Dell Inspiron 6400 clean-up. Now DVD drive does not work.

[pradchal1]

I have a Dell Inspiron 6400 and I recently was trying to clean all the unwanted softwares from my laptop. In the process I may have uninstalled either a program or a driver mistakenly. As a result, the DVD R/RW does not read DVD anymore. It still plays audio CD, but when I insert a DVD, it does not play in Dell Media Experience software.
Even Windows media player and Divx do not play the DVD. So I am made to believe that the problem might be with a driver. Surprisingly however, under “Device Manager” the driver for DVD seems to be just fine. When I try to click on my DVD drive under “My Computer” once the DVD is inserted, I get an error message saying “The file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Create an association in the folder options control panel.”
But I can still see VIDEO_TS, AUDIO_TS folders if I open it in windows explorer which tell me that nothing is wrong with the DVD drive itself.

Does anyone know what dell driver or DVD player software I may have to reinstall to get the DVD to work?

Thanks
Prad

 

[BadBigBen]

Ok, you can navigate into the DVD/CD folders without a problem, but WMP and DELLs Media experience can not play a video DVD...

this is usually due to missing CODECS, solution is to install a simple CODEC pack like the K-Lite Codec Pack standard, or to reinstall the DVD player software...

K-Lite Codec Pack

http://www.free-codecs.com/download/K_Lite_Codec_Pack.htm

Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[pradchal1]

Hi Ben,
I installed the K Lite Codec package and it still did not solve the problem.
I am still getting "The file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Create an association in the folder options control panel." error when I click on my DVD drive after inserting a DVD cd.
Dell Media Experience and Windows Media Player does not play the DVD either.

Prad

 

[BadBigBen]

oh, ok...

righ click the DVD icon, then choose the TAB called AUTOPLAY, there choose on the DROP DOWN menu DVD Films, then under ACTION choose the PLAYER you want to use to play back VIDEO, e.g. WMP or DELL's own... hit OK, for it to take...

report back...


Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[pradchal1]

Hi Ben,
Ok I did what you have told me to.
When I tried to open it by selecting Dell Media, Dell Media opened and displayed an error message "Dell Media Experience is unable to detect your VCD." So it still does not play with Dell Media Experience.

However, it now plays in Windows media player. At least this part is working.

But I still have not figured out what is wrong with Dell's software.

Even though I can now watch the DVD on Windows media player, Dell Media Experience allowed me to watch a DVD without restarting the entire computer. It was nice little thing on my Inspiron 6400.

If you have any advice on how I can get Dell's software to work please let me. Otherwise, thank you very much for your tips.

Prad

 

[BadBigBen]

I would try to update the software or reinstall it, it seems that somehow or someway the Dell's Media Experience may have become corrupted or damaged...

Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[kjv1611]

Another option you may can try - if the last option doesn't work - is to go into System Restore, and attempt to restore Windows to a point in time prior to when you began uninstalling everything. Then, after that completes, try to uninstall unwanted programs one at a time, checking after each whether the Dell DVD software works correctly, and if/when you run into an issue, you at least know what program it was - you could then restore prior to that uninstall, and don't uninstall it.... or troubleshoot as to the whys.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[BadBigBen]

kjv1611 - good suggestion, I had totally forgotten about the System Restore, as I don't use it personally...

Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[kjv1611]

Yeah, it's been a VERY rare occasion that I've even considered it for myself, as well, but I find that most people do benefit from it if they use it. I'm always afraid I'll forget some customization done after the restore point, and would rather find and fix the program than redo the customization!

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[manhunter2826]

Have to admit, System Restore XP has saved my bacon many a time, even recovering from nasty viruses (esp. in Safe Mode).

Don't have Vista: did SR ever improve upon XP version or essentially the same? Sorry, didn't mean to deviate from the OP's question/problem.

 

[cmeagan656]

I'm always afraid I'll forget some customization done after the restore point, and would rather find and fix the program than redo the customization!

System Restore has saved my bacon a few times too. I get around the customization issue by creating a manual restore point before uninstalling or installing anything, including drivers and MS updates.

Hope this helps.

Please help us help you. Read Tek-Tips posting polices before posting.

 

[kjv1611]

Ya know, I wish I had some bacon right now. Thanks for mentioning it so many times, guys! ;p

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[pradchal1]

In fact, I had tried system restore a number of times and unfortunately that did not solve anything. So I a left to think that something is wrong with Dell's DVD software.

Anyway, now I can watch DVD on Windows Media Player.

So thank you everyone for all their help.
Prad

 

[BadBigBen]

at least you are able to view DVD's... but something still is bothering me, actually two things...

1. have you tried to reinstall the Dell Software?

2. and why do you would you have to restart the PC with anything other than the Dell Soft?

Dell Media Experience allowed me to watch a DVD without restarting the entire computer.

Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[pradchal1]

Hi Ben.

Yes I tried to reinstall Dell Media Experience, and still that did not solve the problem. I called DELL, but since the warrenty was over they wanted me to pay $49 before I could have any help or suggestion.

My Dell Inspiron 6400 has a small button that I can press after inserting a DVD on my DVD drive and it opens Dell's software (Dell Media Experience) and I can watch the movie. All this without having to start the laptop. That's what I meant.

ThanksPrad

 

[kjv1611]

Okay, here's down to the nitty gritty.

Dell Media Experience (like the one by Toshiba and others) is a separate partition if it opens up outside of Windows. Therefore, if you changed something within Windows that is causing your Media Experience not to work, my guess is that one of the programs somehow changes the boot options for your computer.

To check, right-click on Computer, select Properties, then go to Advanced, and click Boot Options - I may have the wording slightly off, as I'm not looking, just going off memory (and don't have access to all this at work, currently,... unfortunately.

You'll have options there like, "how long to wait giving different boot options"... and "how long to wait giving different start-up options for Windows after failure..." stuff like that. And there's an option to edit a boot configuration file. My guess is that the program installed, once uninstalled "un-did" something in the boot config file. And from what I remember, they aren't real pretty, though not impossible to edit, either. I've just not taken a notion to mess with them - yet.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[BadBigBen]

they wanted me to pay $49 before I could have any help or suggestion.

I understand, and probably they would just tell you to restore the system...

now it is all clear as to what you meant and as mentioned by kjv1611, I too do not have a system to play with...

but maybe this link will help you further:

Repairing Problems With Dell™ MediaDirect™ 2 and 3

http://support.dell.com/support/top...6F33A6E7AD6E44B8E040AE0AB5E12EAC&docid=330711

Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"