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1. Videos on CD Don't Play Smoothly. Can I Fix
This?
Reader: I purchased your book and I
love it, BUT I can't get your video instructions
to pay smoothly so I can understand them. Your
voice skips and is shaky. I have QuickTime
installed and also Windows Media Player 7. Can you
help me?
Computer Doctor: The default QuickTime
sound settings work for most computers. However,
if you experience sound drop-out problems on your
computer, here are some things you can try. If DirectSound is available for your computer,
make sure you have the latest sound driver and the
current version of Direct X. If you still experience sound problems, adjust
the size of the sound buffer QuickTime uses.
Larger buffers reduce the chance of drop-outs, but
increase latency for interactive uses of sound.
Adjusting the size of the Sound Buffers:
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Open the Control Panels window.
-
Open QuickTime Settings.
-
Select the Sound Out panel.
-
Select the WaveOut or DirectSound device
Depends on your computer configuration.
-
Click on the Options button at the bottom of
the control panel.
-
Adjust the settings
-
Test the movie you were experiencing
problems with.
-
Keep adjusting the settings until the audio
problem is corrected.
DirectSound Settings: The size of the sound buffer is set in
milliseconds. Increase the buffer size until the
drop-out is corrected.
WaveOut Settings:
There are two numbers to adjust, the number of
buffers and the size of each buffer in
milliseconds. Adjust the number of buffers until
any drop-outs are corrected. If you hear a
stuttering, increase the individual buffer size
until the stuttering is corrected.
One place to check for latest drivers and
Direct X is at Download.com:
http://www.download.com/PC/FrontDoor/
Reader: I installed a sound card in my
computer to replace the motherboard-based sound
system. The new card works fine, except that the
CD player still uses the old sound system for
playing audio CDs. All the other sounds utilize
the new card and new external speakers. Did I miss
a step?
Computer Doctor: CD Audio is carried to
the sound card from the CDROM via a separate
4-wire cable (usually very small). Follow this
cable from the CDROM drive, in your system it is
probably plugged into your motherboard (where your
original sound card was located). Merely unplug
the cable from the motherboard sound card and plug
it into your new sound card, and you should be
able to play audio CDs through the new card.
2. How Can I Change the Default DVD Region?
Reader: I've played a few imported
DVD's, not realizing that the DVD system would set
itself to that region. Now it won't play American
DVD's anymore. Is there any way I can change the
region setting or do I have to buy a new DVD?
Computer Doctor: If you are talking
about a DVD-ROM drive in a PC which you have used
to play movies with a software application, then
in most cases you will have to remove and then
re-install the player application, in which case
it should lock the region to the first DVD you
play after the installation. If you have certain
models, you may be able to find a patch that can
change the region code without reinstalling. See
http://www.codefreedvd.com/dvd_dvdrom.htm for
more information.
If you have a standalone DVD player, then they
are normally preset to play only a certain region.
Places like
http://www.codefreedvd.com sell players that
can work with multiple regions.
3. How Do I Get the Operating System to
Recognize My CD-ROM Drive?
Reader: How do I get the operating
system to recognize the CD-ROM drive on my
computer? I'm confused about when to expect the
CD-ROM drive to be auto-detected, and when changes
to the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files are
needed.
Computer Doctor: Normally when running
Windows 9x, you don't need a CONFIG.SYS or
AUTOEXEC.BAT at all. Windows 9x uses 32-bit
drivers, which are automatically loaded through
the Registry when Windows boots. These 32-bit
drivers will function in Windows, and will even
work in a DOS session, as long as it is under
Windows. Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 use
different types of 32-bit drivers than Windows 9x,
but will handle CD-ROM drives by using 32-bit
drivers. Windows comes with drivers for many
different brands and models of CD-ROM drives, but
you may need to load a new driver for a particular
drive model in some cases.
The situation is different when you want to use
a device under pure 16-bit DOS. Normally, you
would not ever want to do this except when you are
installing Windows 9x to a bare drive. In
this case we need the CDROM drive to work so we
can install Windows from the CD. The floppy drive
and hard drive would always work under DOS since
the 16-bit drivers for those devices are contained
in the motherboard BIOS. Some newer motherboard
BIOS now also include the CDROM driver for IDE
CDROM drives, so in those systems you can actually
BOOT from the Windows 98 CD (the Win95 CD is not
bootable), and install directly from there. Older systems do not have the 16-bit CDROM
drivers in the BIOS, and the 32-bit drivers are
only loaded as a part of Windows 9x, so if we want
to install Windows, we need to load 16-bit
CDROM drivers from the floppy (or hard disk if you
like) before the drive will be recognized.
