Need help with Windows Media Player

[Rick Lee]

I am trying to view a DIY DVD for my motorcycle. Worked fine on my old laptop. New one is giving me this error message. Any quick work around here that doesn't require me to buy something online?

"Windows Media Player cannot play the DVD because a compatible DVD decoder is not installed on your computer."

[84porsche]

Originally posted by Rick Lee
I am trying to view a DIY DVD for my motorcycle. Worked fine on my old laptop. New one is giving me this error message. Any quick work around here that doesn't require me to buy something online?

"Windows Media Player cannot play the DVD because a compatible DVD decoder is not installed on your computer."

Windows Media player does not have the right decoders to read the DVD. Have you played the DVD before?

Windows charges for the decoders here - http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/plugins.aspx#DVDDecoder

or

Go here and get yourself a free player.

http://www.download.com/3120-20_4-0-1-0.html?qt=dvd+player&author=&titlename=&desc=&dlcount=&daysback=&swlink=&gfiletype=&os=128&li=49&dlsize=&ca=

If you have a DVD burner, it is likely you have DVD playing software on the disk that came with that drive that all you need to do is install.

[Rick Lee]

Thanks, but I am not finding any free dvd decoders there. Lots of free stuff, but no obvious dvd decoders.

[84porsche]

If you download one of those free players - they will play dvds. I believe one of them is by Artisan. Also you can go to www.divx.com and download the codec and see if it plays - http://www.divx.com/divx/windows/codec/

Sometimes a divx codec will work for dvds. Just a thought.

[nightheart]

vlc. It's free and plays just about anything. not prettiest thing around, its just plain and works.

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

[Rick Lee]

Thanks! VLC worked.