can not play DVD in Windows Media Center

[KALYAN23]

Hello, I have installed a new operating system that is windows 7 on my computer which i use at my home. Actually most of the time i use this computer to play movies or videos. But i am facing some problems regarding Windows Media Center. When i try to play the DVD through Media Center then i get the error message saying “Video Error,Files needed to display video are not installed or are not working correctly. Restart Windows Media Center or restart the computer”. Can anybody help me to watch movies on my computer again ?

[Glenny]

This would be happening because of something wrong with your graphic driver I guess. Here you can do is reinstall driver. Follow this procedure to do the same.
1. Go to Start Menu, Open Run and type "devmgmt.msc".
2. Expand "Display adaptors" by double clicking.
3. Uninstall your graphics card by doing right click on it.
4. Make a check for "Delete driver software for this device" check box, and press OK and restart your computer.
6. Go to Start Button again and type "appwiz.cpl" the search box.
7. Please uninstall graphics card software if any installed.

[Don_Lightfoot]

Don't want to steal your thread, but I am actually facing the same thing with a new computer I just got. Appears my builder did not install some stuff. The error I get when I want to play a DVD is "Windows XP Decoder required". It is available from the Windows download site, but for a fee.

Is there a free one available?

Again, sorry for cutting in. Hopefully we can both get an answer through one thread.

[Sam.D]

First of all i would like to ask you that only dvd's are not played by your Windows Media Center or all kind of files are not playing ? Anyway i would be suggesting you to reset Windows Media program.

1. Go to Start menu and open Control Panel/Programs and Features.
2. Select "Turn Windows features on or off" on the left pane.
3. Open "Media Features", Remove tick from "Windows Media Player" press "Yes" to continue, and restart your computer.
4. Now go to "Turn Windows features on or off" again. Turn on the "Windows Media Player" and "Windows Media Center" features and Restart.
5. Now you may try launching the Windows Media Player.

[ThoMas321]

Sometime it happens that the program you are using does not get closed by process even after you close it. As if you have tried the same program in some other application like Power DVD or some other player then wait for sometime and better if you check it by opening the Task Manager that is it still running a process for that program which has been closed. If it is then terminate that process manually and try opening your program again with your choice of application.

[Macarenas]

It might be the problem with the registry of your Media Center Components. So you can try registering them by doing following steps.
1. Go to Start manu and click All Programs, select Accessories, then right-click Command Prompt, and select for Run as administrator.
2. Enter the following commands, and press Enter key after each line.

regsvr32 atl.dll
cd C:\WINDOWS\eHome
ehSched /unregServer
ehSched /service
ehRecvr /unregServer
ehRecvr /service
ehRec.exe /unregServer
ehRec.exe /regserver
ehmsas.exe /unregServer
ehmsas.exe /regserver

[ZeDaX]

If any solutions are not working for you then you always have a solution as a last option is reinstalling the softwares from your windows automated cd. It is the best and better way to repair your corrupted softwares by reinstalling the fresh copy of that particular software. I hope you will be having cd which you have given with your computer.