Getting "unsupported Format" Message

Just pulled this computer out of retirement, which has two dvd-cd drives, and neither will play a dvd. Both play cd's fine. According to the device manager both are enabled but the troubleshooting guide is no help. Tried using WMP, Roxio, DVDDecrypter. Either I get the unsupported format message, or it doesn't detect a disc in the drive at all. Only dvd's. When I retired this machine all was well. Am I missing something obvious? Any help will be appreciated.

 

Try VLC. You can use the portable version so you don't have to install it, if it doesn't work.
DVDs keep changing and I suspect the unsupported format means the proper codecs are installed. Since VLC contains lots of codecs, it plays almost anything except perhaps Blu-Ray.
32 bit installed version (64 bit is beta so avoid that until it is out of beta)
http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/vlc_media_player.html

Portable version

Code:

http://portableapps.com/apps/music_video/vlc_portable

 

Thanks for the suggestion. But, it didn't go so well. Once it was finally downloaded, the installation bogged down by it requesting a connection to windows update, which, being on dialup makes that impossible, and also why freeware wants to talk to windows? Meh.

Still, VLC, if it worked, would still leave me being unable to use my dvd backup software, as VLC is in effect a work around. A problem would still exist. Is it possible that I am missing some dvd-related software?

 

You did not mention you are on dialup - it would help to know this.

I see that the portableapps site has the download from SourceForge. SourceForge is very slow and I am basing that on my personal experience using a high speed internet connection and downloading linux ISOs from SourceForge. I should have checked that before I posted that particular download link.

Here is another link to download. Please get someone NOT on dialup to download it for you and put it on a USB stick. It is over 40MB and on dialup it can time out and get corruped.

Code:

http://www.afterdawn.com/software/audio_video/media_players/vlc_portable.cfm

I downloaded and unzipped it. I get no prompt to connect to Windows update. Are you sure this wasn't a coincidence since the computer has been in storage? It could just be windows update doing its thing when it noticed you were connected to the internet and had not updated in awhile.

That's simply not true. I have more than one program installed for things, including DVDs. I can right click something and select open with and pick my program.
The fact that it is portable means, it makes no changes to the registry or the program listing on the computer.

I opened the unzipped VLC portable, I click on the exe and the program fires up. There is no Windows update message.

I'm asking you to do this to see if the problem you are having is hardware or software. If VLC works, we know it is some software problem. If VLC does not work we know there is a hardware problem with both DVD drives. Yes, it can happen.

 

FWIW, I have now gone to the backup harddrive hoping it would be trouble free. No such luck. And the backup was OLD. So both harddrives act the same, and I'm trying to draw conclusions here, but like you say, it might be both drives. If not it would be a BIOS problem?

As for VLC, that download connection broke at least 5 times. I was able to go back and start it again, seemingly where it left off, though I was not using an FTP connection. Got a full 27.5 gig file in the end. First time I clicked the exe icon, my firewall messaged me about the windows update. I refused. No install. So I started the install process again, but it justs darkens (the icon) and sits there.

 

The zipped file size is 45.97 MB so I'm confused about your 27.5GB file. That's huge! I'm not sure exactly what you are downloading because Windows fits on a DVD and that is under 5GB.

When it is unzipped, the file size is 111-112MB.

 

Looks like you got whole new windows and all the versions since beginning which is highly unlikely, it would take a year to download at dialup speeds.

 

27.5 Mega, not Gig. My mistake do I have to say?

 

Could it be that your old DVD players are not accepting that brand of DVD ? DVD/CD payers used be on occasion sensitive to the brand of disk used.

or that they are either DVD-R or DVD+R compatible players, and you happen to using the other format of disk ?

Dumb_Question
19.November.2015

 

If you downloaded a 27.5MB file, you did not get the complete file. The download should be 45.97MB.

Get someone NOT on dialup to download it for you.
You are wasting time trying to download a large file on dialup. The chance of it getting corrupted during the download increases the larger a file is.

 

I thank you for your time sir. The link you supplied in your first reply sent me to the MG screen I have attached below. That says 27.5, same as the file I now have. I wish we could stay on the original subject of my two dvd players not playing dvds. Not commercial dvds, not dvdrws, not dvd-rs. But cds play fine.

 

Optical drives have 2 lasers: one for CDs and one for DVDs.
You have two drives that don't play DVDs. I am trying to determine if the problem is hardware (laser dead) or software (things like codecs missing).

The only way I can do that from a distance is to have you try another player that includes all the codecs, VLC.

If the DVDs play with VLC launched, then we know it is a software problem. If they don't play, then we know it is hardware and the DVDs need replacing.

So it may seem to you that I'm not sticking to the original topic DVDs not playing when in fact, I am trying to troubleshoot the problem.

 

If I were to install the two working players from another machine and got the same result, would that convince you it was a software problem? This would be a better solution than VLC for me.

 

Just install one of the working players and let us know the result.

 

Tried the old drives one more time.
Hl-Dt-St gce 8526 B - cd yes, dvd no
Plextor Px 712 a cd yes, dvd no
Pull out HL drive, install Asus Drw 22 b2s b
cd yes, dvdYES
And the pop you heard was my head yada yada.

Thanks all for your patience. EOM

 

I have a HL DT-ST GCE 8526B.
It's a CD-Rewriter and No, it has never and will never read DVDs.
I suspect the Plextor drive is also not a CD/DVD drive.

 

This time, before speaking, I googled those two drives, and it turns out you're right about the HL-DT-ST, and wrong about the Plextor PX 712. Any rate, both are headed for the trash.

 

I would keep one of the drives - reserve it for reading/writing CDs, and the replacement drive for reading/writing DVDs. Unless you need both for reading/writing CDs & DVDs.
I use the LG for CDs and a Sony for DVDs even though the latter can read/write CDs.