XP reinstallation options for DVD playback

[postid]

Greetings:

I have an R40 (2897-54U) which was set up to boot WinXP, Knoppix and Debian Sarge. I decided to install Debian Lenny and was intending to drop the other systems. I prepped by wiping my hard disk with dban -- then remembered that I needed XP around two or three times a year for watching DVDs legally. I still have the hidden partition accessible by the Access IBM key and I also have a set of four recovery CDs that I'd obtained from IBM right after purchasing the R40. The latter are for a 2681, 2682 or 2683, so I assume that they reflect an upgrade of some sort (updated BIOS, drivers, etc.?). I've read that the XP version in the hidden partition doesn't include the DVD driver or playback codecs. Is that true? Do the recovery CDs include them? I don't believe that they're available for download from Lenovo. Do I have an option for reinstalling a basic XP system for DVD playback?

If the recovery partition or CDs won't give me DVD playback, then I'll skip installing XP and watch DVDs on another machine.


postid

[RealBlackStuff]

Welcome to the forum.
You can try if your machine still can install Windows from the Restore partition.
Press either F11 or the blue Thinkpad button at bootup.
If you get into the Restore program, you can (what else) Restore your original OS.
This should include the full installation, the way it came from the factory.
If this option no longer works, you can use the set of Restore CDs, which should also be a complete factory install.
Before you use the CDs, wipe your HD again with DBAN.
Then when XP is back, reinstall your Linux suites.

Your CDs may contain only XP, or XP/SP1 or even XP/SP2 depending on when you got your stuff.
If only XP or XP/SP1, you will need to also install SP2 (includes SP1) and SP3 (standalone).

OTOH, I'm sure there are DVD playback programs under Linux, so why bother with XP, if only used for DVD?

[Neil]

I've read that the XP version in the hidden partition doesn't include the DVD driver or playback codecs. Is that true? Do the recovery CDs include them?

Sometimes IBM (Lenovo) included DVD player software with Thinkpads, but not always. Windows XP does not include DVD codecs. Although a codec pack can be easily added. Same is true with Linux. Linux Mint comes loaded with codecs for all kinds of audio and video stuff, including DVD. IMO, you don't need Windows at all.

[postid]

RealBlackStuff, I'll try the restore, but I thought I'd read that it didn't contain the drivers. Thanks for the suggestion to wipe the disk if I have to try another method.

Friends, I know that the DVD codecs are available for Linux and just about everyone uses them, but there's a reason why major distros (Debian, Fedora, etc.) don't include them and you have to download them from other sources if you live in the US. This topic has been hashed over many times all over the Internet, so I don't want to waste too much space here. I agree that it's unlikely that a user would be sued, but if the distributor is in violation of the law, then the user is on questionable ground. According the End User Licensing Agreement that came with my R40, I can't even borrow the codecs from a Windows installation on the same multiboot machine to use in any OS beside the one that it was packaged with. If you know of a free or low-cost and legal US source of DVD codecs for use with Linux, please let me know. One can now purchase the codecs from Canonical (Ubuntu) or Linspire/Freespire, but that's rather pricey. I'm not familiar with Mint (I'll gladly check it out).

Neil, when you say the DVD pack can be easily added, do you mean that a download is available from Lenovo? I haven't found it listed at Lenovo's site.


-- Postid

[postid]

Mint has a version for those in the US and Japan that doesn't include the questionable codecs: http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php

They're following the notion that it's only distributors who may have a legal risk. That's yet to be confirmed AFAIK.

[Neil]

Neil, when you say the DVD pack can be easily added, do you mean that a download is available from Lenovo? I haven't found it listed at Lenovo's site.

No, AFAIK there are no DVD players available for download from Lenovo. But, if your machine shipped with dvd software istalled, then that player should be included on the R&R partition.

I'm just saying, the only media player included with Windows (Retail version) is WMP, and DVD codecs are not included. But, by adding third party codecs, WMP can play DVDs. Or one could use other media players that do included DVD codecs. Some of which are cross platform, for use on Windows, Linux, Mac, etc. systems.

[RealBlackStuff]

Free player for Linux: VLC from http://www.videolan.org/

As to Restore disks, either buy a set from Lenovo for $45.- or post a want-ad in our Market forum.
If you install/restore using only a CD-player, you will NOT get the DVD software installed!
You MUST use a DVD or DVD/CDRW drive to get the DVD software, which happens to be included in ALL Restore CD sets!

[Neil]

RBS, didn't postid say he already has both the recovery partition and CDs? He should be all set if he wants to play DVDs in Windows.

[postid]

I have a set of four recovery CDs acquired from IBM shortly after purchasing the R40. I have a 2897--54U, but they sent me disks for 2681, 2682 and 2683 machines. Updated BIOS, drivers or what? Just a similar machine? My R40 has a DVD/CRW drive in the bay, so if you're right about the drivers being in recovery and on the CDs I should be OK. I'll try the recovery partition first, then if that doesn't get me what I need I can use the CDs.

