if i copy files from a DVD to my Harddrive how can i play them?

Same way you do on the DVD drive.

i dont think so, it is a bunch of vob files and there is not know extenion for windows xp

If the PC will play the files from the DVD it should also play the same files if copied to a folder on the hard drive - or am I missing something here? What software are you using to play the DVD .vob files?

First, you need a DVD video capable player installed on your machine. IE: Nero "Showtime", Intervideo "WinDVD", or Cyberlink "Power DVD". There are also free players of which I'm not knowledgable. There are 3 file extensions that make up the DVD-Video format: IFO, BUP, and VOB. IFO= information: BUP= Backup(information 2) and VOB (the video itself). The easiest way to get these files to play is to take the whole group, (that constitutes the movie), and place them inside a folder marked exactly as follows: VIDEO_TS Note the Caps and the underscore. In Nero "Showtime", you would right-click the screen and follow the tree to "play from folder" then go to your "VIDEO_TS" folder and click-it. You can also nest the "VIDEO_TS folder inside another folder with the title of the movie your trying to play, but here again you must all capital letters.

Won't work if the DVD is copy protected. Use DVD Shrink to remove the encryption and save to hd in the same format the dvd structure is. Then delete the parts you don't want.