Help with laptop DVD regional settings

Backbiter

My kids have been watching DVDs on my work laptop. A few of our DVD collection are region 3, and they have changed the settings on the laptop to enable them to view them.

I've now discovered that each time you do this, there is a warning that you may only do it a limited number of times. It is now stuck on Region 3, with no more changes allowed. My kids never mentioned this warning to me, of course.

What do I do now? Will a system restore allow me to go back and rest it to Region 2(it's an XP Home laptop)? As I said, it's not my machine.

All advice gratefully received. Thanks.

djohn2002uk

System restore is no good as the region settings are not in the operating system but in the firmware of the DVD player. It's now locked for good unless you can find a firmware fix on the web somwhere but it must be for your particular make and model.

Backbiter

djohn2002uk wrote:

System restore is no good as the region settings are not in the operating system but in the firmware of the DVD player. It's now locked for good unless you can find a firmware fix on the web somwhere but it must be for your particular make and model.

Cheers - it's a Dell Inspiron 1100, and it's a rubbish laptop. Hope I'll find something to fix it.

djohn2002uk

I meant the make and model of the DVD player....:-)

kingpuck

You can also use a software solution, anydvd. It will not resest the frimware but it will at least let the owner watch the dvd's from any region.

http://www.slysoft.com/en/anydvd.html

irnbru_2

Backbiter wrote:

Cheers - it's a Dell Inspiron 1100, and it's a rubbish laptop. Hope I'll find something to fix it.

Get a dvd identifier program like DiscInfo/dvdinfopro/dvdidentifier to find which physical DVD-ROM drive you have.

Then you might be able to use a permanent fix via firmware flash to have a region free drive.