This is not 100% yet, but I have a work around for the WinXP SP2 video problem!
As I understand it, SP2 stops indirect access to the codec used by the game (that is why it is possible to play the avi. files with media player).

The answer is painfully simple, change the codec.

The simple part, the entire game must be on your hard drive so you can access the avi. files, only(so far) the files compressed using Cinepak Codec need to be converted (indeed, converting the others introduces some interesting effects, but I digress).

The painful part, I know nothing about video converting. I have had success with the intro. The man himself appears on the T.V. telling me to “get on with it”. The computer screen works (mostly) and the roof caves in under the keel of the ship etc. However, the qualities of the longer video sequences (so far the ones without an audio component) leave much to be desired. They are grainy, distorted, out of sync. with the separate audio and get clipped by the following game sequence.

I am not going to go into details at this time as I may, in my ignorance, miss lead you.

This is a work in progress. I hope it inspires those among us who have the knowledge and skill to find the complete solution. Until then I will keep at it.

Best of luck
Snow Owl

Closing this thread.
Replacing the dll file is a better solution and a lot less work.

The solution is so simple I can not believe it took this long for someone to post it.
Still, got there in the end.

I trust this site will make the dll file available for download.

Have a better one
Snow Owl