Thanks for your input.


-- Postid

[postid]

Videolan admits the U.S. legal problems of libdvdcss, which you need to run VLC. Look at the FAQ:
http://www.videolan.org/doc/faq/en/index.html#id521127

It says:

--------------------------
3.3.
Is libdvdcss legal?
The use and distribution of the libdvdcss library is controversial in a few countries such as the United States because of a law called the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act). If you are unsure about the legality of using and distributing this library in your country, please consult your lawyer.
Note
Beware: VLC media player binaries are distributed with the libdvdcss library included.
3.4.
What about personal/commercial usage?
Some of the codecs distributed with VLC are patented and require you to pay royalties to their licensors. These are mostly the MPEG style codecs.
With many products the producer pays the license body (in this case MPEG LA) so the user (commercial or personal) does not have to take care of this. VLC (and ffmpeg and libmpeg2 which it uses in most of these cases) cannot do this because they are Free and Open Source implementations of these codecs. The software is not sold and therefore the end-user becomes responsible for complying to the licensing and royalty requirements. You will need to contact the licensor on how to comply to these licenses.
This goes for playing a DVD with VLC for your personal joy ($2.50 one time payment to MPEG LA) as well as for using VLC for streaming a live event in MPEG-4 over the Internet.

-----------

The "please consult your lawyer" phrase is rather unsettling. And Videolan tells you you're liable to pay every time you use the DVD codec to play a DVD. I'd guess few people try to follow up on that obligation.

Look at the EULA that came with any Windows DVD-equipped machine. If you kept the equipment, you agreed to the terms, so you can't even use it on that very machine unless it's used with Windows. I'm re-evaluating my use of other codecs, too, such as mp3. Just because it's easily available doesn't make it legal for all uses. I wish for some cost-effective resolution for this issue. It costs around $100 to buy the codecs from Canonical. I'm curious to read the EULA for their codec packages.


-- Postid

[spuddog]

I use VLAN, Mplayer, Mediaplayer classic. If you want to be perfectly legal you can buy one of the commercial software players. for around $100.00

Scott

[Neil]

"playing a DVD with VLC for your personal joy ($2.50 one time payment to MPEG LA) as well as for using VLC for streaming a live event in MPEG-4 over the Internet....."

And Videolan tells you you're liable to pay every time you use the DVD codec to play a DVD. I'd guess few people try to follow up on that obligation.

That $2.50 is a one time payment. The end user effectively pays that fee when they purchase a computer that has a MPEG decoder installed, or purchases media player software that includes it, or purchases a STB DVD player for that matter. Same rules apply to Windows and other operating systems. Everyone is supposed to be using a licensed decoder. It's just up to the end used if the manufacturer or distributor has not licensed it.

While the user of open source MPEG decoders could contact the MPEG LA and pay $2.50 to have a licensed MPEG decoder, I'm sure your right that few have done so.

[RealBlackStuff]

Your recovery set probably contains drivers for both Pentium Mobile P4 and Pentium M.
That's the only difference I can think of.
Like I said, as long as you use a DVD drive during install, you will get DVD software as well.

Your discussion about the legality of using a certain driver or not, is valid, but rather moot. (basically: who cares?)

[postid]

I'm in the process of reinstalling WinXP from the recovery partition and am at the reboot stage. Unfortunately it's looking for GRUB:

"GRUB loading, please wait,..
Error 17"

I'm guessing that GRUB didn't get nuked when I wiped the drive. I'm not getting a prompt, so I don't know how I can get to the menu to boot WinXP instead of the now-nonexistant Debian.

Now what?!

[GomJabbar]

This might work - if you have a floppy drive.

Rescue and Recovery - Recovery repair diskette

USB Portable Diskette Drive

[postid]

I don't have a diskette drive. I'm going to try using the first recovery CD to boot to a recovery console and do a fixmbr, then remove the CD and boot into the recovery that I've already started. I contemplated trying to deal with Grub, but am not sure how to edit Grub since I nuked the Debian install. Will report back....

-- Postid

[postid]

Can't get a recovery console using the first recovery CD. It boots, but gives me options to restore and run diagnostics. The pc-dr utility gives me a dos prompt, but won't do a fixmbr.

My Knoppix CD has install-mbr on it. I'm considering trying # install-mbr /dev/hda which should install the bootloader in and boot the first partition -- which in this case is WinXP. See http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=29638 for a similar circumstance.

I'll report back.

--Postid

[postid]

Using a Knoppix CD, I did as root "install-mbr /dev/hda" and it booted into Windows and completed the reinstallation. It took more time to research all the options than it did to run this simple command. Now I'm off to install Debian Lenny. Thanks for your assistance.

--Postid