Can't read DVDs

[CrazedAssembler]

I'm having trouble getting my computer to read DVDs. When I go to my computer it thinks it is a blank DVD. It doesn't matter if it is a movie or a game DVD, it can't read it. Can anyone clue me in to whats wrong? Thanks in advance.

[pam123]

Did this just start?
Does the drive read any disks, dvd or cd, at all?

[CrazedAssembler]

Its been on on going problem and I've only just recently been able to tackle it. It reads CDs just fine, but DVDs appear as blank. I took a DVD drive out of another computer that read DVDs fine, and it still doesn't work on this computer.

[pam123]

OK just to get this straight.
No DVD has ever played in the computer and when you exchanged drives with one you know works it also quit working in that computer ?
Both did, however, play CDs with no problem?

What DVD player software do you have on that computer and have you ever tried to use Windows Media Player to play DVDs on it?

[CrazedAssembler]

Hehe, yes to all. I've tried WMP and it hasn't helped any at all. CDs work just fine, but nothing on the DVD front. It appears as if they are blank.

[pam123]

Starting with possible software problems :
I was wondering if you had enabled the parental controls in your player software and killed DVD playback altogether.
Is DVD playback disabled in drive Properties for the 'D' drive ( right click on the drive in My Computer>Properties.), the "Take no Action" choice depending on what media is in the drive?

When you check Device Manager is DMA enabled, any yellow question marks by either the drive or the IDE connector?

Hardware :
The drive is getting power and playing CDs but if the 40 wire cable is at fault that could account for the non-response with DVDs.
Worth checking after you make sure the software is in order.

[Panama Red]

I'm wondering if a lack of codecs could be the problem. Unless you have software like Power DVD installed, the system may not have the proper codecs to allow DVD recognition. You might try downloading a free Codec pack like K-lite.

http://www.free-codecs.com/download/K_Lite_Codec_Pack.htm

[CrazedAssembler]

OK, I downloaded the codec pack and installed that and it doesn't seem to have helped although I'm not sure I set everything up right so if you can tell me which ones I should have set up it would help me out. And in my hardware manager I don't see any yellow question marks relating to things IDE, or to the actual drives so I'm at a loss still. Anything else you guys can tell me about?

[pam123]

What dvd software, not just WMP or the codec pack, do you have on the computer ?