You will not be able to watch DVD movies on the default installation of any Windows 11/10 edition. Windows Media Player is not present by default in present in Windows 11/10 now. It has been replaced by the new Media Player app, and the DVD-playing feature has been removed from it.
Windows 11/10 also removes the Windows Media Center, and so you cannot play DVDs or view DVD movies natively.
How to play DVD in Windows 11/10
To play DVD movies on Windows 11/10, you have the following options:
- Activate and use the Windows Media Player Legacy in Windows 11
- Use the excellent VLC Media Player which is a completely free and open-source Media Player along with an excellent multimedia framework.
- You can also use the VLC Windows Store app
- Windows DVD Player app. is another option you can consider
- You can check out the CyberLink Power Media Player app in the Microsoft Store – but it is not free. It lets you watch movies, view photos, and listen to music too.
Related reads:
DVD won’t play on Windows computer
If you cannot play a DVD play on your Windows 11/10 computer, follow these suggestions:
- Ensure that the disc has been inserted properly into the DVD drive
- Check if your DVD-ROM drive is enabled
- Ensure that the DVD is Readable and not corrupted: Open Explorer > Disc Drive and check if you can see the files on the disc. If you can see the files, it means that it is readable.
- Check out DVD drive status: Make sure that there is no Yellow Exclamation mark next to DVD/CD-ROM drives in Device Driver
- Install the correct Codec Pack: Download and install the correct Code Pack for your Windows version
- Update your Device Drivers: Run Windows Updates and install the Optional Driver Updates as well.
- Use a good DVD Player software: Use one of the DVD Player software that has been mentioned in this post
- If you are using and external DVD drive, check that it is connected properly.
Windows 8 user
It is possible to play DVDs in the Windows Media Center. But again – Windows Media Center is not present in Windows 10/8. You will have to buy it as an extra, and then add Windows Media Center features to your copy, using Add features.
If you are using Windows 8 Pro, you can get the Windows Media Center by getting the paid Media Center Pack.
If you are using Windows 8, you will need to buy the Windows 8 Pro Pack and then enjoy the Media Center and all the features of Windows 8 Pro.
Both will give you Media Center and include support for, DVD playback (in Media Center, not in Media Player), broadcast TV recording and playback (DBV-T/S, ISDB-S/T, DMBH, and ATSC), and VOB file playback.
Do note that DVD playback in Windows Media Player won’t be enabled even after installing Media Center. This has been done to avoid overlapping features between the two and avoid complexity with the previously installed component.
DVD playback will be enabled only in Media Center. To enable the DVD Playback support in Windows Media Player, you will have no other option but to rely on third-party applications.
Read next: How to play Blu-ray Discs on Windows.
Any other suggestions? Drop them in the comments section!
you’d wanna be smoking some bad granola to actually pay for windows media centre, it’s shit, vlc for videos and winamp for tunes !! not rocket science lol
Just one more reason NOT to upgrade to Windows 8….
DAPlayer 1.0.1.9
Gom Player 2.1.43.5119
GreenForce-Player 1.20 Build 2246
Kantaris Media Player Lite 0.7.7
KMPlayer 3.3.0.33
MPC-HC 1.6.3.5818
SMPlayer 0.8.1
VLC media player 2.0.3
Xbox Media Center 11.0
MediaPortal 1.2.3
…
All of the above are free players to get the job done.
Need anything more to play DVD in Windows 8:
Windows 8 Codecs 1.21
With above any media player is full media center without spending any peny…
Enjoy Windows 8!
Media center is free for those that actually own a legal w8 copy. there’s an offer in Microsoft page
I have a legal copy of windows 8 and media player don’t work!!
You have to have Win8 Pro, I have home and it and the free key does not work.
if you don’t want to bloat your windows with some media players, then simply use k lite codec and associate codecs with windows media player, windows media player will play all the media files……
Personally, I use both k lite codec and pot player where pot player is default media player.
just bought a computer with Windows 8 one of the first things I do is hook up my DVD play to play a movie – it doesn’t work – I am not Joking – I will probably take it back and get a MAC…what other basics like this are not included with the computer ?
Just downloaded it and it was playing my downloaded movies within seconds. I’ll see how good the player is, but at least I can FINALLY play my movies on my new laptop. It’s going to make the roadtrips for work infinitely better! Thank you!!!!