OEM Ram
Maxtor 80GB 2mb HD
Asus A7V8X-X
MSi Geforce 4 MX440SE 8x AGP, 64MB
15" LCD monitor


Anyone have any ideas as to how to fix this? My vid card has video out and I'd like to play the movies full screen on my TV. Any recomendations on different video software I should use?

Thanks!!!

[Heon2574]

what codec is the video using? If it's DivX make sure you get the latest codecs and bring down the quality level in the decoder configuration. Close any progs you are running as well.

[cuffs007]

also check for virus' since you've been doing some downloading... a few nasty virus' will keep the cpu load at 100% for long periods of time...

[CAN-build]

All my movies are doing this... they show that they are DivX in the properties section.

Where do I change my quality level?

[Heon2574]

if you downloaded divx 5.05 from www.divx.com then the package will install a shortcut in the startmenu. look for divx in the startmenu and you will find the decoder configuration.
however if you got the codec via a "codec pack" like the kazaa lite codec pack or nemo codec pack, you will have to use a player that will give you direct access to the decoder. You mentioned zplayer (a good program i often use). When playing the movie, right click the video screen, in the menu find "filter properties." Then you'll see DivX Decoder Filter. Click it and you can access the decoder to lower the quality level.

[Heon2574]

one more thing, check out this link: http://www.aceshardware.com/forum?read=95039914

maybe your CPU is running hot. i remember when my cpu ran hot, windows couldn't fuction properly, heck i couldn't install windows cause it kept on crashing my pc. Later i figured out that the cable to my cpu fan was broken. Hence my CPU ran extremely hot. How hot is yours anyway?