This is accomplished via TWO 16-bit drivers.
One is the actual 16-bit CDROM driver, which you
should have received with your drive. The other is
a driver called MSCDEX.EXE, which is the Microsoft
CDROM extension driver. The first driver is a BIOS
level driver which talks directly to the drive,
while the MSCDEX driver is an extension to DOS
which assigns the drive letter and which lets DOS
talk to the first driver.
Your CDROM driver will have various names, and
always installs in the CONFIG.SYS file (which is a
text file you create with Notepad or the DOS Edit
program in the root directory of the boot drive)
as follows:
device=cdrom.sys /D:MSCD000 /V
Replace the "cdrom.sys" name with the actual
name of your driver, but leave the other parts as
they are shown above. The /D:MSCD000 assigns an
internal name to the driver, so MSCDEX can "find"
it later, and the /V means verbose, which causes
more information to display as the driver loads
(not necessary but I like to see it). Note that
this driver must be in the root directory as the
line above is written. If you don't have this driver, there are
generic ones available for downloading over the
web.
The MSCDEX.EXE driver is an executable driver,
which means it should be loaded via AUTOEXEC.BAT
(also a text file that you create with Notepad or
DOS Edit and place in the root directory of the
boot drive). The line should read as follows:
MSCDEX /D:MSCD000 /M:10 /V
This driver should also be copied to the root
directory. The /D:MSCD000 matches the name listed
in the CDROM driver install line, and allows
MSCDEX to "find" the driver in memory to talk to.
The /M:10 sets up 10 sector buffers, you can use
more or less, but 10 is generally recommended for
maximum performance. The /V is verbose, which
lists additional information to the screen when
MSCDEX loads. This is not necessary, but I like to
see this information. The Windows 95 startup disk does not include
these drivers, mainly because there were a variety
of different CDROM types on the market back then
and Microsoft couldn't know which ones you might
have. Thus it was up to you or the people who
built your system to customize the startup floppy
to include the proper drivers and the proper lines
in CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT to load them.
With Windows 98 things are different. Microsoft
has included 9 different CDROM drivers for IDE,
SCSI and even proprietary drives, all of which are
loaded in succession as you boot from the disk.
The idea is that one of them will "hit" and work
with whatever drive you have. The AUTOEXEC.BAT is
also pre-configured to load MSCDEX.EXE as well.
The beauty of this is that no matter what type
of CDROM is installed in your system, all you have
to do is boot the Windows 98 startup disk and it
will be recognized, allowing you to install from
or read from the Windows CDROM. Note that the CD
you install from can even be a Windows 95 CDROM. I
now carry a copy of the Windows 98 startup disk
with me and use it even if I am installing Windows
95.
4. Does the Color of CD-R Media Have Anything
to with Whether My CD-R Drive Can Read It?
Reader: I have a CD-ROM drive which can
read all CD-R media colors except for green ones.
What is the relationship between between the color
and reading the disk ?
Computer Doctor: The color of the CD-R
disc is related to the color of the specific dye
that was used in the recording layer. This base
dye color is modified when the reflective coating
(gold or silver) is added. Some of the
dye-reflective coating combinations appear green,
some appear blue and others appear yellow/gold.
Visual differences between various media types are
irrelevant from the standpoint of their actual
operation. At 780 nm, where CD-R recorders and
CD-ROM readers function, the media are, for all
intents and purposes, indistinguishable from an
optical recording standpoint. They all
theoretically "look" the same to the devices.
The gold-colored CD-R uses the PhtaloCyanine
pigment and a gold reflection layer. As the
pigment is transparent, the golden reflection
layer shines through the bottom side giving the
golden look. Compared to the other colored media,
the reflection contrast of the golden medium is
the highest and the durability of such CD-Rs is
said to be over 100 years. As the golden medium's
reflective property is the highest, if you have
problems reading data from any other burnt media,
try using the gold medium CD-R.
The green CD-R, the cheapest of the three, uses
the Cyanine pigment. By itself, the pigment is
blue in color, but together with the gold
reflective layer, the bottom appears green.
However, cyanine's ability to maintain
reflectivity is poor giving it a life span of
about 10 years. It also delivers the weakest
reflection contrasts and thus can cause read
errors when run on old CD-ROM drives. Lately
cyanine formula has been altered which results in
a much higher life span (20 to 50 years). The gold
reflection layer has also been replaced by a
silver reflection layer this make the color of the
bottom appear blue.
