Why Does DVD Not Play on Windows PC? 7 Workable Fixes

Posted by Paula Pailaga to DVD/Blu-ray Player Apr 15, 2024

It must be frustrating when you are excited to watch a movie on a DVD, but suddenly, your PC fails to play DVDs. Well, there are many possible culprits for this issue’s existence. Fortunately, there are solutions you can use to fix it. If you want to discover them, continue reading this post, for it features 4 reasons and efficient solutions to fix this "DVD not playing on PC" issue. This post also collects the 3 best DVD player alternatives. So, start exploring them now!

The Reasons and Solutions to DVDs Won’t Play on Windows PC

As mentioned earlier, the "DVD will not play on Windows PC" issue arises for specific reasons. Now, identifying these reasons is very important so you can easily plot which solution you will use to fix it. So, here is the list of possible reasons why you suddenly encounter the "DVD not playing on PC" issue.

• Your Windows PC’s DVD drive is malfunctioning.
• Your Windows PC’s DVD drive does not support the DVD format.
• There are missing DVD codecs that are necessary for playing DVDs.
• Outdated Windows PC’s DVD driver.

Those are just a few possible reasons why you suddenly encounter the "DVD will not play on Windows 11/10" issue. To finally start fixing it, here are the 4 efficient solutions you can perform! Explore each of them and see which one helps you.

Solution 1: Install DVD Codec

The first solution you can do to fix the "DVD not playing on PC" issue is to install DVD codecs on your Windows PC. Microsoft set down the built-in DVD codec accompanying Windows Media Player after an update to Windows 10. In this case, this caused a loss of necessary codecs for playing some DVDs, which also might be the reason for the issue's existence.

So, to install a DVD codec, you can visit these codec packs on your Windows PC: "K-Lite Codec Pack and Media Player Codec Pack". Once you have successfully installed codec packs, restart your system. Then, try playing the DVD once again.

Solution 2: Update DVD Driver

Apart from that solution, you can also fix the "DVD will not play on PC" issue by updating your DVD driver. An outdated driver most likely has issues playing the most recent DVDs. So, it is necessary to update your Windows PC’s DVD driver to improve its support and compatibility is necessary. Now, to do this, here are the steps you should follow:

Step 1Move the cursor on the "Start" button with the "Windows" button, right-click on it, and click the "Device Manager" button. Then, expand the "DVD/CD-ROM drives" option.

Step 2Next, right-click on the "DVD drive" and select the "Update driver" option. Once the updating process is done, you need to restart your computer.

Solution 3: Windows Troubleshooter to Fix All Problems

If none of the above solutions help you fix the "DVD not playing on Windows Media Player" issue, you can try using Windows Troubleshooter. Windows Troubleshooter is a program that automatically detects and fixes problems on your Windows PC, including on the DVD driver and Windows Media Player. If you don’t know how to use this program, here are the steps you must follow:

Step 1Click the "Start" button with the "Windows" button and click the "Settings" button. After that, select the "Update & Security" option and click the "Troubleshoot" button.

Step 2Then, select the "Additional troubleshooting" option under the "Recommend shooting" section. After that, scroll down, select the "Video Playback" option, and click the "Run the troubleshooter" button.

Step 3After that, wait until the "Detecting problems" is done, which might take a few seconds or minutes. Once done, it will show you scanned problems and display potential fixes. Then, click the "Apply this fix" button to initiate the fixing process.

Step 4Once the fixing is done, click the restart button to restart your Windows PC. After the restart process, you can check whether it fixes the issue.

Solution 4: Modify the Registry

The last solution you can perform to fix the "DVD will not play on PC" issue is to modify the registry. This solution could help you fix your computer/Windows Media Player for not recognizing a DVD drive, or you can’t find any CD/DVD device listed under the CD/DVD-ROM drives. Now, to do this solution, here are the steps you should follow:

Step 1Click the "Windows" button, type the "cmd" on the "search bar", right-click on the "Command Prompt", and click the "Run as administrator" button.

Step 2Then, click the "Yes" button to confirm the selection. After that, copy the text "reg.exe add "HKLMSystemCurrentControlSetServicestapiController0" /f /v EnumDevice1 /t REG_DWORD /d 0x00000001" into the "Navigation" panel and press the "Enter" key.

Step 3After that, restart your Windows PC, access the "Device Manager", and check whether the "CD/DVD" device appears on your end.

3 Best Alternatives to Fix DVD Won’t Play on Windows 11/10

If none of the above solutions could help you fix the "DVD will not play on Windows PC" issue, you can switch to an alternative DVD player! And in this post, you will see the 3 best DVD/Blu-ray players! Explore each of them and see which one catches your interest!

1. 4Easysoft Blu-ray Player

The first tool you can use to fix the "DVD will not play on Windows 11/10" issue is the 4Easysoft Blu-ray Player tool. This tool supports playing all types of DVDs, Blu-ray discs, ISO files, and ultra-HD videos quickly and efficiently. Moreover, this tool is equipped with AI technologies that drive it to enhance the visual quality of DVD movies. Aside from the visual quality, it also brings lossless audio and dramatic high-definition surround sound. Furthermore, this tool also lets you choose subtitles and audio tracks, switch to full-screen, and adjust volume.

2. VLC Media Player (VLC)

Another tool that you can also use as an alternative to fix the "DVD will not play on Windows PC" issue is VLC Media Player (VLC). This tool can support different DVD formats and play them with high-quality visuals. Moreover, it supports an intuitive interface with easy-to-use playback and customizations, which provides you with the best DVD movie experience.

3. 5KPlayer

If you use an older PC version, you can use 5KPlayer as an alternative and fix the "DVD will not play on Windows Media Player" issue. This tool can help PCs experiencing struggles playing ultra-HD DVD videos/movies. It can play high-quality DVDs, supports an intuitive interface, and has easy-to-use menus. Another notable feature of this tool is that it allows you to download videos on YouTube and do AirPlay mirroring.

FAQs about Why DVDs will Not Play on PC

• Can I use 5KPlayer for free?

  Yes, you can use 5KPlayer for free! You can use this tool without paying for any subscriptions. However, not all its features are accessible. You need to register first before you can use them.

• What will happen if my DVD has a lot of scratches?

  If your DVD has a bunch of either broad or deep scratches, then this will affect the readability of your disc. It also provides struggles for the DVD drive’s laser to read the data efficiently. Moreover, this could also be why your DVD is not playing on PC.

• Is there any negative effects that will take place if I modify my registry on Windows?

  Yes, there are adverse effects that could take place once you modify your Windows registry. Some of these effects include slowdowns in the PC’s performance, software crashes, and system failures. But these effects will only occur if you have entered an incorrect registry.

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