Need help troubleshooting PC that won't play DVD movies.

[Warren]

My PC works fine on every level that I can think of except it won't play DVD
movies. I've tried both Intervideo WinDVD 6 and Cyberlink PowerDVD 5 with
no joy. The computer has been able to play movies in the past but there
seems to be something missing now. PowerDVD wouldn't even start, just gave
me a black screen, and WinDVD starts but then begins stuttering and then
finally freezes after about 30 seconds. I also have Nero Show Time
installed with similar lack of reults. The hard drive light seems to be on
steady in all cases. I can usually abort either program by ending the
respective tasks in the Task Manager. I'm running Win 98SE on a P4 2Ghz
Intel PC.

One of the issues I'm trying to resolve is enabling of DMA on my DVD-ROM
drive. Apparently this must be enabled. When I go to Device Manager to
check this out, there is no check box available. Then I read that if you
have
Intel Application Accelerator installed, which I do, then this check box
entry is hidden in Device Manager. I go to Intel Application Accelerator
and I don't know what I'm looking at. My DVD-ROM configuration says Current
Transfer Mode = UDMA-2, Transfer Mode Limit = No Limit. Does this mean DMA
is enabled or should I be selecting Transfer Mode = DMA-2?

Is there anyone willing and able to help a computer non-expert ( I may need
some hand holding, although not totally clueless)? Thanks in advance for
any help offered.

[Eric]

I would remove any software that is supposed to help run
DVD software such as Intel Application Accelerator.

Run Windows 98 cleanly with all of the latest updates and
multimedia drivers from
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ installed and the
latest version of DirectX from
http://support.microsoft.com/.

Look in the Control Panel under Multimedia => Devices
where the multimedia drivers are listed.

I would also install all of the latest drivers for your
system's video and sound cards from their manufacturer's
sites, and the motherboard chipset's drivers from its
manufacturer's site. One of the driver files is for the
IDE busmaster drivers and AGP driver.

The free Everest Home Edition from http://www.lavalys.com/
can identify your hardware, if necessary.

Eric,
http://www.pcbuyerbeware.co.uk/
http://www.sharedbirthday.co.uk/




>-----Original Message-----
>My PC works fine on every level that I can think of
except it won't play DVD
>movies. I've tried both Intervideo WinDVD 6 and
Cyberlink PowerDVD 5 with
>no joy. The computer has been able to play movies in the
past but there
>seems to be something missing now. PowerDVD wouldn't
even start, just gave
>me a black screen, and WinDVD starts but then begins
stuttering and then
>finally freezes after about 30 seconds. I also have Nero
Show Time
>installed with similar lack of reults. The hard drive
light seems to be on
>steady in all cases. I can usually abort either program
by ending the
>respective tasks in the Task Manager. I'm running Win
98SE on a P4 2Ghz
>Intel PC.
>
>One of the issues I'm trying to resolve is enabling of
DMA on my DVD-ROM
>drive. Apparently this must be enabled. When I go to
Device Manager to
>check this out, there is no check box available. Then I
read that if you
>have
>Intel Application Accelerator installed, which I do, then
this check box
>entry is hidden in Device Manager. I go to Intel
Application Accelerator
>and I don't know what I'm looking at. My DVD-ROM
configuration says Current
>Transfer Mode = UDMA-2, Transfer Mode Limit = No Limit.
Does this mean DMA
>is enabled or should I be selecting Transfer Mode = DMA-2?
>
>Is there anyone willing and able to help a computer non-
expert ( I may need
>some hand holding, although not totally clueless)?
Thanks in advance for
>any help offered.
>
>
>
>.
>

[LilDarlingsJKL]

You might try looking in your bios. It seems I remember in MAIN or STANDARD
setup where you pick your drives that there's an ON/OFF for DMA.

Luck to ya!

[Warren]

Thanks, I'll check it out.

"LilDarlingsJKL" > wrote in message
...
> You might try looking in your bios. It seems I remember in MAIN or
STANDARD
> setup where you pick your drives that there's an ON/OFF for DMA.
>
> Luck to ya!