Does the image above look familiar? Try these checks:


  • Is the DVD an actual Video Disc? When you burn a disc at home or work, depending on the software or hardware you use to create your DVD, you will be presented with a number of options with which to create your disc. If you burned as a Data disc, your video file will be stored in the same way as you would on a removable USB drive or a Hard Drive and will need to be accessed through Windows Explorer (folder icon on the taskbar) or through Computer. Video discs are structured very differently and are designed to be played on most media players such as computers or dedicated DVD players alike. You can usually find this out by going into Computer, right clicking on the drive with the disc in and selecting the Open or Explore (where available) options. If you are presented with the folders AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS with the latter containing files ending in .VOB and .IFO, then you're dealing with the video disc and these should be launched from a media player such as VLC Media Player or Windows Media Player. You can see how to do this via the guide here.
  • If you burned the DVD yourself, did the burn complete successfully? Most software will allow you to verify the data after burning. This is an essential step to take with cheaper discs that may be of lower quality as there is a larger risk of the burn failing and therefore your disc not being read correctly by our computers and DVD players.
  • Are you launching with the correct program/options? To specifically choose either player, navigate to the disc in Windows Explorer (folder icon on the taskbar) or through Computer . Right click on the DVD drive and select either 'Play with VLC Media Player' or 'Play with Windows Media Player' as preferred. Alternatively launch your chosen program though the Start Menu. Then in Windows Media Player, select the DVD drive in the left hand pane and press the Play button. In VLC Media Player, Select the Media at the top and choose Open Disc in the menu that appears. As there is only one drive in the Trust PCs leave the settings as default and press the Play button at the bottom of the dialog that appears.
  • Is the disc damaged and/or dirty? - Dust, scratches, finger marks and grease can impair the laser within the disc drive from reading the information correctly. If the disk is dirty, use a soft cloth or CD wipes to clean the disc carefully, from the centre of the disc outwards. Avoid using any kind of paper (kitchen, toilet, A4) and avoid the use of alcoholic wipes or solutions as these may cause further damage to the disc surface. If your disc is scratched you may need to have this repaired or replaced.
  • Is the disc drive faulty? - If all the options above have been exhausted, the problem may be with the disc drive. Please report this as a ticket on  the Helpdesk section of this site stating the asset number of the PC or Media Laptop (white sticker) or the portable disc drive (blue sticker) that you're encountering issues with. The Educational Technology Support technicians in the Blended Learning Team will investigate the incident and feed back as necessary. 

If you continue to experience issues after following these steps, please log a support ticket using the New Ticket button above. For urgent support in training, please contact our reception team in your respective centre or call the number at the top or bottom of this page in their absence.