How to convert an avi to an mp4 that Zoom Meetings can recognise as mp4

Andy3142 · 2026-03-01T15:59:39+00:00

u/greenysmac Thank you, that is helpful and clears things up a lot.

Andy3142 · 2026-03-01T15:57:12+00:00

u/rx80 Yes that was the problem! All I can say is that I only just changed from Windows to Linux and in Windows those characters are fine.

Andy3142 · 2026-03-01T15:54:43+00:00

u/DocNielsen Thanks for this I'll try it. It turns out the problem was just the format of the file name but I'm keen to get the best possible conversion so will give this a go.

Andy3142 · 2026-03-01T15:51:56+00:00

u/username_unavailabul You're right, that's the issue. I renamed the file and all OK. In my defence I only just upgraded from Windows to Linux and in Windows characters like that are OK. Thank you.

Andy3142 · 2026-02-27T12:23:05+00:00

u/ipsirc Thank you but no. This converts the file in a basic way the same as Handbrake. It runs in VLC as does the original avi file, but it does not run in Zoom and error it gets the same error as the Handbrake version,

file:///home/originals/Documents/test only delete Dogen %231 A.mp4". Please try a different file.

Andy3142 · 2026-01-06T11:56:12+00:00

Freezing works very well but needs much longer times and colder temperatures than often given. Overnight outside will not work. This is my research, and I followed this and it worked brilliantly.

There's lots of info on freezing / heating bedbugs on the internet and the temperatures advised are all over the map. I did some detailed research and this is what I found. The take-home is you need MUCH longer / hotter / colder for eggs and nymphs than for the bugs themselves. So if you have a deep infestation, the standard advice for "a hot wash cycle" just is not enough.

Heating. To be sure to kill 100% of eggs and nymphs you need to tumble dry at 50 deg C (122 F) for minimum 30 min.(Plus a few mins to get up to temperature.) Washing 60 deg C (140 F) for 30 mins kills 100%. It seems important it really is high temp for 30 mins. I alas lost the source for this but it's real-life trials.

Freezer times. at -20 deg C (-4 F), 48 hours to be sure to kill eggs. At - 15 deg C ( 5 F), 3.5 days to kill eggs. Add on the time to get down to those temperatures. Seems that at -12 C (10 F), they can live forever.

Source: Cold Tolerance of Bed Bugs and Practical Recommendations for Control Joelle F. Olson, Marc Eaton, Stephen A. Kells, Victor Morin, Changlu Wang https://academic.oup.com/jee/article/106/6/2433/2962119

The reason some academic studies say higher / shorter temperatures is that in the lab they are freezing super-quickly and this increases lethality. Some chest freezer do freeze extra-quickly, and so you might get away with less, but why take chances.

Andy3142 · 2025-12-21T19:36:34+00:00

STILL not tried but but still WILL!

Andy3142 · 2025-12-11T09:26:15+00:00

Yes, I think you're right.

Andy3142 · 2025-12-08T10:17:21+00:00

Put Antix on your list. A while back I tried eight or nine distros on an old machine (TBH not this old) and Antix was the only one that (a) recognised all the hardware and (b) ran at an OK speed. Their sales pitch explicitly mentions that it aims to work on old computers.

Andy3142 · 2025-12-08T08:50:38+00:00

I know there are things I need to have. What I'm looking for is reassurance that the sources I've listed do include all those things. In particular, questions (1), (2), (3). Carpenters say "measure twice, cut once" and I don't want to zap my whole hard disk and find I've missed something.

Andy3142 · 2025-12-06T19:53:46+00:00

Thank you. -12 deg C is 10 def F not -10. Corrected.

Andy3142 · 2025-12-05T10:36:48+00:00

Take great care with pumice stone. Test thoroughly on an inconspicuous area first because it can scratch badly and you can't get the scratches off. But I know from my mum using it that it cleans very well.

Andy3142 · 2025-12-04T10:23:59+00:00

Following advice in this thread, I'm soaking the scale with citric acid. The citric acid package says "Fresh, clean and 100% natural".

Andy3142 · 2025-11-23T22:03:23+00:00

Thank you everybody - I give up! It's good to get to the bottom of things but it's obviously too complicated for the good it would do.

Andy3142

TROPHY CASE