Most of the time I cannot get DVDs to play.

[8765]

I do not know how to get drive 😧 to play {run} my DVDs.  Sometimes it works, but I have not found a consistent setting. I suspect that I am the problem, but a solution evades me.

[WAWood]

@8765 

IF it was simply hardware or software, then it would either always work, or always fail.

IF it is intermittent, that implies that the laser lens is dirty and sometimes has problems reading some disks.

You need to look online for a DVD laser cleaning kit.  The contain a disk with tiny plastic fibres on it such that when the disk spins, the fibres rub against the laser lenses and clean them.