The idle tire for your VCR is either dirty or has worn out and has stopped the tape reel from being able to move and turn and also the rubber parts need to be replaced or cleaned as ell.
I had this same problem! Scoured the web and found no solution. This is what I did to fix it...Remove battery. Unplug charger. Press and hold the power button for 20 - 30 seconds. While still holding the power button, re-insert the battery and/or plug in the charger. Voila! Came back to life and worked like nothing ever happened.I also did the same thing with the record button, but it was the power button that got the result.Hope this helps!
I personally use VLC, it'll play just about anything you throw at it. You can download VLC Player here: http://www.videolan.org/vlc/There is also a codec that comes preloaded on the device, but I would recommend VLC.
I question your use of the word 'new' to describe a Win 7 computer, and with a camcorder that old, it will be impossible to find drivers for any OS later than XP.
I had this same problem! Scoured the web and found no solution. This is what I did to fix it...Remove battery. Unplug charger. Press and hold the power button for 20 - 30 seconds. While still holding the power button, re-insert the battery and/or plug in the charger. Voila! Came back to life and worked like nothing ever happened.I also did the same thing with the record button, but it was the power button that got the result.Hope this helps!
Before you get a new battery, have you tried running it off the mains (if this is possible) ? This would at least rule out battery problems if the situation persists.