The blue media is made of Azo pigments. Like
cyanine, it is blue in color but unlike the green
CD-R it uses a silver reflection layer which gives
the blue color. Manufacturers claim blue CD-Rs are
as durable as golden ones.
While the reflectivity is supposedly the same,
I have seen problems where some drives don't read
certain dye types well. In that case you either
have to change the type of disc you are using or
get a more compliant drive.
5. Are the controllers for an ATAPI CD ROM on
the device or motherboard?
Reader: Just for clarification: For
IDE/ATAPI CD-ROM and tape drives, are their
respective controllers on the devices itself or on
the motherboard? Also, a book I read at the
library mentioned that you must have an ATAPI
driver when installing a CD ROM drive. Is this
true?
Computer Doctor:IDE = Integrated Drive
Electronics. The controller is on the drive, the
host adapter/interface is on the motherboard.
ATAPI is the name for the driver interface used by
non-hard disk devices such as CDROM, tape, floppy,
etc. The motherboard BIOS driver normally only
supports hard disks, so any other IDE devices will
require an ATAPI driver.
6. Why isn't my SCSI drive visible to my
computer?
Reader: I originally planned to connect
a SCSI system (CD-R & Hard Disk) to my Laptop for
flashing CDs. For that, I bought an APA 1450A Slim
SCSI for my Laptop. Now that the hard disk are
properly partitioned, I expected everything to run
smooth, but on the laptop: - the SCSI hard disk is
once again not visible on the Explorer.
Computer Doctor: I'm afraid you purchased
the WRONG SCSI adapter for your notebook!! You
should have bought the 1460 or 1480 (cardbus)
cards instead of the 1450. The card you have will
only support tape and other removable storage
drives, it doesn't include proper drivers for hard
disks and other devices. Return it and get one of
the two other Adaptec SlimSCSI cards I
recommended, both of which include the necessary
Adaptec EZ-SCSI driver software and which will
support ANY SCSI devices.
7. Why won't my CD ROM drive read some CDs?
Reader: I have a problem with my CD Rom
Drive that has bugged me for a long time. That is,
my drive has trouble reading CDs that my friends
have no problem reading on their CD ROM drives.
The strange thing is that I get no error messages.
While reading the CD, it just stops, tried to read
again and stops. Generally, I hear an awful noise
and the drive just quits. This problem is even
more odd in that it only happens with some CDs.
Help me, please!
Computer Doctor: It sounds like your drive
has a dirty lens or is out of alignment. You can
try cleaning off the lens, but if it is an
alignment problem you would be better off
replacing the drive, as it is not worth repairing.
8. Why is my hard drive not recognized after
installing a new SCSI controller, a CD-R drive and
a hard drive?
Reader: I installed a SCSI controller,
a new CD-R (ID 3), and a hard drive (ID 6). Both
drives are detected during the boot phase of the
computer and the screen shows "SCSI BIOS installed
successfully". I can see also both devices and
their properties if I open Start/Control
Panel/System. However, while the CD-R is depicted
in the Explorer and is available, the hard drive
remains invisible! What's going on?
Computer Doctor:You have not yet
partitioned the drive. Until it is partitioned,
Windows Explorer will not recognize it as it
doesn't yet have any drive letters assigned. You
have to partition the drive (use FDISK), and the
perform a high level format (use FORMAT) on each
of the logical drives or partitions created. Then
they will be visible to both DOS and Windows
Explorer.
9. How should I set the master/slave jumper
for my CD ROM if it is connected to the second IDE
port?
Reader: What should I set the
Master/Slave jumper on the back panel of the
CD-ROM drive to if I connect the CD-ROM drive to
the secondary IDE port? My friend said to set it
to Slave (the default) as the system will go
looking for a slave device if it is set to Master,
while Creative Labs said to set it to Master, as
it is the only device on this port and it will run
marginally faster. Who is correct?
Computer Doctor:The first IDE device on an
IDE port should always be set to Master. If a
second device is added it should be set to Slave.
10. What does cable select mean?
Reader:The Master/Slave jumper on my CD
ROM has 3 sets of pins, namely: CS (which is
reserved and should not be used according to the
manual), SL (slave), and MA (master). What would
CS be used for?
