Sometimes an error that seems to be related to faulty hardware is actually little more than something really obvious that we happen to be missing. Take this instance with an Apple DVD Player cannot seem to open for some reason. The cause behind this mystery might just be the last thing that you would ever think of.

I just received my Power Macintosh G3 (Blue and White), and when I try to launch Apple DVD Player from the Apple menu, I get the following error message:

“Apple DVD Player can not open because the required hardware was not found. If you have another application open that uses sound or video, quit that application and open Apple DVD Player again. If you are using a PowerBook, make sure your PC card is installed in the bottom slot. (216).”

The only option is to Quit.

This error message is expected behaviour if either the DVD drive or the decoder card (for decoding MPEG-2 and AC-3 data) are not present. If the Power Macintosh G3 (Blue and White) was purchased from Apple, either as a standard configuration or Build-To-Order, with a DVD drive as part of the configuration, the decoder card would be included by default (present as a daughtercard on the ATI Rage 128 video card).

Is the Appropriate Hardware Present?
In order to play a DVD movie, a computer must have a DVD-ROM drive and a DVD Decoder card installed. Typically, the presence of a DVD-ROM drive can be determined by looking at the label on the tray which a DVD/CD would sit in. If the drive is DVD capable, you will see DVD stenciled on the tray.

To determine the presence of a DVD-Decoder in your Power Macintosh G3, use the Apple System Profiler version 2.1 or greater. Specific information for the different Power Macintosh G3 series computers follows. If you are running Mac OS 8.1, you will need to download an updated version of the Apple System Profiler from the Apple Software Updates Web site at