The other day I was helping a friend reInstall Windows, well, helping isn't quite the right word; it was on a Dell notebook and we used their disc. We updated firmware/bios, and then blanked out the hdd, reInstalled Windows from the Dell XPSP2 CD, and installed all the MS drivers, updates, and patches. No software, except from Msft.

We went to watch a DVD, and found WMP10 couldn't play any DVDs. Can anyone confirm for me if this is normal, XP Can't play DVDs out of the Box.

I would have thought one of the drivers, or even XP, would have contained a decoder somewhere.

As always, thanks for your help.

Windows Media Player will not play a DVD until u buy a dvd decoder...

dell system's that ship with dvd roms usally comes with cyberlink dvd decoder.

install those drivers that shipped with the notebook.

Thank you folks, I wasn't sure if it was a Dell or Msft thing ~ guess it's both.

In the end we searched and found a CD containing the Cybermedia Power DVD player you mentioned. It wasn't on the Drivers CD, nor in any download or Media Experience.

For some reason, I thought decoders were always free, it was the encoding that royality restrictive.

Guess I'll need to find a decoder for general systems.

Thank you again

Some people say WMP 10 will play DVD, although I cannot confirm it.

Are you sure DELL comes with WMP10?

Some people say WMP 10 will play DVD, although I cannot confirm it.

Are you sure DELL comes with WMP10?

WMP10 will play DVD's, and it is a free download from microsoft (assuming you pass "Genuine Advantage")--but as mentioned by lostincyberspace, it will only work if you already have DVD decoders installed. Kind of a catch22 if you ask me.

No, Dell does not ship WMP10.

We downloaded the updates from WinUpdate and some optional componnents.

As a check, I installed WinXp sp0, sp1, and sp2, but none could play DVDs with the base install, nor would it work with just WMP10.

Using the key:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Player\Settings]

"EnableDVDUI"="Yes"

Did nothing for either mp versions.

Real Player 8/8.5/10 also does not include a DVD decoder by default, it is a downloaded componnent if a decoder is not already installed (but my rp10 is pretty old).

It seems nVidia and ATI desktop/retail cards include a DVD decoder with their drivers, so usually it appears with the Win Install. Also, Roxio/Sonic and Nero (retail) include decoders. Wmp 9 can also play DVDs with a Decoder.

I guess this explains why so many motherboard vendors are shipping DVD software with their boards.

Thanks for the clarification.

I tested WMP9 before on a test install and it wouldn't play DVD.

So I'm a bit sceptical about WMP 10 being able to play DVD on its own. (I don't mean with a decoder installed: of course it will play DVD then.)