This document contains basic troubleshooting steps to resolve the most common CD-ROM drive difficulties in Windows 95. This document assumes that the CD-ROM drive letter is D:.

---

Possible causes:

• There is no CD disc in the CD-ROM drive.
• There is an audio CD disc in the drive when you are trying to access data files; or a data CD disc in the drive when you are trying to play an audio or music CD disc.
• The CD disc is dirty or defective.
• The CD disc is an Apple or Macintosh format rather than IBM compatible format.
• The CD disc is in the drive label side down on all single tray CD-ROM drives.
• The CD disc is in the drive label side up on the Sanyo 3 Disc Changer.
• The incorrect CD disc or no CD disc is in the CD-ROM drive.
• The program trying to access the CD-ROM drive is corrupt.
• The onboard IDE is not enabled in the System Setup or CMOS.
• The data or audio cable is, not connected, or damaged.
• The CD-ROM drive is conflicting with newly installed hardware devices.
• The jumper settings on the IDE CD-ROM drive, the interface card, or the sound card is incorrectly positioned.
• The real mode drivers for MS-DOS mode are not loaded.

Basic CD-ROM troubleshooting:

CD disc checks - Always make sure that the correct type of CD disc is in the drive for the type of program you are attempting to use. If you are trying to play music from your CD-ROM, make sure that an audio CD disc is in the drive. Likewise, if you are trying to listen to MIDI or WAVE files from a CD disc, make sure that the program you are using is designed to play these types of sounds.

CD disc type - All CD-ROM drives will give random errors if a damaged or wrong media type CD disc is placed in the drive. If you are attempting to use a data CD disc, such as the Microsoft Office Reference disc or Microsoft Works, make sure the correct disc is in the CD-ROM drive. Many "Help" files read information from these discs. Make sure that there is a data CD disc, such as the Gateway 2000 System CD, in your CD-ROM drive when you are trying to access the D: drive from a DOS prompt or from within Windows 95. You can not access a directory of an audio CD disc.

CD disc defects - Make sure that the CD disc you are attempting to use is clean and free from scratches. Any nick or fingerprint can cause an error when the CD-ROM drive is trying to access the disc. Try different CD discs to see if the problem is with a specific disc or with any disc that you place in the CD-ROM drive.

CD disc position - In all CD-ROM drives that Gateway 2000 sells, with the exception of the Sanyo 4x IDE 3 Disc Changer, the CD disc must be placed in the drive with the label side of the disc facing up so that you can read the writing on the top of the disc. In the case of the Sanyo 4x IDE 3 Disc Changer, the CD disc must be placed in the drive with the label side down so the shiny side of the disc is visible.

CD disc format - Make sure that the CD disc you are trying to access is IBM compatible. If you try to read an Apple or Macintosh CD disc, you will receive errors. Locate the pamphlet that came with the CD disc. Inside this pamphlet there should be information concerning the format and compatibility of the CD disc. Contact the manufacturer of the CD disc for further information.

OnBoard IDE with a 486 PCI system - As you boot up your system, press the F2 key on your keyboard to Enter Setup. Once in Setup, or CMOS, use the right arrow on your keyboard to highlight Advanced at the top of the screen. Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to highlight Peripheral Configuration and press Enter. On this screen, use the arrow keys on the keyboard to highlight OnBoard IDE and press Enter. Use the arrow keys again to highlight Enabled and press Enter to select it. Press the ESC key to return to the Advanced section. Use the right arrow key to highlight Exit and press Enter. Press Enter again to confirm the changes you made. Once the system reboots, try to access your CD-ROM drive again.

OnBoard IDE with a Pentium system - As you boot up your system, press the F1 key on your keyboard to enter Setup. Once in Setup, or CMOS, use the down arrow key to highlight Boot Options and press Enter. On this screen highlight OnBoard IDE and press Enter. Use the arrow keys on the keyboard to highlight Enabled and press Enter to select it. Press the F10 key on your keyboard to exit and save the changes. Press Enter again to confirm the changes you made. Once the system reboots, try to access your CD-ROM drive again.

Resolving CD-ROM difficulties:

Windows 95 recognizing the CD-ROM drive - If the CD-ROM drive is not recognized or the proper drivers are not installed, audio CDs and data CDs will not play correctly or may not play at all. To make sure the CD-ROM drive is recognized in Windows 95, right click the My Computer icon in the upper right hand corner of the screen. Click the word Open on the menu that appears. The My Computer window appears on the screen. There should be an icon present for the floppy drive(s), hard drive(s), Control Panel, Printers, and the CD-ROM drive. If there is no icon present for the CD-ROM drive, you will need to let Windows 95 install the drive. Consult the Userís Guide that came with the CD-ROM drive for installation instructions. If the CD-ROM drive icon is present, click the X in the upper right hand corner of the window to return to the Windows 95 desktop.