Computer Doctor:CS is for Cable Select,
which is documented in my book. It relates to pin
28 of the ATA interface standard. With a specially
modified cable (pin 28 is cut before the last
connector), both drives can be set to cable select
and then the master/slave setting is determined
automatically depending on which cable connector
you plug the drive into, thus simplifying
installation.
11. Why isn't my SCSI drive visible to my
laptop?
Reader:I originally planned to connect
a SCSI system (CD-R & Hard Disk) to my Laptop for
flashing CDs. For that, I bought an APA 1450A Slim
SCSI for my Laptop. Now that the hard disk are
properly partitioned, I expected everything to run
smooth, but on the laptop: - the SCSI hard disk is
once again not visible on the Explorer.
Computer Doctor:I'm afraid you purchased
the WRONG SCSI adapter for your notebook!! You
should have bought the 1460 or 1480 (cardbus)
cards instead of the 1450. The card you have will
only support tape and other removable storage
drives, it doesn't include proper drivers for hard
disks and other devices. Return it and get one of
the two other Adaptec SlimSCSI cards I
recommended, both of which include the necessary
Adaptec EZ-SCSI driver software and which will
support ANY SCSI devices.
12. My CD-ROM driver sometimes loads, and
sometimes not.
Reader: When my computer boots, it
loads a CD-ROM driver. Sometimes it works, and
sometimes not. If I shut down again and reboot,
the driver loads properly. If the office is warm,
there seems to be no problem. I have checked
connections, etc. to no avail. The drive always
seems available in Win 98.
Computer Doctor: Sounds like the drive is
failing. If that's the case a replacement will be
the only solution. You could also try re-seating
the cable connections (unplug and plug back in)
which may also help. If not, then replace the
cable, and if that doesn't work then replace the
drive.
13. How do I clean the lens of my CD-ROM
drive?
Reader: I am troubleshooting a CD-ROM
drive for a friend. It will read some CD's and not
others. Once in a while the system displays the
"drive not ready" error message. I do not know how
to clean the lens on a CD-ROM drive. What is the
correct procedure?
Computer Doctor: Depending on what type of
drive you have, the laser lens may be difficult to
access. As a first step, try a cleaning CD sold in
music departments. A cleaning CD has a series of
soft brushes on the data side which can sweep away
dust from the lens. If this doesn't work, you'll
need to remove the drive from the system, then
manually open the tray. The lens (optical pickup)
mechanism should be visible. The lens is made of
clear plastic and should be cleaned very gently.
Don't try to move it, and don't touch it with your
fingers. Use a very soft cotton swab dipped in
pure isopropyl alcohol as a cleaning solvent. Be
careful as stronger solvents can damage the
plastic lens. When you finish cleaning the lens,
it should be perfectly clear and shiny. Make sure
there is no cotton lint left behind. Then close
the tray, reinstall the drive and test it. If this
doesn't help, the drive will likely require
replacement.
14. I've installed a new hard drive and need
to access my D: drive, how do I do this?
Reader: I installed a new hard drive
into my AMD 450Mhz computer and cannot get to the
D: drive to install the OS. How can I access the
CD-ROM drive? The system seems to recognize it in
the initial screen that reports memory and such,
but from the A: drive I can't get to D:\.
Computer Doctor: You need a bootable floppy
with the real mode (DOS based) CD-ROM drivers on
it and properly configured to load. The simplest
solution is to obtain a Windows 98 or newer
startup floppy (even if you are installing Windows
95, this will work), and boot from it. The Windows
98 startup disk contains a generic set of drivers
which will work with most ATA or SCSI CD-ROM
drives on the market. If you are installing
Windows 2000, you can create the four (4) startup
disks needed by viewing the contents of the CD-ROM
on a system running Windows 9x or Me. Go to the
Bootdisk folder and run the Makeboot program to
create the startup disks, which will provide
CD-ROM support when they are loaded.
15. How do I re-assign drive letters to new
hardware?
Reader: My system has a CD-ROM drive
installed as drive E: I just added a CD-RW which
was installed as drive F:. The problem is that the
network is also using drive F: Now that the CD-RW
is loaded, when I click on the icon for the
network, I get a fatal error that says the drive
is unavailable. Can I change the drive letter for
the CD-RW drive to something beyond F: and correct
the problem?
Computer Doctor: You can use Disk
Administrator with Windows NT or Windows 2000 to
change the drive letter assignments to eliminate
that conflict. If you are using Windows 9x or Me,
use the System Properties sheet to select a
different drive letter for your CD-RW drive to
eliminate the conflict.
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