Check in My Computer/Properties/Hardware/Device Manager/IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers/SecondaryIDE Channel /Properties/Advanced Settings and see if "DMA if available" is selected. The other choice would be "PIO only". Select DMA if available and then click OK. You will be prompted to reboot. After reboot, check back and Ultra DMA should show as enabled. I am guessing you have W2k or W-XP for your OS for all this , because your laptop is a newer model. The DMA actuation is on the Properties for the actual Drive on W98SE.

Ultra DMA Mode 5 is already there and on both options DMA if available was selected, thanks anyway though!

 

Any other suggestions?

 

I do not know what model you have as you did not say, but there is a Hardware decoder called a Margi DVD-to-GO PCMCIA card, which is usable on most -but not all-Dell Laptops; it will only work if one slot has Zoom Video capabilities,  and it may be either slot depending on the model. I have one I am using in an Inspiron 3500 and playback is fine. The WDM driver from the Margi website is usable with all OS, if you ignore the MS snobbery about W-XP and install it anyway. You might also check for a Firmware update for the drive. Look in Device Manager and see how the DVD Drive is reported, then use that to search Dell for a firmware update.

 

Message Edited by leduke30 on 05-03-2004 11:48 AM

Try Powerdvd (trial version) to see if Windvd is the issue:

                    http://www.gocyberlink.com/english/products/product_main.jsp?ProdId=28

I had same issue you had but had to go from Powerdvd to Windvd, go figure...

I prefer Powerdvd myself.