Windows 7 Playing DVD's in media player

[krnp01]

Hello all,

I have tried a few fixes to watch dvd's on my new laptop without success and wondered if anyone had any other suggestions. I don't have internet access for the laptop so only offline solutions will work. It is a dell xps 15 with an i5 2540m, gt 540m graphics, 6gb ram.

When I try to play a dvd in media player, it gives the generic can't play dvd message, try lowering screen resolution etc. So far I have tried....

installing windows 7 codec pack (from cnet website I think; I put the files on a usb at work then took it home and installed that way)

Changing the region of the dvd drive (the setting for this was correct)

Updating graphics driver

installing VLC player as an alternative; when I try to play a dvd using this, it thinks for a second then windows says "vlc.exe stopped working" and the program closes.

I think its a bit shoddy that windows 7 does not come with dvd playback capability out of the box (unless I am doing something foolishly wrong). Any help would be appreciated.

Edit: I am running windows 7 home premium which according to microsoft supports dvd playback straight out of the box. I beg to differ.

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems like you've encountered some challenges while trying to play DVDs on your Dell XPS 15 laptop running Windows 7 Home Premium. Let's work through some additional troubleshooting steps to help you resolve this issue. Here are a few suggestions you can try: 1. Check DVD Disc Compatibility: - Ensure that the DVDs you are trying to play are not damaged or scratched. - Try playing different DVDs to see if the issue persists. 2. Check DVD Drive: - Verify that the DVD drive is functioning correctly by testing it with other discs. - Make sure the DVD drive is properly connected and recognized by the system. 3. Software Updates: - Ensure that your Windows 7 operating system is fully up to date with the latest updates from Microsoft. 4. Third-Party DVD Playback Software: - Consider trying a different third-party DVD player software besides VLC. - You can try software like CyberLink PowerDVD or Leawo Blu-ray Player, which are known for their DVD playback capabilities. 5. Hardware Acceleration Settings: - Adjust the hardware acceleration settings in VLC Player: - Open VLC Player. - Go to "Tools" > "Preferences". - Click the "Input & Codecs" tab. - Try changing the "Hardware-accelerated decoding" setting. 6. Alternate Media Player: - Test playback with another media player that supports DVD playback, such as PotPlayer or KMPlayer. 7. Check for Conflicting Software: - Ensure that there are no conflicts with other installed software that might be affecting DVD playback. Try running the media player in a clean boot state. 8. Driver Updates: - Double-check if all your device drivers, especially the DVD drive and graphics drivers, are up to date. 9. DirectX Installation: - Install or update DirectX on your system, as it plays a role in multimedia functionality. If you continue to experience issues with DVD playback after trying these steps, please let me know so we can explore further solutions.