Windows 8.1 won't play dvds

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Crystal Fiorentino

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Jul 22, 2014
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I have a Toshiba Satellite Laptop with Windows 8.1 pre-installed,with AMD E1 Essential processor. Its not playing my dvds, and I don't know what dvd playback software to use. please help me 🙂



 
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There are lots of options out there. VLC player is the one I use: http://www.videolan.org/vlc/
They have a desktop version and a metro one available in the Windows Store, so take your pick!
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Microsoft decided not to pay for DVD decoding software in Windows 8.x, so Windows Media Player won't play them. You need to download and install a program like VLC Media Player, an open-source, free player that will play just about anything you ever come across. It is absolutely the best:

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

[EDIT]: Being a French effort somehow enabled the creators of VLC to ignore Hollywood's copyright encryption on DVDs. VLC doesn't pay royalties to Hollywood, they just play the DVDs!


 
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There are lots of options out there. VLC player is the one I use: http://www.videolan.org/vlc/
They have a desktop version and a metro one available in the Windows Store, so take your pick!
 
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Solution
Although I am answering this post many months later, perhaps my answer will help those currently experiencing this or a similar problem. My 8.1 laptop refused to play any dvd I loaded. When I went on line to Microsoft, I learned that, if the manufacturer of your laptop included a dvd drive, it should have included the software to play dvds. I was told to open the control panel, and scroll thru the factory installed programs until a media player appeared. Then open and activate it. On my Samsung laptop. Cyberlink Media Player popped up. After I opened it, it wouldn't operate properly. I couldn't access or change the settings. The player only acknowledged the there was a disc in the drive, but it could not be played. I closed the player. Reopened my control panel. Typed the word "dvd" in the search box. a minute later, "autoplay" appeared. When I opened that file, I discovered , by default, it had been turned off. I turned it on and began adjusting the settings. Cyberlink Media Player was listed as an option. I set it as my new default. Clicked save and exited. Reopened Cyberlink. The app worked flawlessly. I can now play my dvds. So according to who manufactured your laptop, your media player may simply be asleep.Naturally, if you are dissatisfied with the factory player, download one to your liking.
 
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Perhaps Cyberlink's software behaves differently now, but when I used their "free" software pre-installed on laptops, it nagged me to upgrade to a paid version every time I started the software, and I think also when I exited it. Very annoying. One time I bought a copy, and the purchased copy STILL nagged me every time I used it, to buy either a newer (upgrade) version or a more feature-rich, expensive version. VLC, being free and open-source, never nags. Ever.
 
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Oh my word!!! I have seriously been working with a friends computer for the last 6 hours or more! And I thought I was going to still be here by the time it was 3:00am. But then I came across this link and it worked!!! I have downloaded and uninstalled so many different things it's ridiculous, but the link you shared, actually worked, and she can now watch movies again!!! :) Thank you so much!!
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html
 
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Just to clear things up a bit, Microsoft used to included the MPG-2 codec needed to playback DVD's with Windows. That practice stopped with Windows 8. It doesn't affect most OEM machines because they typically include playback software which includes the codec. Clean windows 8 installs need the codec from another source. Media player classic also plays back mpg-2.

I'm assuming this is the case with Windows 10 as well, but I have not seen confirmation of it.
 
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I have Windows 8 Professional with Windows Media Center on a computer i assembled myself (not a pre-built) and it plays DVDs just fine. With Windows 8, WMC no longer has the burn a dvd option like Windows 7 does. In Windows 10, there is no longer the option to use WMC, so you will have to install some other dvd software as mentioned above.
 
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I followed your VLC link and a couple minutes later i had a working dvd player....Thank you soooooo much...I tried everything...Real player wanted to charge me entirely too much money ...and wouldn't stop spamming me to upgrade...I was hitting dead ends with my cyber link...and Intercultural Player ...following all the posted fixes on other sites... So I came upon this site....and 1-2-3 problem solved....I have never replied to a thread before to offer feedback....but i signed up to this one just to tell you THANK YOU ! What a relief !
 
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