No response trying to play DVD movies

[videobruce]

I wasn't sure where to put this, but this isn't hardware related. I can read the DVD on either DVD drive in Windows (2k), but I can't play any movie.

I had PowerDVD installed, but had issues with it so I uninstalled it manually since I couldn't do do from add/remove programs (received error message). I searched the drive for all the file names associalted with the program (PowerDVD & Cyberlink). Then I used a Regestry Crawler to do the same. I did check the names to be sure there wasn't anythging that shouldn't be removed the best I could (there was a couple of hundred).

I installed a older DVD program (that I used before), but it won't play any DVD on either drive. These are orginal movies, not backups.

Come to think of it, I did have a related issue with PowerDVD. I tried to get rid of that nagging registration screen by typing in a fake e-mail address and it locked the program. I couldn't play anything afterwards. It just would keep either freezing up or just not playing the DVD, so I uninstalled it.

I can read the DVD on either drive, so it's not a hardware issue. I can read other DVDs' and burn DVDs' (including movie backups) with no issue.

Any ideas? (BTW, I don't want to re-install PowerDVD again).

[t0nee1]

Try MPC ,or VLC media players... Hope you didn't delete something from your registry.

[redwudz]

You need the MPEG-2 codec to play DVD's or any MPEG-2's. It doesn't come installed with any Windows OS because of copyrights. PowerDVD installed the MPEG-2 codec. That may be your problem. Usually works, though. Uninstalling PowerDVD would leave the codec installed. I would uninstall that MPEG-2 codec as it appears to be a problem. Codec Sniper, among others, can do that.

Then either install another player program that puts in a new MPEG-2 codec or install Stinkys MPEG2 Codec if you want a installed system codec.

VLC is a good player as it has it's own codecs, so it's a good test to see if you have a problem with your installed system codecs. If your DVD or other MPEG-2 play OK with VLC, then you likely have a codec problem. Most other players need a installed MPEG-2 system codec.

[12Quidkidinnit]

I occasionally have problems with power dvd. Most of the time it's ok, but I recently built a computer for someone and installed power dvd so they could watch DVDs on it. There were a variety of problems, including computer crashes and weird playback and freezing. I didn't have time to find out why it did this, but in the end I installed Cliprex dvd player instead, which enabled windows media player to play DVDs. This was the only other software I had on disc at the time and the computer wasn't connected to the internet.

http://www.cliprex.com/

[videobruce]

In Computer Management under Storage/Physcial Locations were two duplicate entries of the two optical drives with a red X.
Mind you, they weren't in DM (clean). I deleted those entries and so far so good.

It also appeared to be a problem DVD and a older DVD playing software (installed after I removed PowerDVD) which I uninstalled.
I will have to do some more testing.