Help with my PC's DVD Player

[johnscott]

OK, recently, my DVDs have been sticking when playing every few minutes then it freezes and I have to Ctl+Alt+Dlt it and it is really starting to piss me off. It has only happened in the last week.

My guess is that the CD Drive has become dirty. Is there any easy way of cleaning it without spending any money? Just a quick and easy way of doing it now, at 10pm at night? Unless anyone thinks something else is wrong with it?

Thank you.

 

[johnscott]

I don't know... I have reinstalled the PowerDVD (came with the Dell computer) a couple of months ago and it was working fine until this week... I have tried VLC also, but again it sticks.

Actually, I tried starting both up now, it plays for two seconds then it stops and quits on its own accord...! Why do you think this is happening?

 

[johnscott]

PC is about 6 years old. It's in a 'cupboard' kind of thing. I have a built in desk to the wall, and underneath on the bottom right there is like a sizeable cupboard type thing (no front), but wires in the back have built up over the years as I've bought more and more things.

I ripped a CD from a CD to my iTunes this afternoon.

I can play movies on my harddrive using VLC (I watched Heores and Prison Break this afternoon)

This seems to be the only current problem with the computer.

I do not seem to remember installing / uninstalling any software recently. I did download LAME codec (for music ripping) however, I just immediately deleted it and didn't install it as I realised I didn't need it.

I reinstalled PowerDVD because someone (or I, accidentally) deleted it from my computer.

 

[johnscott]

Noelie, thanks. That's really helpful. May you mind exaplining how I actually access my DVD Driver's lens? Much appreciated!

I am looking at the software now!

EDIT: I didn't know that you had sent me other comments earlier - I thank you for those as I hadn't realised!

 

[johnscott]

Noelie, further more.

I have installed the application and then started watching the show that I couldn't earlier. It was fine until 7 minutes in when it suddenly froze and then exited (which I did).

I subsequently tried opening it up again and it played for 2 seconds only to get the following message:

Error Code: F4D41436 (note, that 1 may be an I)
TheTV Out Port of your display card is not working properly.

What the hell does this mean??

 

[mike_n_herrin]

You can also get a laser lens cleaning CD. it's the same disk thing with little brushes on it that you use to clean your CD drive in like your car or stereo.

i've never even heard of that error though.

 

[johnscott]

http://www.howtodothings.com/computers/a3631-how-to-clean-a-cd-rom-drive.html

I read on one site that you shouldn't use alcohol but I always have and it hasn't hurt my drives - as long as you clean off everything - but do it whatever way you want.

Thanks everyone, I am still researching... Also, my DVD lens is actually INSIDE the drive. In that when I open the CD tray, it is literally a plastic tray that takes the CD/DVD into the computer to then get read by the lens...

 

[mike_n_herrin]

/\ mine is also, which is why i use the "cleaning" cd thing. i got mine at wal mart, but you can get them most anywhere.