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

Paula Pailaga Posted by Paula Pailaga to DVD/Blu-ray Player Oct 12, 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.

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 An outdated driver most likely has issues playing the most recent DVDs.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.

Update Driver

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.

Access Update and Security

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.

Select Video Playback

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.

Run Administrator

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.

Copy Text

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.

Blu-ray Player Box
4Easysoft Blu-ray Features

Support 4K/1080p HD video encoding H.265 video with excellent quality and smoothness.

NVIDIA hardware acceleration technology, you can have smooth DVD playback.

Easy playback control with different settings and video effect customization.

Organize DVD titles, chapters, and more into a playlist for instant watching.

Free Download

100% Secure

Free Download

100% Secure

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.

VLC Interface

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.

5KPlayer Interface

FAQs about Why DVDs will Not Play on PC

Conclusion

There you have it! Those are the 4 reasons, efficient solutions to fix this "DVD not playing on PC" issue, and 3 best alternative DVD player tools. With this post, you can identify and quickly fix the DVD not playing on PC issue. If none of the listed fixes could help fix the issue, you can use the 4Easysoft Blu-ray Player tool as your best alternative. With this tool’s AI technology and advanced DVD player features, you can acquire the best movie-watching experience! To discover more about this tool, visit its official website today!

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