Media Center always grabs DVD

I do not like Media Center DVD player but every time a DVD is inserted, it is automatically started on my e1405. Nothing that I have done in terms of changing the auto-play settings makes any difference.

Even if other player is opened before inserting the DVD; as soon as DVD is inserted, the Media Center starts and grabs it right underneath from the other player such as CinePlayer or PowerDVD.

I want interface which allows variable fast forward, easy turning on-off of subtitles, time-chapter display etc. Essentially, all I am asking is what I get with a generic DVD player on Windows 98SE or WinXP such as PowerDVD or WinDVD.

Other infuriating thing about Media Player is that when DVD is inserted, it starts itself but NOT in the DVD mode but in the "View Pictures" mode :-(

I have an open case with Dell for last 3 weeks. But still have no solution.

Please help,

- Vikas

 

Have you done a registry edit yet?

There is a registry edit that will make it so that autoplay will not function at all for your cd/dvd drive. Goto start-->run-->type REGEDIT

Then go to the following location:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE-->System-->CurrentControlSet-->Services-->CDRom-->double click on AutoRun and enter 0 for the value.

 

I just tried it but that does not work either :-(

As soon as I inserted the DVD, the Media Center started and the cursor was at "My Music".

- Vikas

 

Go to the my computer - right click on your dvd and click on properties - under the autoplay tab, click through the drop down box selection and change those that you want to prompt me each time to choose an action or choose an action you do want to perform. Hope this helps/works!

 

As I said in my first message, the setting of the auto-play gets over-written as soon as I insert a DVD.

I wonder if Dell factory installed image has some virus in it.

- Vikas

 

To disable this, you must prevent 2 programs from starting up....

goto Start>Run>msconfig

Goto your StartUp tab, and uncheck "PCMservice" and "DVDLauncher"

These are both MediaDirect programs that run in the background to catch when you insert a DVD into the drive.

When you click "OK" it will ask you to restart your computer, do so. When windows is loaded up, a dialog box will tell you that you changed some settings, yadda yadda.... just check the box so that it does not give you that reminder again, and click "OK" Tada.. you're done, and you'll never get nagged again bout Media Direct automatically booting up.... and you don't have to disable ALL of your autoplay options

 

I have already disabled DVDLauncher.

I have not found PCMservice in either msconfig or services. Also searching of all files resulted no hit with PCMservice.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks,
- Vikas

 

on my e1505, all I did was put a dvd in the drive, exit media center, opend my computer, right clicked the dvd, I got a menu , for music, video, dvd video, clicked dvd video,it gave me options to open with media center, media player, power dvd, nero showtime, I set it to open with power dvd, and its worked like a charm ever since, no registry edits or anything such

 

I had this annoyance with my E1505 as well. I did something in Microsoft's Tweak UI, and now all is well. Unfortunatley, I don't remember what I did.

 

I have tried the last two suggestions but still no luck :-(

If I right-click after inserting DVD, (after exiting the Media Center) I do not get a different menu for audio / DVD etc. I do have an entry there for PowerDVD which I can select.

Unfortunately, as soon as DVD is re-inserted, I am back to square one.

Using TweakUI, I unchecked the media center and windows media for DVD movie but nothing helps.

- Vikas