
How do I know if I have a DVD reader on my PC?I just got a new computer from my folks and have been unsuccessfully trying to watch a movie. My Dad insists it has a DVD drive, but I can't tell. How do I ascertain what kind of hardware I have on my PC without tearing the thing apart? You're not the first person to be a bit baffled by how Microsoft Windows XP hides your hardware configuration details, but there are a couple of ways you can try and figure out whether your lack of DVD capabilities is a problem or just a non-DVD compatible drive. The easiest is to simply open up START -> Settings -> Control Panels -> System: ![]() Then you'll want to click on the Hardware tab, at which point you'll see this: ![]() As you might expect from the descriptions, you'll now want to click on Device Manager and then wait a few seconds while it launches: ![]() I have opened up the "DVD/CD-ROM drives" area by clicking on the tiny "+" icon adjacent. Hopefully you'll see something called "DVD" or with "DVD" in its name, as I do on this PC which has both a CD burner and a DVD reader installed. Double click on the individual hardware device you want to learn more about and you'll get a quick summary of its capabilities and featureset: ![]() Notice carefully the text in the middle box to ensure it indicates it's all functioning correctly. You want to see "This device is working properly" as demonstrated here. Oh, while you're here you can also check that you have your DVD player set to the correct region for movie playback too: ![]() That answers your question of how to ascertain if you have a DVD drive, but the bigger question of why you can't watch movies, well, if you do have the DVD drive and can't get it to work, that's probably something else and your first step would be to test out the DVD in question in someone else's PC to make sure that it's PC compatible.
Help others find this article at Del.icio.us, Digg, Netscape, Reddit, and Simpy.
Categorized:
Windows Help
(Article 7153)
Tagged: dvd burner, dvd player, microsoft windows xp, windows dvd, windows hardware report Previous: I can't get Google Gmail to work on my Blackberry Pearl? Next: Can travelers or tourists rent cellphones in Europe? Subscribe!
Never miss another useful Q&A article again! Subscribe to AskDaveTaylor with Google Reader. It may be even simpler than looking in the device manager. On every one of my computers, the DVD drives say "DVD" somewhere on the faceplate. (It may say "DVD-ROM", "DVD-R", "DVD-RW", or "DVD-R/RW", depending on the writing/re-writing capabilities.) The CD drives only say "compact disc". Note that a DVD drive may have both "DVD" and "compact disc" labels, as they can read both. Posted by: Ken at January 26, 2007 4:33 PMYour system may also need some software in order to play the DVD. I believe Microsoft itself does not include dvd-playing software. Usually pc manufacturers will bundle a program with the system. Posted by: Alan at February 5, 2007 3:31 AMI have a DVD system but cannot read a DVD with photos on it? Doesn't even start??? Posted by: John at April 24, 2007 11:16 AMThank you, i finally found out hat i dont have a DvD Rom :( Posted by: Thanks at February 8, 2008 1:14 AMhow can i run such tyoe of dvds which having five or more then 5 movies. becoz some times my PC is unable to detect this kind of dvds. I have a lot to say, but ...
I do have a comment, now that you mention it!
|
Search
Find just the answers you seek from among our 1700+ free tech support articles by using our Lijit search engine.
Help!
Subscribe to
Ask Dave Taylor!
Free Updates!
Sign up and get free weekly updates and special offers on books, seminars, workshops and more.
Articles and Reviews
Auctions and Online Shopping Blogs and RSS Feeds Building Web site traffic Business and Management Cell Phones and Mobile Phones CGI Scripts and Web Site Programming Computer and Internet Basics d) None of the Above HTML and CSS Mac OS X Help MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and Social Network Help Pay Per Click (PPC) Search Engine Optimization Shell Script Programming Sony PSP, MP3 Players, Etc. The Writing Business Unix and Linux Help Video Game Tips and Help Windows Help
Recent Entries
Join the List!
Book Links
|