Changing Win7 To Read Region 2 Pal Dvd

Is there anything you can do to Win7 to temporally allow the reading (playing) of a Region 2 PAL format DVD?

 

Play the DVD with VLC media player. However, it depends on the drive's firmware.
RPC-1 will work, RPC-2 might work.
https://m.majorgeeks.com/files/details/vlc_media_player.html

 

I've been using VLC for many years. That's not the problem. As soon as the DVD is read Windows won't read it, I just get a "wrong Region" error type mention.
I recall that years ago, you could switch back and forth but it was limited to 5 switches. After five it would tell you "no more switching" That was probably Windows XP. Win 7 just says wrong region, no option to switch.
How do you check the drives firmware and make it RPC-1?
Thanks for any help.

 

SlyFox (now RedFox?) AnyDVD was my go to back when I used DVDs. Might find something newer / free. There use to be a site that made region free firmwares, might Google it. When flashing your drive with some random firmware might brick it, so I'd just go the software route.

 

You can't

https://www.microcenter.com/tech_center/article/3102/how-to-change-dvd-region-settings-in-windows-7

 

Eldon, thank you for that link. Everything went well and I changed the DVD region. I noticed that I only had 2 changes remaining (now one) although I don't recall ever changing the region before. Microslope and Windows strikes again.
Major Geeks has been my only defense over the years.

 

You're welcome.

While I share your dislike of Microsoft, the 5-change limit is embedded (firmware) in the DVD drive.

 

Let me buy you a cup of coffee. As I recall you like a shot of whiskey in your coffee, but alas, my arm is not long enough to reach across the pond.

 

Does that mean that if I change the DVD drive, I'll have 5 changes I can make?

 

Yes.
But only if the drive has not had region changes.

 

If you move a DVD drive from one PC to another, it will not change how many region changes are left. The latter is in the firmware.
Ripping with WinXdvd can remove that, IIRC.

 

Also, there are DVD drives that ignore the region.