trying to play a dvd - it goes so far and then freezes with the above error code and the words"the DVD might have been damaged so as to inhibit playback operation. The playback was in power DVD and if I play in a DVD player it freezes
Try playing with some other proggy. Media Player Classic, for example. Try cleaning the DVD with hand soap and water and dry gently with a paper towel; you might be able to remove dirt and enough scratches to play it.