compressing rar???

[netibiza]

It makes no sense to me but I have (i think) compressed my rar files via 7-zip, but what do I do now, still can't watch them on computer! Want to be able to wither put onto dvd or at least watch them via, VLC or windows media!

[york310]

Do you mean you have extracted them or compressed them?

[netibiza]

oh, well it did say extracting them, but can't play them, I really have no idea what it is all about, it's just that I downloaded The Beach Boys family film 1&2 and in my downloads it said they are RAR. so I installed 7-zip and I think it extracted them.

[bibblebub]

What file extension do the files have?

[netibiza]

what is a file extension - sorry I really am ignorant.

[bibblebub]

If you have VLC open and you select Media>Open File... from the menu, can you find the files in the file selector that is displayed?

At the bottom of that pop-up window is a box titled Files Of Type and they are *.asf *.avi *.divx ...
The asf, avi, divx etc are the file extensions and let a program like VLC know what type of file it is without having to open the file to find out.

[bibblebub]

If you cant find your files then click on the drop-down box for that option and select the (*.*) option which will let you select any file. Select one of yours and check that VLC will display it i.e. that it is really a video file.

[netibiza]

The ones I want do not appear in the file selection, everything else is there, although some don't play and some do and one is avi and broken!

[netibiza]

The beach boys family film 1rar and 2 rar are in my downloads and have a small piccy of the vlc on the square

[netibiza]

I've tried Advanced (mine is in spanish so am guessing what it means) and have added these two progs but no file extension come up!

[bibblebub]

The rar files are the compressed versions and a viewer such as VLC won't display them, it's what you've extracted from them that should be the video files.

I don't think that I can help you because I'm not sure just what files you now have and I don't know how to succinctly ask in an exchange of postings for the info required to provide any help without it dragging on and on.

So you might want to consider re-posting the question afresh in case anyone can't be bothered to follow what's been written in this thread. Sorry to have wasted your time.

[pauln90]

If they are rar files you will need something like Winrar to extract them and then they will play on VLC and possibly Media player if you have the correct codecs installed.

Try here for a working trial version

http://download.cnet....-2250_4-10007677.html

[netibiza]

Thank you all especially you Bibblebub, it's my ignorance that causes the problems. I will have another go tomorrow, I extracted these files so many times I don't know where or what I'm doing anymore!