This problem can occur if the Optical drive's operating mode has been
changed due to repeated errors. Normally, an Optical drive will run at
or above UDMA Mode 2. If the "Step-Back" operating mode to avoid
errors has occurred the mode may now be in a slower PIO mode. To
resolve this you sometimes have to remove the ATAPI/IDE controller
that hosts the optical and then allow Windows to re-detect it and the
Optical drive. Most recent controllers have an Advanced (TAB) in the
details box of the device that shows connected device's operating mode.

<phil@croftonstorage.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1193053698.596148.176830@i13g2000prf.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> Hi,
>
> I hope you can help. I have a Dell Inspiron 1150, which has an AMD
> Turion 64 Processor and 1GB Ram, running Windows Vista Home Basic. The
> machine is about 1 month old and has all the latest patches appleid
> via windows update.
>
> When I playback DVDs using WinDVD that shipped with the laptop, the
> playback is intermittantly frozen, whilst the sounds often continues.
> Often, after a few seconds, the video catches up by playing the
> missing video in a sort of high speed, fast-forward mode, until the
> video and sound catch up. At times, even the sound freezes, and the PC
> struggles to respond to mouse clicks like the processor is being
> hammered. The interruptions occur about every 20-30 seconds.
>
> I have also installed BBC iPlayer (had to do a little registry hack to
> get it to play before you ask about Vista support, but it seems okay -
> DVD skipped prior to iPlayer install), and this has exactly the same
> problem.
>
> I have tried to improve it by turning off wireless networking, Anti-
> virus (AVG Free), Windows Defender etc, it still doesn't improve. I
> don't have much other software installed.
>
> I have also installed the latest Video Drivers for the ATI card that
> is installed.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Phil
>[/color]