I have just received a copy of the new Bionic Woman pilot from a friend who said I could watch it on my computer. It fits in the drive, but nothing happens.
I feel like a dork, but what am I doing wrong?

Ok - found out I need certain software...but don't know what it is, or if I have it.
Help....please?

Did your DVD unit/drive come with an installation CD? See if you have a software/program on that CD. They usually put one in there.

If you don't have that, then most probably you'll have to download one from the Internet and install it on your computer.

I found a free one - AVS DVD Player (free DVD player with codec). You can download it from HERE.

The file is quite big, so you need patience and a speedy connection .
After saving it to your computer, you'll have to install it (double-click on the file you saved and follow the screens/instructions).

Good luck !

Thank you so much! I don't have the original software, as this is my daughter's old computer, but I am downloading from the link you gave me. I really appreciate your help!

It should play with Windows Media Player.

Go to My Computer and click on the drive letter the DVD is in.
Double-click on the drive and see if the DVD starts.
If not, right click on the drive and choose 'Explore'.
See what files are there. Double-click on anything with the .VOB or .IFO extensions.
When Windows tells you it cannot open the file, choose the option that says 'Select the program from a list' and click OK.
Scroll down the list shown and select Windows Media Player.
Untick the box that says 'Always use the selected program to open this kind of file' and click OK.
See if the DVD plays.
If it does, you can put the tick back in the box that says 'Always use the selected program to open this kind of file'.
Windows then won't ask you next time. It should play the DVD without going through this procedure.

If the DVD you are trying to play offers to install some software, turn it down. There is much DVD Player software to choose from on the Internet. I use some that came with my video capture card. Put out a search using the keywords 'dvd software' to see what is available.

Thank you, tellywellies - I will try that, too. Just got home from work, and I downloaded denni19's suggestion before I left but didn't have time to try it. Will try your way, as well, because that doesn't take up space in my memory.
I bow in gratitude to the wonderful funtrivia computer geniuses!

Oh, phooey - denni19's player doesn't recognize the format, and tellywellies, with your method, it wants to write files to a cd - so it is reading it as blank! I know it isn't blank because it did play on my dvd player - the picture flipped like crazy.
The dvd player problem may be due to the fact that this is a home-computer-burned disc....from the UK. Would that make a difference in playing it on the computer, too? It looks exactly like the cds I've put my stories on....

Dvd player is now saying 'No Valid Disc' when it played it before, with a rolling picture. Am going to try my scratch-repair kit, sand maybe that will help the computer find the file and play the disc...maybe?

(a little later): or maybe not. Couldn't find the scratch repair stuff, but I tried one of the other two discs, and it wouldn't play either. Must be the UK format, although my friend told me region 2 would play ok here. Downloaded a 2nd 'Advanced' dvd player, and that didn't do it either.
I think I am out of luck.

No, region 2 won't work in the US. US is region 1. It's like playing a VHS tape in a Beta player - the player won't recognize the coding format.

For a DVD drive in the US, you set it to region 1. You generally only have 9 times to switch it back and forth (so you can move to Europe or wherever and move back), but after that 9th time, you're stuck with whatever region your DVD player is set to.

If the DVD was a region 0, I *think* from what people have told me, it should play in most computer DVD players (although I'm not sure and haven't tried it myself - though there's a DVD of my favourite musical that's region 0 and I'm dying to try).

Is the pilot a bought DVD that has been copied? Perhaps not ..but if is was, I wonder if copyright protection might also be involved.

Thank you, everyone for your help. I am now feeling extraordinarily stupid, but last night my wonderful daughter giggled and informed me "Mom, you don't have a dvd drive."
Arrgh! I'm so sorry for being a pest about this - I had no idea! Spent hours downloading various players and decoders to no avail before I found out!
The good news: the dvd played perfectly on my daughter's laptop this morning. Finally got to watch the pilot! Woohoo! I promise to never ask for help with something my computer can't do - ever again! (Unless, of course, I am equally clueless someday.)
Thank you again!

You need to have a DVD Player on your computer to watch it. If you don't have one then you have to buy one in the store, maybe at Staples or something, and then you have to install it on your computer. If you don't want to then you always can watch it on your DVD Player on your television or you can even watch it at your friend's house if it doesn't work that way.

I had all that trouble with my 1st DVD and was recommended the free DivX player. Rarely had a disc that wouldn't play since then, regardless of region or format.