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Missing NIC & DVD Decoder
Sorry to ask a question unrelated to Production/Post-Production, but there’s nothing that comes close to the level of intelligence, experience and practicality of the contributors to these boards.
I have an older Dell Dimension 2350 desktop computer. I wiped it clean and restored it with the Dell restore disk. When I plug in my ethernet cable, I can’t get the internet. Comcast tried to help me but said the computer needs a NIC, a network interface card. I searched the message boards for this computer, tried everything that was suggested, including re-restoring the computer, but can’t get the internet. Any suggestions?
Also, it won’t play a DVD. It throws up an alert that says Windows Media Player cannot play this DVD because a compatible DVD decoder is not installed on your computer. What is the solution to this and why isn’t it part of the restore disk?
Thank you
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5 Replies
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You probably just need a driver for the network card. And you’ll need some DVD player software, not Window Media Player. Try VLC from videolan.org
Arnie
Post production is not an afterthought!
https://www.arniepix.com/ -
Windows computers may come with a DVD drive, but not necessarily DVD playback software. We encounter this all the time with clients on large corporate networks.
Mike Cohen
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Thank you for your help. I literally was without a NIC, nowhere to be found on my computer. On the Dell message boards, I searched this problem and was guided to the NIC download. I had to download it from another computer to a flash drive since I didn’t have internet access from this computer, then was able to load it and presto instant internet. The other issue, the DVD decoder, again on the message boards I was guided to a free download. I downloaded it and presto perfect DVD playback. I’m not at that computer right now, so I don’t remember the name of the free DVD decoder download, but if anyone needs it let me know and I’ll get the name.
Thomas H
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I’d be very, very cautious with free DVD decoder software.
I downloaded a “free” decoder codec once, and while it certainly worked, it also came with a full compliment of spyware and whatnot that started trying to take over my machine. Generally, DVD decoder codecs cost money, and I wouldn’t touch the ones that do not. I could be wrong, but you might want to do a virus/spyware scan to be safe.
VLC player is a free download and plays DVDs (and just about everything else) nicely, spyware-free. However, it’s a standalone application, and not a codec package, so Windows Media Player still won’t play a DVD with VLC installed.
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Good advice. Thank you. It’s my home computer. I’m at the office and just now quickly accessed my home computer to do a scan. I use Trend Micro for that. It actually had just finished a routine scan. A few things showed up, and were taken care of by Trend, but nothing out of the ordinary. While I was on the computer I checked to see what the decoder software is called. It’s called K-Lite. Thanks again.
Thomas H
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