CAn someone please help me to work my Windows media centre?

[nickytwotimes]

I cannot work out how to copy dvds from disc onto my hard drive.

It must be simple?

I have searched the help and advice bit on the laptop, but to no avail.

WHY DON'T THEY COME WITH A MANUAL!
(ahem, sorry)

Many thanks.

[nickytwotimes]

Pleasepleasepleaasepleasepleasepleasepleaase?

[RustyBear]

If you mean commercial DVD's they are probably copy protected, & Windows won't allow you to do it.

[nickytwotimes]

Bollocks.

I thought the media player allowed you to stroe them on your hard drive anyway? I thought that was it's point?

Thanks for your reply btw!

[RustyBear]

I'm not too sure tbh - I googled & came up with some sites from about 2006 that said Microsoft were going to do this, though possibly only for HD DVDs, and another which seemed to indicate that it wasn't possible after all.

There are also a lot of sites which either advertise software to rip DVD's or tell you how to change the registry so you can do it, which presumably nobody would bother with if you could do it legitimately. I'm not going to link to them I'm afraid, as I know nothing about their reliability & messing with the registry is dangerous if you don't know what you're doing.

There are actually 2 versions of media center on Vista - one was released last summer, but only on new computers - I bought mine in May, so I've got the original version; it's possible the new one does have this facility.

If you bump this this evening you may get someone who knows more about it than I do.

[FelineOkay]

I have this. What are you trying to do with it?

[nickytwotimes]

I am trying to put The Sopranos on so I can watch it on the laptop of a night without faffing with the discs.

RB, it is quite a new one. I am still learning, lol!

[FelineOkay]

Okay, I will go and look at mine and see what happens when I put dvd in.

I think I have the Vista one.

2 mins.

[nickytwotimes]

Ooh, thanks puss!

[FelineOkay]

Okay, so what happen when you insert DVD?

Mine comes up with "Now Playing [insert dvd name]".

[nickytwotimes]

Yes, it does that. I just can't find the option for copying it to the hard drive, iyswim?

[FelineOkay]

Oh okay what about when you press Rip.

[FelineOkay]

I know it is either Rip or Burn but no idea which one.

[nickytwotimes]

It's rip I'm after. I just can't find it!



Right I will have another look...



Be back shortly to swear or cry...

[RustyBear]

It'll be rip - burn is when you put it on a DVD. I don't remember seeing this on mine, so maybe it is in the later edition - I'll have to check when I get home.

[FelineOkay]

My rip is up the top beside, erm... burn and library and media guide.

I think you could be doing with the guide but it makes no sense to me.... I wonder if I could send it to you.

One sec. I will look again.

[nickytwotimes]

Can't see any options at all?!



Thaks for trying.

[FelineOkay]

if you go to www.windowsmedia.com

That might help?

[nickytwotimes]

Wonderful.
Thank you Feline.
I am fine if I get an instruction book with things, but without one I am clueless!

[FelineOkay]

Me too. If you cannot find anything at Windows just keep playing with it, you will find it. Sorry I am not much help.

[onagar]

Do you actually want to copy them to the hard drive or just put the DVD in and play them on that computer?

The latter you should be able to do although with Windows XP you had to install other software just to to make it work.

The former should be impossible without installing new software. I can't see there being software built into Windows to get around copy protection as that would be illegal. If anything Vista and later are designed I understand to make it harder still.

If you want to copy them to your drive for convenience then this will do it The free one is all you need to start with.

[nickytwotimes]

Yeah, I want to copy them to the hard drive. They play just fine.

I didn't know there was software, so thank you fro that like Onager. I think you halped me with something poota-related in the past, so you will know I am, ahem, a novice.

[RustyBear]

That was one of the ones I found, but I didn't feel I could recommend it as I didn't know anything about it & some of them can be dodgy.

[FelineOkay]

You can use Limewire too but please ensure you have a good virus checker.

I never use this btw, I have just erm heard of it.

[discreet cough]

[nickytwotimes]

Aye, I am not keen to use owt that isn't totally kosher.

My bil has wrecked pcs with stuff like that.

I will just have to go through the major inconvienience of loading and unloading the disc I suppose...

[onagar]

That one from that place is ok. They also do a paid version so they are hoping that giving you the free one will lead you to upgrade later. I've not used the free one for some time myself, but the site and software is quite well known so should be fine.

Googling for such things can be very risky and even from fairly respectable download sites I treat new stuff like an unexploded bomb

A good trick for any freeware is to download it from two places and see if it's the same size.

nicky, I hope it does what you want. It should unless Vista puts other hurdles in your way. If you play a copied DVD you will be officially not a novice any more