WinDVD and Thinkpad T41: play a DVD after WinXP reload?

[hydrostarr]

I want to play movies on my DVD player in my T41, but after a WinXP reload, I'm unable to do so. Got any pointers?

Details:

(I suspect this is a faq, but it was darn hard to find the right search string to produce an answer when poking around... )

I reloaded my WinXP OS on my Thinkpad T41, and I'm now having trouble playing DVD movies on it. Windows Media Player says the system is missing a dvd decoder.

The WinDVD download from lenovo appears only to be an upgrade.

I thought I had saved all my necessary drivers/software for my hardware, but it appears I missed something. Any ideas how I get to playing movies once again on my laptop?

[agarza]

I use K-Lite Mega Codec Pack, it allows you to play AVI/XVID/DIVX/DVD's, basically all the codecs you'll ever need. It opens movies in WMP also.

K-Lite Mega Codec Pack

[GACrabill]

I thought I had saved all my necessary drivers/software for my hardware, but it appears I missed something.

Did you save C:IBMTOOLS\APPS\DVDPLAY

If so, double click on the setup.exe in that folder and it will re-install InterVideo WinDVD ..... then Window Media Player will work.

[hydrostarr]

Did you save C:IBMTOOLS\APPS\DVDPLAY

If so, double click on the setup.exe in that folder and it will re-install InterVideo WinDVD ..... then Window Media Player will work.

I unfortunately did not save the above folder. Is there any way for me to acquire this software somewhere?

In the meantime, I'll try out the above, free codec(s).

[hydrostarr]

I use K-Lite Mega Codec Pack, it allows you to play AVI/XVID/DIVX/DVD's, basically all the codecs you'll ever need. It opens movies in WMP also.

K-Lite Mega Codec Pack

Thanks for the tip. Do you know which version of K-Lite you have used/tested (and if anyone else can chime in with the recommended/tested version, please do)? I see three different flavors of K-Lite listed here:

http://www.free-codecs.com/K_Lite_Mega_ ... wnload.htm

[mhm]

I want to play movies on my DVD player in my T41, but after a WinXP reload, I'm unable to do so
...
The WinDVD download from lenovo appears only to be an upgrade.

WinDVD is installed when you select the "restore factory installation" from RnR and you have a DVD drive connected to the Thinkpad during the process. Otherwise it is gone.

Anyway, K-Lite is an option and I particularly like the Combined Community Codec Package. It is a well rounded package targeted at anime watching (tough audience to please).

[GACrabill]

Did you save C:IBMTOOLS\APPS\DVDPLAY

I unfortunately did not save the above folder. Is there any way for me to acquire this software somewhere?

On my T40, the IBMTOOLS folder is :
Size : 977 MB (1,024,802,662 bytes)
Size on disk : 984 MB (1,032,720,384 bytes)
Contains : 3,504 Files, 610 Folders

A compressed IBMTOOLS folder is :
Size : 977 MB (1,024,802,662 bytes)
Size on disk : 871 MB (913,943,948 bytes)
Contains : 3,504 Files, 610 Folders

It doesn't look like the Folder will fit on a CD but probably would fit on a 1GB USB drive.

Maybe you have a friend with a T41 that can replace your missing IBMTOOLS folder.

Or, if you put an old 2.5" HDD in the T41 and use the Recovery CDs, they will build you a new operating system with the IBM folders that you are missing and then you could copy them to a 1GB USB drive.

[hydrostarr]

Thanks for the info CACrabil. A question:

Or, if you put an old 2.5" HDD in the T41 and use the Recovery CDs, they will build you a new operating system with the IBM folders that you are missing and then you could copy them to a 1GB USB drive.

So I take it the recovery CDs (which I have--a pack of 4 of them for my T41 that I have never opened/used) has this DVD software?

In any case, I probably won't need it further, for the K-lite codecs appear to work ok with Windows Media Player (although I have yet to watch a movie more than a few seconds--I just tested it briefly). However, it would be nice to know if the recovery CDs has this and potentially other useful T41-specific software/drivers.

[GACrabill]

So I take it the recovery CDs has this DVD software? ... it would be nice to know if the recovery CDs has this and potentially other useful T41-specific software/drivers.

The Recovery CDs process will re-build the C: drive as it was originally, including all IBM tools and driver folders. I do not believe that these folders exist as identifiable files on the Recovery CDs.