VLC not starting

[ucsa]

A user reported an issue that VLC will no longer start or play videos on her laptop, apparently this started after recent Windows updates.

A VLC process starts, but nothing else happens. Trying to start VLC again just adds another process.

Logged on as an Administrator I have uninstalled VLC and installed a fresh copy downloaded from the VLC site, to no effect.

The current work around was to put a thinapped version of VLC on her laptop and run that to play video files.

Appreciate any tips or a solution, thanks

[Lotesdelere]

Reset the preferences:
https://wiki.videolan.org/VSG:ResetPrefs

[ucsa]

Thanks, we had already tried that, did it again, still no joy

[ucsa]

Further info :
- vlc will play videos when Win7 is started in safe mode.
- tried using command line option to write to a log file, either I am doing it wrong or it doesn't get far enough to write anything.

[ucsa]

Still no joy.
Other stuff I have recently tried.
- Complete uninstall of VLC, deleted all obvious traces of VLC, files and folders. Rebooted laptop.
- Tried playing a video with Windows Media Player, oddly it blue-screened but was OK after a reboot.
- Reinstalled VLC 2.2.4 and selected option to start VLC in the final step, nothing, just a VLC process in Task Manager using 25% CPU.
- Turned off MS EMET

[ucsa]

Fixed!
- Uninstalled MS EMET 5.5, rebooted
- Tested VLC, Success!
- Installed MS EMET 5.5.1
- Tested VLC, Success!

[Neuk2015]

Reset the preferences:
https://wiki.videolan.org/VSG:ResetPrefs

If one cannot open the application, one cannot reset prefs.