Theres a setting for your DVD I think in device manager or somewhere that will allow you to change your dvd region . Hmm at least I think so . I think Slysofts Any DVD program will let you play any dvd .
Copy them ... no, I don't mean "pirate" and sell, I mean copy.
Slysoft AnyDVD, in conjunction with CloneDVD, will do the "job" for you ...
Why we PC/Laptop owners have to suffer this ridiculas "region" crap I really don't know ... well I do, it's to get more money out of us! Well, they can go kiss my hairy ass.
Copying any region locked DVD will render it region free ... however, be aware also that Vista may not like playing region-free DVDs.
Prior to around the year 2000 all PC DVDs were region free, until the movie mongrel's got the fab idea to make more money ... they coerced all PC DVD manufacturers to implement this region crap on to the hardware itself. Unless you managed to get the "unlock" code Windows would not interfere, you could then play any DVD.
Bottom line here is ... we now have to act like pirates to watch our shop bought DVDs by copying them ... really stupid innit?
Oh, there is NO law in this country (UK) that makes the act of rendering your DVD drive region free illegal.