There are different ways to change wmv files to the avi format. The following methods all make use of programs that can be downloaded from the Internet. Before downloading the applications, make sure you read the program system requirements and that you meet them.
How to Convert WMV to AVI with Windows Movie Maker
Step 1
Download Windows Movie Maker. If you are using Windows XP or Windows Vista, this program is already installed.
Step 2
Start Windows Movie Maker. Depending on the version you have, either open the WMV file or choose Import from the File menu.
Step 3
Place the WMV file on the timeline by dragging it.
Step 4
Over at the left pane (below Finish Movie), choose Save to my Computer.
Step 5
A dialog box will appear (in some versions it will not though). Choose DV-AVI from the settings. Windows will save the file in the AVI format.
How to Convert WMV to AVI with Prism Software
Step 1
Download and install the software.
Step 2
Start the program. Click the symbol at the upper left corner to add a file.
Step 3
Look for the WMV file on your hard disk.
Step 4
Over at the left bottom corner is something called output format. Select AVI. Choose browse and select the folder where you want to save this file.
Step 5
Press convert on the right corner at the bottom. The conversion will start.
Note: if the program asks for a codec when you try to convert the file, click yes. It will download the needed codec. You must be connected to the Web so the program can get the file.
How to Convert WMV to AVI with Xilisoft Video Converter
Step 1
Download and install the software. Start the program.
Step 2
Click Add on the File menu to get the WMV file you want to convert.
Step 3
Click the WMV file. You will see audio and video codec information about the file. Go to the Profile drop down list. Choose AVI from the list (you can also select other video formats).
Step 4
On the right column you will see the standard settings. Click Video/Audio Bit Rate, Start Time and / or Video Size to make any adjustments you want.
Step 5
Click the browse button to choose the destination folder. Or you can just type the name in the Destination list box.
Step 6
Click Encode. The WMV file will be changed into the AVI format.
How to Convert WMV to AVI with WMV/AVI/MPG Converter
Step 1
After downloading and installing the program. Click Add from the menu. Choose the WMV file.
Step 2
Click convert.
Tips and Warnings
The larger the WMV file, the longer the conversion process will take. A lot of these file conversion programs also let you change AVI to WMV, although quality may suffer in some cases.
While the actual conversion time will depend on the size of the file, your CPU speed and available RAM will also play a part. To avoid problems, shutting down other programs may help.
To convert WMV to AVI, you need to download software from the Internet. As the instructions above show, the process is really quite simple.