Warning: No cd ??? please Help!

[dzorzo]

Whenever I install a game or a application which needs the cd to run it, When I try to run the game or app. I receive a warning saying that the cd isn't on the CD-ROM, but it is there, i don't know what to do. On some games, sometimes i find some files to play without cds but thats not good. I want to play fair, and that everything works fine. ... If you could help me I would be very appreciate. Thank You very much!

Dan --- dzorzo@hotmail.com

Drop an email if you can help me. Thanks!

[Theoran]

dzorzo,

Need some info from you.

Does this happen on all CDs?
Does this happen on audio CDs?
Are the CDs you are trying to used originals or burned backups?
Has this problem always happened or just recently?
If it's been recently have you or anyone else done anything to the computer such as install or uninstall a program?
If you put a CD into the CDROM, can you go to my computer and actually see that Windows is recognizing the CD?

[smurfy]

Have you made some change that has changed the DRIVE LETTER assigned to your CD-Rom drive? (Changed partitions/Added other drive)

[dzorzo]

Look. this problem, is new. I have notice this problem some days ago. I haven't changed the drive letter or done anything like that. You asked if i installed or unistalled something, the answer is yes. The computer is used by 4 people, so its always installing and uninstalling. But on the other hand, the CD is recopgnized by the computer, it shows the icon on "my computer" folder, and it also popups the windows of an auto-play install game (for instance). But then the same cd that popued the window to install, later on installed on the computer, it says a warning for me to check if the CD is on the CD-ROM. It has happed with some burned cds, and also original ones. Dont know whats going on. Please help....

Dan -- dzorzo@hotmail.com

[Junky]

Try this, it will help us understand if it's hardware or software.

Shut the computer down, turn it off. Wait at least 30 seconds then turn it back on. Now try one of the games that you are having problems with. DO NOT DO ANYTHING ELSE ONCE WINDOWS HAS RESTARTED AND FINISHED LOADING. JUST TRY AND PLAY THE GAME, DO NOT USE ANY OTHER PROGRAM...JUST THE GAME.

This will tell me if some program is really messing with Windows, so that when you try and play those certain games, they just don't work. I've seen this happen before where a certain program will load stuff into upper memory and it hangs there making a mess out of things. The only way to get Windows working correctly again was to shutdown and restart agin. :mad:

Anyway, it's worth trying, only takes a couple of minutes. :)

[Junky]

Something else I just thought of. When a game won't work, have you tried to see if you can read the files on a CD, any CD? Like close all running programs and go to My Computer, Explorer then click on the drive letter for the CD drive, with a CD in the drive, and see if you can read the files. Have you tried that? Let us know.

[rustygates]

I am not that heavily into games myself, however, is it possible that this is some sort of copy protection at work? You said it happens on the burned CD's that is why I asked.

:confused:

[dzorzo]

Hello there Again!

Answering all of you. The CD is ok. Even burned or original ones, can be read from the CD-rom. I can see the files, using ms-explorer, see whats on the disc, ... , but then when finished the installation, the game ask for the CD, but the cd is on the CD-rom.

I tried to shut down and play. It appeared the same warning/notice. NO CD. Be sure to put the cd on the cd-rom....

I don't know whats going on.....

and its not some kind of copyprotection, because i can install all games, and it works with original ones too...
:confused:

Dan -- dzorzo@hotmail.com

[rustygates]

Well then there is one other possibility, and that is that the CD-Rom isn't in your path. Usually, that is only a problem with DOS games, however you might check just to be sure.

First shut down to dos.
Then at the C:\Windows prompt type CD\
Then at the C:\ prompt type path.
now cut and paste the result.

The only other thing would be the type of installation you made. I would think however, that you are aware of the different types of configurations possible on CD-ROM based games.

Minimum Install, Reads practically everything from the CD

Normal Install, Reads large graphics files from the CD

Maximum Install, Reads the entire game from the Hard Drive.

If you have the space, try a maximum install on one of the games and see if that makes a difference. I know this is a pain, but without actually being able to sit at your machine, and see what is there, this is the only way we can eliminate each possible option.


:rolleyes: :eek:

[Junky]

Have you looked to see if these problem games have an option to make or change settings? Most higher quality games will let you change things like sound, video resolutions and where the CD drive is located. The CD drive location would be something like D, E, F and so on. rusty's last comment made me think of it.

[dzorzo]

Hey, The computer I am using here is a Dell Dimension XPS F350 Pentium-II 350MHz. I never had to reinstall windows or so. So there is no problem with the CD-ROM, which is also a DVD Drive. The only problem is the warning!

Let me give you an example:

Last week I installed the game tropico. Before the installation, I put the Disc on the DVD/CD-ROM Drive, and It read the CD showing the Autoplay window to choose from INSTALL or EXIT. i install everything ok. There was no problems. But then, from the START button on the task bar, then programs, then games> and Tropico (START>programs>games>tropico>tropico.exe) then it show again the window pop BUT now shows: PLAY or EXIT. then I chose PLAY. But then when it stats to read the CD, it appears a warning pop window saying this notice that to make sure the cd is in CD-rom Drive.... :(

I have no idea what to do...

Dan -- dzorzo@hotmail.com

[Junky]

OK, I got it at last. It's the program. All I can say is there are millions of games out there. Some work great, some work OK, some make ya want to kill the programer. Not only is it software we have to contend with, but think about this. We have to contend with a million configurations of computers. Now add all this up. It comes to the fact there are going to be some programs that no matter what, you'll never get the game (program) working right. Period.

Sooooo, you either find out what is wrong from the game's web site, or get lucky and find it yourself. I'm not trying to be harsh here, it's just really the way it is. That's just the way it is in computer land. :confused: I deal with this kidda stuff all the time. And there are lots of things that I don't figure out or get working.

I've come to the point that it's no big deal, throw away the program (or return it to the store) and get on with life. :) Otherwise you'll just end up making yourself sick over it.

Just some thoughts from my little pea pickin' head. But who knows, there might be someone that comes along here and knows the exact solution. :cool:

[ 27 July 2001: Message edited by: Junky ]

[dzorzo]

OK... I'll try something else...

Thanks anyway, for responding to my posts, and spendind time here, with my problems. Thanks! :)

Dan. :p

Thanks Again, All of you! :D

[Mr_sandman]

Ok how up to date is your anti-virus software? You may have a form or monkey virus have a look in your device manager and see if you can see (1) your disk controler and (2) your CD ROM within the device tree plus see if you can see any yellow errors there.

If you can get hold off a up to date anti-virus dos boot disk use that to see if you have any virus on you pc. hope this can help you out. :)

[jtdoom]

DVD and CDR/W don't always mix well.

is there a cdr/w in there as well?

[dzorzo]

The CDRW is on another computer. My only cd-ROM is a CDROM/DVDROM. Thats it. But I got a File NO-CD so I could play the game. I could not find whats going on....

I think its harware.... must be.. :rolleyes:


Gotta go now to work....
Later

Dan :cool: