Help needed to play dvds on laptop

[scotty230]

Had my laptop for about a year and 4 months now and all was working fine for a good while but recently its started not playing dvds .. it will how ever play video files fine if i download them and will play dvds that have been burned.

the laptop i have is an acer 5532 windows 7

if any one has any rough idea on how to fix this so it plays dvds again or how why its stopped playing now would be a much appreaciated.

 

[KSoD]

Do you have a codec pack installed? Did you region code your DVD Player?

 

[scotty230]

im not too good with all this kind of stuff haha erm all i know it worked before and now its stopped playing them ? i just cant work it out..

 

[iFargle]

VideoLAN - Official page for VLC media player, the Open Source video framework!

 

[scotty230]

av got vlc on the laptop still nothing?

 

[Trotter]

I use Windows 7 Codec Pack in conjunction with Windows Media Player for the most part. VLC works fine but I prefer to pop a disk in and relax while the computer does everything else.

|MG| Windows 7 Codec Pack 3.1.0 Download

Make sure you have updated WMP as well.

 

[scotty230]

thanks just installed it now will let you know how i get on

 

[carnageX]

Does your laptop read any other kind of discs? Does it play music CD's? Or is it only video DVD's that it's refusing to play?

 

[4P_Bulldozer]

Had my laptop for about a year and 4 months now and all was working fine for a good while but recently its started not playing dvds .. it will how ever play video files fine if i download them and will play dvds that have been burned. the laptop i have is an acer 5532 windows 7 if any one has any rough idea on how to fix this so it plays dvds again or how why its stopped playing now would be a much appreaciated.

@(almost)Everyone: It used to work, then it broke. He doesn't need new Codecs or a new Player he needs to fix what broke.

Always buy an extended Warranty for Laptops. You can take it back and get them to fix the problem.

Try different (Store bought) DVDs. Will the DVD Drive play CDs? Often the DVD will not work but the CDs will; that is a Driver issue or dirt on the Laser affecting the more sensitive DVD usage.

Try un-installing your DVD Drivers and rebooting. Windows will recognize the 'new' Drive and re-install the Drivers.

Buy a DVD Cleaning Disk, if you don't need it now (it does not fix it) you will need one someday.

Try blowing the dust out of the Drive - that involves opening the Laptop (for best results) so it is not the easiest idea (or the best idea for you); It is easier with a Desktop.

 

[Trotter]

You are right, Bulldozer, but it sounds like a case of codec corruption in this case.