DVD region help

[sy64004]

Not sure if this is the right forum, but I have flashed my DVD so that it is region free and am about to install XP (clean install). I've heard that XP has a separate region control and that it can only be changed so many times before it locks. Is this true???

Is there a tweak that will enable XP to be region free or bypass the region lock??

I'm still a bit confused about this, any help would be appreciated

 

[Howling Wolf]

Hi, Dude !

I have good news for you !

No, XP won't in anyway lock your DVD drive at hardware level !

Yes, you can bypass XP DVD region selection limitation, there's a key in the registry to delete, reboot.

Sorry, I don't have it here at work, I will post a new reply when at home tonight.

I don't remember where I read it, but I've tried it myself succesfully: you should also disable your DVD in the system properties and then re-enable it.
This way, you should see XP counter region reset to 1 change available.

I don't know your hardware/software settings about DVD, but there is an excellent FREE software than reset quite easily XP and other players, I mean DVDGenie (you can download it from almost anywhere).

Good luck, I'll give you the right key to delete later today.

 

[Geffy]

If you look in HKEY/LocalMachine/Microsoft I think that is the right string and under that it will be a folder named using series of meaningless characters, you should change the default value to 0 and then export the key. The reason for exporting the key is that your computer should use the same reg string and it will operate as a Region 0 until you use a piece of software that requires a region code, when you want to get back to 2 changes and Region 0 run the *.reg file that you exported the key to and it will reset it for you.

I think that this works, you can also check at the inmatrix site and look under the FAQs

NB: DVD Genie doesnt yert support WinDVD 3 but does PowerDVD 4, the two most popular software dvd players that are XP compatible

 

[Khayman]

Daemon is right there is a key to restet the region, but requires a reboot each time. the best program to get is DVDGenie, you won't have to restart the computer but you will have to restart the player.
You can actually set autorun to dvdgenie for dvds and then set dvdgenie to autoscan the DVD for the region set the region then load your dvd player then close itself, so its practicaly invisible!

There is also Region Killer, which works with MP and probably others

 

[sy64004]

K, so i flashed my DVD and blanked out the value data of the Reg_Qword entry in the "random" looking key as said here and at informatix. I use DVD genie as the default program when i insert a DVD. I just watched a region 1 DVD and then put a region 2 DVD in and it came up with the CD properties and in the region properties it said I was in region 1 with 1 change left.

i rebooted and it says exactly the same.

I flashed the DVD by formating a floppy and putting the system files on and the flash progrma and rebooted usigng the floppy, it saud that was successful, but something is not right somewher, can anyone help please???

is it possible to get region 0 with unlimited changes??

BTW I took the plunge and am running XP, finally if this helps

 

[Khayman]

bascily no, there is no way. If you have a region free drive (run drive info to check)then dvd genie is the best program, remeber you must close the dvd player and set the region then restart the player each time you change regions.
If you use it as the default program then you must also make sure you have set the option to scan and set the region when Genie loads then launch the player

the reg hack has to be applied each time you restart your machine (i.e. delete the key restart then you have region 0 and the first disc you put in it will become this region, you must then delete key and restart to get region 0 again)

 

[Electronic Punk]

Yes! There is a way!

Just a little more complicated... before I get started, make sure that you download DVD Genie from here:
http://www.inmatrix.com/files/dvdgenie_download.shtml

It is guarnatted virus free and will be the latest version, although development has stopped. WinDVD 3 is supported but I would recommend WinDVD Tweake which we mirror here:
http://www.xp-erience.org/download.php?op=viewdownloaddetails&lid=305&ttitle=WinDVD_Tweaker_3.1

I have written a playback guide here:
http://news.inmatrix.com/dvdguide.shtml and here is the relevent exerpt - it works a treat, I will also try and expand upon it...

======================

Windows2000/XP contains extra region protection, you can view your current 2000/XP region code by doing the follwing:

Right click on my computer and go to Properties, Hardware and then do device manager. Then go to DVD/CD-ROM drives and right click on your DVDROM. Go to the DVD Region tab and this will tell you your internal region code.

Normally you will have a region selected with one region change remaining.
Most software DVD players now use this internal region code, except:
PowerDVD, it uses its own 5 changes system, use DVD Genie.
WinDVD 3, this player does use the internal region code by default but you can modify the registry to make it use its own 5 region counter, use DVD Genie, you must modify the following registry value:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\InterVideo\WinDVD]
"IOCTLFIRST"=dword:00000001

There is a way of resetting the region counter to two choices left after every reboot, but requires manually modifying the registry:
Load RegEdit and go to [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft].
You should see a random looking random letter key (e.g. " d-`%" ").
If you have a region set, inside this key there is one REG_QWORD value, delete the data that it contains, do not delete this key.
Export the key and save it to C:\Windows (or another such folder)
Create a shortcut in your start menu startup folder that says the following:
regedit.exe /s c:\Windows\regfile.reg

Now everytime that you boot Windows2000/WindowsXP you will have two region choices.

========================

Voila, it works nicely - the first DVD you play will set the DVD region, then you have 1 more choice... if you intend on watching differerent regioned DVDs before youreboot, do some tactical ordering

 

[Khayman]

Isn't that what I said? (but just more complicated)

 

[louiskhorweiwu]

to be honest, I just run powerdvd, and they just automatically prompt you for the region change, don't actually need dvd genie... just flashed my drive and everything's been fine since, I've switched between reg 1 and 2 as well as 4 more than 5 times, no prob. Mine's a samsung drive. Unless it really locks up again, you shouldn't worry.

 

[Electronic Punk]

Khayman: Just about .. cut and pasted from my gudie heh, ,alos got the reg change to swap windvd so it doesn't ise the internal code.

WinDVD is currently my player of choice...

 

[Khayman]

PowerDVD yeah! totaly rocks.
I remember when I first got my DVDROM (a stop gap beofre I got my stand alone) player and spent hours getting it to work MR. Then for some reason after I installed XP i had to flash my dvd again?! but then spent hour getting it to work MR with WMP so I could get the chapter listings!
The funny thing is I hardly ever use DVD ROM for DVD's. I ahve a MR stand alone, so I play everything through that. And theres very little DVD ROM content worth looking at. Oh yeah one of my DVD won;t play on my main DVD so I had to play it on the PC

 

[sy64004]

Thanks all for the help, just a quick extra, can someone quickly run through how to flash a DVD?? I'm using win XP and tried using a floppy I formated and put the system files on along with the flash program, rebooted and ran the flash from there, is this correct???

Cheers

 

[Electronic Punk]

Basically yup, always make sure you flash from a true dos envronment, not a windows erm, ,window.

 

[sy64004]

Electronic Punk, your the hero, it's working like a dream, thanks