reading errors in windows

[cyclops]

I have a problem with reading CDs (data and audio) once windows has booted.

The CDs will usually read fine for the first minute or so, then I can
hear the reading head moving back and forth repeatedly, as if it is
trying to acces the data. Sometimes it succeeds a bit, but over time,
the reading takes longer and longer, and eventually, it is completely
unable to read the CD.

If I remove the CD, wait a minute, then try again, I start at the
begining of the cycle, and eventually I can't read the cd again.

This happens with every CD I have tried (a douzain or so). Removing the
CDplayer from the device manager, rebooting, and re-detecting it doesn't
fix the problem.

I even re-installed Windows once, and the issue doesn't go away.

Due to the progressive nature of the error, I wonder if the CDs are
overheating(???). Can CDs overheat in a drive, causing them to be
unreadable?

Is this some driver issue?

Diagnostics on the CDs run prior to windows loading find no problems. In
fact, bootable CD's have no issues. The problem arrises only in Windows.

For the record, I am using Windows ME on a Dell Inspiron 8000 laptop.
This error didn't used to happen, though I cannot pin point when it
started, or what I had done (it's been doing it for some time now).

Any help would be appreciated.

--Dave

[Mike Richter]

cyclops wrote: I have a problem with reading CDs (data and audio) once windows has booted. The CDs will usually read fine for the first minute or so, then I can hear the reading head moving back and forth repeatedly, as if it is trying to acces the data. Sometimes it succeeds a bit, but over time, the reading takes longer and longer, and eventually, it is completely unable to read the CD. If I remove the CD, wait a minute, then try again, I start at the begining of the cycle, and eventually I can't read the cd again. This happens with every CD I have tried (a douzain or so). Removing the CDplayer from the device manager, rebooting, and re-detecting it doesn't fix the problem. I even re-installed Windows once, and the issue doesn't go away. Due to the progressive nature of the error, I wonder if the CDs are overheating(???). Can CDs overheat in a drive, causing them to be unreadable? Is this some driver issue? Diagnostics on the CDs run prior to windows loading find no problems. In fact, bootable CD's have no issues. The problem arrises only in Windows. For the record, I am using Windows ME on a Dell Inspiron 8000 laptop. This error didn't used to happen, though I cannot pin point when it started, or what I had done (it's been doing it for some time now). Any help would be appreciated.

Heat is a possibility, but not a likely one so quickly.

Assuming - since you are posting to a group for CD recording - that the
discs are home-made, not pressed, you may have excessive errors on them.
Indeed, that can be compounded by dirt in the optics, but it is not
sensitive to the OS in which you read them.

Nothing in Windows should be able to cause the problem barring a device
conflict. Once you've eliminated that possibility, see if there's no
problem on pressed discs, then on some well-written ones.

Note that the boot information is normally (always?) on the inner part
of the disc where errors increase as you move out toward the edge.
Unless you know that the outer sectors of a particular disc read well in
DOS but not in Windows, I suspect high error rate.

Mike
--
mrichter@cpl.net
http://www.mrichter.com/