# For a computer guy, this one has me stumped. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 16, 2006, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-computer-guy-this-one-has-me-stumped/357016 "2006-05-16T19:17:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-computer-guy-this-one-has-me-stumped/357016/1 "2006-05-16T19:17:52Z")
I have a laptop provided by my employer. It’s a Compaq Evo N600c laptop, with a DVD/CDRW drive in it. I want to be able to play DVD movies on it. However, the intervideo WinDVD software I have for the computer is not working. I tried to download it from the HP-Compaq website, and I get version 3.2 of WinDVD, but before the install really gets going, it tell me: This is not a qualified Compaq solution. Some searching on the web leads me to beleive that this problem is primarily due to someone trying to install compaq OEM software on a non-compaq computer, but that’s not what I am trying to do. So far, our help desk and the world wide web havenot led e down any really good paths for this. Does anyone know of any DVD players out there for download that are free and don’t load up my system with a bunch of spyware, malware, or other crap I don’t need? ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-computer-guy-this-one-has-me-stumped/357016/2 "2006-05-16T19:42:43Z")
Ok, I was able to get past this problem by disabling a software firewall I didn’t know I had. However, my computer still behaves as if it doesn’t know what DVD movies are. I can view a data DVD with no problem, but when I put a movie in there, it spins the drive up and down several times, then determines that apprently there’s nothing there. Browsing the disk in explorer shows the drive has no files (it does not ask me to insert a disc, it opens the drive and instead shows me a blank window), and Media Player and WinDVD act as if nothing is in the drive. I wanna watch movies dammit! ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-computer-guy-this-one-has-me-stumped/357016/3 "2006-05-16T19:42:47Z")
I think [CCCP](http://www.cccp-project.net/) included a DVD decoder. At the very least, it’s small and easily un-installable. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-computer-guy-this-one-has-me-stumped/357016/4 "2006-05-16T20:47:59Z")
A number of the early Disney titles came with, I believe, the “Intervideo” player on them. It self-installed, after a check, when the DVD was installed. It was a pretty niftly freebie. You might search your older DVDs. ---
**Author:** ![nivlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nivlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nivlac)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-computer-guy-this-one-has-me-stumped/357016/5 "2006-05-16T20:59:46Z")
> [@crazyjoe](#): > > Ok, I was able to get past this problem by disabling a software firewall I didn’t know I had. However, my computer still behaves as if it doesn’t know what DVD movies are. I can view a data DVD with no problem, but when I put a movie in there, it spins the drive up and down several times, then determines that apprently there’s nothing there. > > Browsing the disk in explorer shows the drive has no files (it does not ask me to insert a disc, it opens the drive and instead shows me a blank window), and Media Player and WinDVD act as if nothing is in the drive. > > I wanna watch movies dammit! Make sure you have all the necessary updated codecs on your laptop. Just google codec and download away. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-computer-guy-this-one-has-me-stumped/357016/6 "2006-05-16T22:04:30Z")
> [@crazyjoe](#): > > This is not a qualified Compaq solution. > > Some searching on the web leads me to beleive that this problem is primarily due to someone trying to install compaq OEM software on a non-compaq computer, but that’s not what I am trying to do. Is it possible that your employer has installed a corporate copy of Windows XP on the laptop, not a Compaq / HP copy of XP, and it is that that is causing the software to complain? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-computer-guy-this-one-has-me-stumped/357016/7 "2006-05-16T22:37:39Z")
If you have installed the inter-video package try playing the movie in windows media player. If the DVD decoder codec has been installed media player should be able to play the movie DVD. ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-computer-guy-this-one-has-me-stumped/357016/8 "2006-05-16T23:05:54Z")
> [@astro](#): > > If you have installed the inter-video package try playing the movie in windows media player. If the DVD decoder codec has been installed media player should be able to play the movie DVD. I am guessing this is not a codec problem because he cannot see any files in windows explorer. I have had this same problem. The drive could not see any files on the disk. It happened because I had installed Roxio Media Center on my PC. What they do not tell you is that it has a habit of totally screwing up the drive. The Dell support people sent me a new DVD for my work computer because we have a great service contract and they could not figure out another way around it. Still trying to figure out how to fix it at home. ---
**Author:** ![Lips\_Obsession](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bbce88/32.png) [@Lips\_Obsession](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lips_Obsession)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-computer-guy-this-one-has-me-stumped/357016/9 "2006-05-17T13:49:55Z")
You might try Media Player Classic. It’s open source freeware, and plays pretty much anything I can throw at it. Pretty small too. > **[guliverkli](https://sourceforge.net/projects/guliverkli/)** > > Download guliverkli for free. Media Player Classic, now part of the mpc-hc project. Home of VobSub, Media Player Classic (MPC) and other misc utils. This project is now part of the Media Player Classic - Home Cinema project, at... ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-computer-guy-this-one-has-me-stumped/357016/10 "2006-05-18T17:05:57Z")
> [@flight](#): > > I am guessing this is not a codec problem because he cannot see any files in windows explorer. I have had this same problem. The drive could not see any files on the disk. It happened because I had installed Roxio Media Center on my PC. What they do not tell you is that it has a habit of totally screwing up the drive. The Dell support people sent me a new DVD for my work computer because we have a great service contract and they could not figure out another way around it. Still trying to figure out how to fix it at home. Fuuny thing is that this IS a brand new DVD drive, as my old drive was dead (would not read most CDs). Arg, this is getting aggravating. ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-computer-guy-this-one-has-me-stumped/357016/11 "2006-05-18T23:45:01Z")
> [@crazyjoe](#): > > Fuuny thing is that this IS a brand new DVD drive, as my old drive was dead (would not read most CDs). > > Arg, this is getting aggravating. That damn program will crap it out in no time. Guess that isn’t wht you’ve got though. ---
**Author:** ![Dante](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dante/32/9673_2.png) [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-a-computer-guy-this-one-has-me-stumped/357016/12 "2006-05-18T23:52:13Z")
[VLC Media Player](http://www.videolan.org/vlc/). It literally plays everything, and you don’t have to worry about installing codecs. As someone who has seen a lot different video encodes (amateur and professional), this is easily the best player I’ve seen. And it’s free.