Troubleshooting Installation from Compact Disc Media

ID: Q174713

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Office for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a, 7.0b
  • Microsoft Project for Windows 95, versions 4.1, 4.1a

SUMMARY

This article contains information about troubleshooting problems that may occur when you install the programs listed at the beginning of this article from compact disc.


MORE INFORMATION

The steps in this article help you verify that your CD-ROM drive can correctly read the compact disc.

For information about troubleshooting installations from floppy disks, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q135648 Troubleshooting Win95 Application Floppy Disk Problems

Q124970 Troubleshooting DMF Issues

Inspect and Clean the Compact Disc

To verify that the compact disc is clean and free of scratches, inspect the shiny side of the disc. Clean the disc by wiping it with a soft cloth in a straight line, starting from the center of the disc and wiping towards the edge. If there are no visible scratches, and if the errors still occur after you clean the compact disc, follow the steps in the next section. If the compact disc appears scratched, try a new compact disc.

Testing for a Damaged Compact Disc

To determine whether the compact disc is damaged, follow these steps:
  1. Insert the compact disc into the CD-ROM drive.


  2. On the Windows Start menu, point to Programs, and then click MS-DOS Prompt.


  3. At the MS-DOS prompt, change to the CD-ROM drive (usually drive E) and type the following command:


    4. dir /s
If an error message appears, the compact disc is damaged or the CD-ROM drive cannot read the contents of the entire compact disc.

For more information about using the MS-DOS command prompt, see your Windows printed documentation or online Help.

Disable the CD-ROM Drive Cache in Microsoft Windows 95/98

If the error message appears while you are reading from a CD-ROM drive, try disabling the CD-ROM drive cache. Although disabling the drive cache may make the drive more reliable, it reduces performance. To disable the CD-ROM drive cache, follow these steps:
  1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.


  2. In Control Panel, double-click System.


  3. Click the Performance tab and click File System.


  4. Click the CD-ROM tab, click No Read-Ahead in the "Optimize access pattern for" list.


  5. Verify that the Supplemental Cache Size slider is positioned in the far left position (the Small setting), and then click OK.


If you are using real-mode CD-ROM drive drivers, the drive may be cached by the Smartdrv.exe program. If this is the case, remark the line that pertains to the Smartdrv.exe program in the Autoexec.bat file by typing REM at the beginning of the line. To do this, follow these steps:
  1. Click Start, and then click Run.


  2. In the Open box, type sysedit, and then click OK.


  3. Examine the Autoexec.bat file. Look for a line that references the Smartdrv.exe file, for example: 
    
      C:\WINDOWS\Smartdrv.exe

    Make this line a remark by typing REM at the beginning of the line.


  4. Click Exit to quit the System Configuration Editor. When you are prompted to save changes, click Yes.


For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q132882 Computer Hangs Copying Data from CD-ROM Drive

Install Real Mode CD-ROM Drivers in Microsoft Windows 95/98

You may need to install real mode CD-ROM drive drivers under Microsoft Windows 95 or Microsoft Windows 98 when you are troubleshooting problems that occur when you install the programs listed at the beginning of this article.

For information about installing real mode CD-ROM drivers in Microsoft Windows 95, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q167069 Installing Real Mode CD-ROM Drivers for Office Installation
For information about installing real mode CD-ROM drivers in Microsoft Windows 98, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q198687 Installing Real Mode CD-ROM Drivers in Windows 98
NOTE: By following these steps, you are able to boot into Windows Safe mode, which prevents other programs and device drivers that may be conflicting with the CD-ROM driver from running.

Disabling the Compact Disc AutoPlay Feature in Windows 95/98

Windows 95 and Windows 98 continuously detects whether a CD is inserted into the CD-ROM drive. When a compact disc is detected, Windows 95 and Windows 98 check the volume for an Autorun.inf file. If the volume contains an Autorun.inf file, programs listed on the "open=" line in the file are run. This feature is called AutoPlay.

To disable both the automatic running of compact discs and the automatic playing of audio compact discs, follow these steps:
  1. On the Windows Start menu, point to Settings, and click Control Panel. In Control Panel, double-click System.


  2. Click the Device Manager tab.


  3. Double-click the plus sign next to CDROM, and then double-click the CD-ROM driver entry.


  4. On the Settings tab, clear the "Auto Insert Notification" check box.


  5. Click OK or "Close until you return to Control Panel." When you are prompted to restart your computer, click Yes.


NOTE: Be sure to reverse the steps to enable AutoPlay after you finish troubleshooting.

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q126025 How to Disable Automatic CD-ROM Running and Audio CD Playing

Disable Enhanced BIOS Features

WARNING: Incorrectly altering hardware BIOS settings can cause serious problems that may cause your computer to fail to start or function properly. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems that result from the incorrect setting of hardware BIOS options can be solved. Alter the hardware BIOS settings at your own risk.

Most computers have several enhanced settings that allow the computer to fully utilize the computer hardware. These high-speed settings can cause the system to become unstable; disabling these features may make the computer more stable. Contact your computer manufacturer for information about entering the basic input/output system (BIOS) and changing the BIOS settings. You can enter the BIOS on most systems immediately after turning on the power. Usually a keystroke (for example, pressing DEL) is required to enter the BIOS. The common features that can interfere with Microsoft Office programs are the following:
Memory Shadow RAM
Video Shadow RAM
Internal Cache
External Cache
Built-in Virus Protection
Newer chip sets may have more advanced features (such as memory wait states) that may cause errors. Most BIOS installation programs have an option to load the BIOS default settings. This option usually disables all advanced features.

Check for Software Updates

Outdated and incompatible software may also cause error messages to appear. Check with the manufacturer of the computer for various software updates, such as BIOS updates, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Windows updates, and CD-ROM drive driver updates.

Test Your CD-ROM Drive by Using Microsoft System Information

You can also use Microsoft System to verify the integrity of a CD. In Microsoft System Information, see the CDROM device entry.

To test your CD-ROM drive with Microsoft System Information, follow these steps:
  1. Insert the compact disc into the CD-ROM drive.


  2. On the Start menu, click Run. In the Open box, type the following command:


    3. <drive letter>:\os\msapps\msinfo\msinfo32.exe
    where <drive letter> is the drive letter for the CD-ROM drive, and then click OK.

    For example, type the following:
    d:\os\msapps\msinfo\msinfo32.exe
  3. Click CD-ROM in the left pane. If there are multiple CD-ROM drives installed on your computer, click the correct drive letter.


Microsoft System Information lists the following items:
  • Drive


  • Volume


  • Total Space


  • Transfer File


  • Transfer Size


  • Data Transfer Rate


  • CPU Util @ 300kb/s


  • Integrity File


  • Data Transfer Integrity


  • Device


  • Description
Inspect Data Transfer Integrity to see if the CD-ROM drive functions correctly. The Value column should display "Tested OK" for Data Transfer Integrity.

Additional query words:

Keywords : offwinsetup
Version : WINDOWS:4.1,4.1a; Win95:7.0,7.0a,7.0b
Platform : Win95 WINDOWS
Issue type :


Last Reviewed: November 1, 1999
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