# DVD drive problem **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 21, 2008, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-drive-problem/434337 "2008-01-21T03:24:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-drive-problem/434337/1 "2008-01-21T03:24:49Z")
My dvd drive isn’t working. If I try to play a DVD, I get a message saying I need to insert a DVD. I think it thinks I’m trying to burn a DVD rather than watch one. All of my DVD playing programs crash when I open them. It was working fine this morning and I haven’t installed anything new or changed any settings since then. My laptop runs Vista. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-drive-problem/434337/2 "2008-01-21T18:45:05Z")
Almost sounds like a software issue. Have you tried rebooting? How about a different DVD? ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-drive-problem/434337/3 "2008-01-22T21:14:58Z")
If that doesn’t work, try re-installing the DVD drivers. Go to Start-\>Control Panel-\>System-\>Device Manager. Find your DVD driver, right click, and uninstall. When that’s done, go to Action-\>Scan for hardware changes. Windows should download new drivers. ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2008, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-drive-problem/434337/4 "2008-01-22T22:25:20Z")
[QUOTE=JSexton] If that doesn’t work, try re-installing the DVD drivers. Go to Start-\>Control Panel-\>System-\>Device Manager. Find your DVD driver, right click, and uninstall. When that’s done, go to Action-\>Scan for hardware changes. Windows should download new drivers. [/QUOTE] Windows _might_ install the same (possibly corrupt) driver for the DVD player in that case. If it doesn’t work the first time around, get the make/model number of the DVD drive and check the manufacturer’s website for updated Vista drivers. Download those and use them to install the DVD player. Also, some CD/DVD authoring programs don’t work well together. If the above doesn’t work, I’d recommend getting ride of any programs you don’t actually need. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2008, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-drive-problem/434337/5 "2008-01-23T05:20:04Z")
[QUOTE=Flander] Windows _might_ install the same (possibly corrupt) driver for the DVD player in that case. If it doesn’t work the first time around, get the make/model number of the DVD drive and check the manufacturer’s website for updated Vista drivers. Download those and use them to install the DVD player. [/QUOTE] Sound advice in general, although in this case it’s probably not a worry, since it was working 12 hours ago. But getting newer drivers is (almost) always a good plan. Actually, now that I think about it, it’s possible that he _did_ get updated drivers, and those had a problem. I also note that it’s Tuesday, which is Windows update day. Was there a media-related Vista update rolled out today? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2008, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-drive-problem/434337/6 "2008-01-23T06:42:04Z")
Thank you for the replies. I cussed it out and went to bed. The next morning it was purring just fine. 😕 But I think I’ll bookmark this thread just in case. (I’m pretty sure my roommate is tired of hearing me yell, “I’m the fucking administrator! Do what I fucking tell you!” at my laptop.) ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2008, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-drive-problem/434337/7 "2008-01-23T14:34:33Z")
[QUOTE=Inner Stickler] “I’m the fucking administrator! Do what I fucking tell you!” [/QUOTE] “I know, but are you _SURE_???” ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2008, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-drive-problem/434337/8 "2008-01-23T18:23:10Z")
[QUOTE=Inner Stickler] (I’m pretty sure my roommate is tired of hearing me yell, “I’m the fucking administrator! Do what I fucking tell you!” at my laptop.) [/QUOTE] Oh, so you know my daily mantra? (Fuck you Backup Exec! Cancel means Stop NOW, not say Cancel Pending for two fucking hours while the network slows to a crawl! Do NOT make me admin you!)