Problems Playing Audio CDs - If the audio CD you are trying to play is incorrectly formatted or scratched, you will not be able to play the CD or hear any sound from the CD. Make sure the CD is the correct format. Wipe the CD disc with a clean, dry, lint-free cloth. If the CD disc is badly scratched, it will not play correctly. Try a different audio CD to verify that the problem is not with only one CD disc.

To check the settings for music CDs in Windows 95, click the Start button in the lower left hand corner of the screen. Click the word Settings, then double click the Control Panel to open it. Double click the Multimedia icon to open the Multimedia Properties window. Across the top of the screen are five tabs: Audio, Video, MIDI, CD Music, and Advanced. Click the CD Music tab to open it. Make sure the CD-ROM drive: is set to D: and the Headphone: setting slide bar is set to High. Click the OK button at the bottom of the window. If the CD Player is active, close and restart it for the changes to take effect.

• If the CD Music tab is not present, click the Start button in the lower left hand corner of the screen. Click the word Settings, then double click the Control Panel to open it. Double click the Add/Remove Programs icon to open it. Across the top of this window are three tabs: Install/Uninstall, Windows Setup, and Startup Disk. Click the Windows Setup tab to open the screen. Use the scroll bar on the right hand side of the Components: window to find Multimedia. Click once on Multimedia to highlight it. Click on the Details button on the lower right hand side of the screen. The Multimedia window appears. Use the scroll bar to locate CD Player and make sure there is a check beside it. Click OK on this screen. Click OK at the bottom of the Add/Remove Programs Properties window. If prompted for the Windows 95 CD-ROM, insert the Windows 95 CD in the CD-ROM drive and click OK to continue. Follow the above steps to check the CD Music settings again.

Software corruption - If the program trying to access the CD-ROM drive is corrupt, it will not locate the proper files on the CD disc. To make sure the software application is not causing the problem, remove and reinstall the application. To do this, click the Start button in the lower left hand corner of the screen. Click the word Settings that appears on the menu. Double click Control Panel to open it. Double click the Add/Remove Programs icon in the Control Panel. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete this process.

Newly added hardware - If you recently added a new hardware device to the system such as a modem, scanner, etc., remove the new device to see if the CD-ROM functions properly. If the CD-ROM starts working correctly, the new device is conflicting with the CD-ROM. Contact the manufacturer for assistance configuring the device.

Reseat interface cable - Make sure that your computer is powered off. Follow the instructions in the Userís Guide to open the computer. Once inside the system, locate the back of the CD-ROM drive. Gently pull the flat gray data cable off the back of the drive and push it firmly back on the drive. If you have an IDE CD-ROM drive, make sure the jumpers on the back of the drive are set according to the Userís Guide instructions. If your CD-ROM drive is attached to an interface card or directly into your sound card, make sure the jumpers and switches are set according to the Userís Guide. If the CD-ROM cable is connected to an interface card or sound card, reseat the card after reseating the cable on the card.

Power the computer back on. Once Windows 95 restarts, right click the My Computer icon in the upper right hand corner of the screen. Click the word Open on the menu that appears. The My Computer window appears on the screen. There should be an icon present for the floppy drive(s), hard drive(s), Control Panel, Printers, and the CD-ROM drive. If there is no icon present for the CD-ROM drive, you will need to let Windows 95 install the drive. Consult the Userís Guide that came with the CD-ROM drive for installation instructions. If the CD-ROM drive icon is present, click the X in the upper right hand corner of the window to return to the Windows 95 desktop.

Real mode drivers for MS-DOS mode support - If the CD-ROM drivers are not loaded as the system boots into MS-DOS mode from Windows 95, the CD-ROM will not function. To check the driver lines, right click the icon you are using to run the MS-DOS application, e.g. Run MS-DOS Applications, Exit to DOS, etc.. Click the word Properties that appears on the menu. Across the top of the window are six tabs: General, Program, Font, Memory, Screen, and Misc. Click the Program tab to view this screen. At the bottom of this screen, click the Advanced button. In the CONFIG.SYS for MS-DOS mode: and AUTOEXEC.BAT for MS-DOS mode: windows confirm that the CD-ROM driver lines are present and correctly identifying the CD-ROM drive. Consult the Userís Guide for the CD-ROM drive for the proper lines. You may also consult Installing and Using MS-DOS Applications in Windows 95 for complete instructions on setting up an icon to run applications through MS-DOS mode.

The information in these articles is provided "as-is" without warranty of any kind, and all warranties are hereby disclaimed, whether express or implied, including, without limitation, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement. GATEWAY® 2000 will not be liable for any damages whatsoever, whether direct, special, indirect, incidental, or consequential (including, without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business information, or any other pecuniary loss) arising out of, or related to your use of, or inability to use the information in any such article,even if advised of the possibility of such damages. Because some states and jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, the above limitation may not apply to you. You may not further distribute, reproduce, rent, sell, transfer or license these articles.

If our documentation hasn't helped you,
this might be a good time to
send an e-mail to Technical Support.

Copyright © 1996 Gateway 2000 Inc. All rights reserved.
Please see our Legal Information. Please send feedback to Webmaster Central.