COM SURROGATE STOPPED WORKING Error

Have you got your hands on a new video file only to find that it is causing your system to crash coming up with a - COM SURROGATE STOPPED WORKING - issue..?

There are several possibilities, however the most likely issue would be incompatible CODECS being used on the VISTA operating system. When you open the folder containing the video you want to view, VISTA automatically tries to preview the file for you. If you have loaded on an older codec e.g. XP Codec Pack, then the COM SURROGATE error emerges. This is because the VISTA is trying to run the preview using the older codec which is not compatible and stops the system.

There are two main ways of overcoming this issue.

1. Disable automatic preview or thumbnails for the folder / operating system
2. Download the latest codec pack

If you are like me and like to load up all the codecs so that you can watch all the necessary videos that travel past your desktop, then it is best you get your hands on the latest codec pack. The one I have found works best for my needs is VISTA CODEC PACK which you can download for free. The download is about 18MB so be patient (if you have a mediocre broadband connection).