My Sony CD and DVD Player will play the CD and the VHS but will not play a DVD movie. I just keep getting an error saying cannot load disc.

First thing that should be done with problems like this is to use a CD head cleaner-it's basically a disk with brushes on the bottom which will clean the laser of your machine. Some will have recorded instructions on them, telling you to F-FWD to the next track to do the cleaning. If it does not recognize that disk, just eject it and re-insert it a few times- even though it's not reading it, as long as the disk turns it will be cleaning something on the inside. the laser head moves back and forth when you first turn it on so ejecting and re-inserting a few times over will eventually fix a dirty head if that's the issue. If the cleaning disk does not work, try a compressed air can. Spray it right into the slot or drawer-most CD drawers have a U-shaped cutout that is large enough for a air-blaster can to aim into the inside. DO NOT HOLD THE CAN UPSIDE DOWN-you could spray cold liquids into the machine accidentally=$$$$$ If all of the above should fail to work you'll have to open it up. If you don't know what you're doing, I'd recommend looking into repair options. On the other hand, if the player's headed into the garbage if you can't fix it, then you've got nothing to lose. However, DON'T open the player while it's plugged in. Use whatever screwdriver is necessary-hopefully regular philips or flathead, or something from planet earth. If it's a weird screwdriver the internet is most likely your best bet but it won't hurt to check your local hardware store first. Once you've gotten into the actual disk reading area, hopefully without the use of a hammer or a shotgun or other method that would cause irrepairable damage, use a Q-tip dipped in alcohol to clean gears and such. Go ahead and clean the head while you're at it-those head cleaners don't ALWAYS work on really stubborn glop. Even if it's not visibly dirty, don't forget that it needs to be pretty darn precice to "get in the groove" (reguardless of whether it's a music CD or not :) Don't try to "shotgun" a problem by oiling/greasing everything in sight! You could cause short circuits or OVER lube parts which could cause tracking problems. Also, using the wrong lube or too much could actually damage some parts. Look for any obvious signs of broken gears or belts- if it's closing but not reading the disk, it may be that the belt from the motor to the spindle has broken or popped off(if applicable-don't know if they're belt driven or not, it may actually vary from Or, the head-positioning mechanism is broken-Probably moved by a set of gears. Either of these problems would neccessitate some replacement parts. If a nearby electronics supplier has belts and other such things in stock, take the machine with you there, and they may be able to supply a part. If no obvious broken parts are found, clean the inside if you haven't already using the aformentioned Q-tip with alcohol, then close it back up making sure not to pinch any wires or pop anything off in the process, then plug it back in and see what happens. A thorough cleaning may have been all that was needed. If that's not the case, and nothing was obvious when the cover was off, you probably have a major electrical problem that most likely requires expert knowledge!