Ping: Noel - CDRTC.DLL

Shane:

U sure you want to pick up the slack?
I'm certainly glad you decided to.
1. No quick-fix for A ( didn't try disconnecting the cable and
reconnecting it yet).
2. When you read through the thread, you will find that my
CD-ROM drive is listed only as 'W' anymore, when it used to be
'R/W'. Where did the 'R' go?

Doing a Google search, I found that someone else ( and I am sure there are
others) had the same problem as mine and according to the forums log, no
solution was found, even though all of the here mentioned possibilities were
tried.
I'll be waiting.

Harry.


"Shane" wrote in message
...
webster72n wrote:
Mart:

Finally made it back.
When following your instructions, WE shows the same original
conditions, i.e. Floppy A asks to "Please insert a disk into drive
A", even with a disk inserted.

I recently had this happen. I ejected the disk and reinserted it and it
wrote okay. I think the problem was it had been sitting around too long,
possibly got dusty, possibly began to be demagnetised. What happens with a
fresh-out-of-the-packet disk?

CD-ROM, with or without a disk inserted, tells me "The disk is not
formatted". Do you want to format it now?" with a "Yes" or "No"
choice. Clicking on yes gives me "This drive cannot be formatted" and
clicking "ok" informs me "The disk in drive F cannot be formatted".
That's it and as it has been from the beginning.

Harry, that just sounds like you still have packet-writing software eg
Adaptec/Roxio EasyCD or Ahead InCD installed.

If you're using CDR discs, do not select "Yes". They are already
formatted,
also they are only usable one time and formatting uses them - thereafter
you'd get the message that they cannot be formatted.

If they weren't blank to begin with, you'd get the message that they
cannot
be formatted.

So, to begin addressing the problem, do not select "Yes" if asked if you
want to format them!

The next question is *why* are you being asked if you want to format them?

Are you using CDR discs or CD-RW discs? If CD-RW, they should not be
recognised in Win ME without burning software installed, therefore they
should not be recognised. And you should be using pre-recorded data discs
to
test with.

I think I'm going to have to read through this thread.

Shane

Harry,

Do you have jv16 Powertools? If not I'll e-mail you a copy. I may also mail
you a cd you can boot with, assuming you can boot from a cd. But we'll see.
One thing we need to know right now is what cd or cds you've been using. You
know, when you get these messages about formatting, what cd is inserted at
the time?

1. No quick-fix for A ( didn't try disconnecting the cable and
reconnecting it yet).

Doing the Device Manager in Safe Mode thing again, remove both instances of
the Iomega Zip. Whether it fixes anything or not, it still needs to be done.
It should only be listed once.

Did the zip drive come with the machine or has it been fitted since? Have
you been disconnecting/reconnecting cables? And I mean *any* cables. You can
cause problems by disconnecting cables back-to-front, even though they look
symmetrical.

Also, I disconnected my own Iomega 100M Zip Drive because it caused errors
in Partition Magic.

2. When you read through the thread, you will find that my

Just have.

CD-ROM drive is listed only as 'W' anymore, when it used to be
'R/W'. Where did the 'R' go?

Listed where?

Shane

Moi? 'do one'?? - I got lost somewhere?

--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2006, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.crashfixpc.com/millsrpch.htm

http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's
"Shane" wrote in message
Maybe they should get Noel to do one! Think of the journey! vbg


Shane

Just found out the following, Shane:
My former "Direct CD Drive (E" has become "Local Disk (E" and the CD-ROM
is now "Compact Disk (F".
When I right-click on it, it will let me format, IOW the repartitioned drive
E still has the qualities of the cd-rom drive.
Does that tell us anything?

Harry.


"Shane" wrote in message
...
Harry,

Do you have jv16 Powertools? If not I'll e-mail you a copy. I may also
mail
you a cd you can boot with, assuming you can boot from a cd. But we'll
see.
One thing we need to know right now is what cd or cds you've been using.
You
know, when you get these messages about formatting, what cd is inserted at
the time?

1. No quick-fix for A ( didn't try disconnecting the cable and
reconnecting it yet).

Doing the Device Manager in Safe Mode thing again, remove both instances
of
the Iomega Zip. Whether it fixes anything or not, it still needs to be
done.
It should only be listed once.

Did the zip drive come with the machine or has it been fitted since? Have
you been disconnecting/reconnecting cables? And I mean *any* cables. You
can
cause problems by disconnecting cables back-to-front, even though they
look
symmetrical.

Also, I disconnected my own Iomega 100M Zip Drive because it caused errors
in Partition Magic.

2. When you read through the thread, you will find that my

Just have.

CD-ROM drive is listed only as 'W' anymore, when it used to be
'R/W'. Where did the 'R' go?

Listed where?

Shane

Just found out the following, Shane:
My former "Direct CD Drive (E" has become "Local Disk (E" and the
CD-ROM
is now "Compact Disk (F".

"Direct CD Drive" is just the name Direct CD gives the CDRW drive when
Direct CD is installed. If you had InCD, it would be called "InCD". What it
should be called, with neither installed, is "Compact Disk".

So, so far so good.

"Local Disk" is what a Hard Drive partition is called. Most likely you've
created a new partition, as you say you've used partitioning software and
regained the 30G that was missing. All Hard Drive partitions are enumerated
before CD drives in Win ME. So if you create a new partition, that shifts
the CD drive letters up (just as creating a RAMdrive in DOS does).

When I right-click on it, it will let me format, IOW the repartitioned
drive
E still has the qualities of the cd-rom drive.

You cannot format a CD drive, only the CDR or CDRW disc you have in it. You
*can* format a Hard Drive. Usually you should not, as you will lose data
that way.

Does that tell us anything?


Maybe, maybe not. I still need you to answer the questions. In fact I'll be
asking more when you have done, Harry. But first things first.

Shane

Harry,

It's notable that you say you *seem* to recall your drive as listed as R/W
and now it's just W. Well, given that the model is a W, perhaps you're just
remembering seeing R/W elsewhere? Is TEAC CD-W58E what you mean? Because
that is the model name. Not TEAC CD-R/W58E. Even if it is an R/W drive.


Shane

Mart,

I don't appear to have your e-mail address. Perhaps you'd hit 'Reply' and
send it?


Shane


Mart wrote:
Hi Shane, will you please 'hold the fort' as I'm off out for while
and may not be back till late.

I concur with you appraisal, but just a couple of quick observations:-

the A: drive - odd thing is that the WinMe Startup floppy
*apparently* booted OK from the A: - hence my request to test using
that disk. Perhaps Harry could confirm that this floppy works 'every
time, without problems' when he tries to boot from it.

the CD-ROM - precisely!! Again, I asked Harry to test with a Data
CD (implying a computer magazine cover CD). Harry please confirm!

Good luck and I hope you're sorted by the time I get back. (And
thanks in anticipation Shane.)

Mart


"Shane" wrote in message
...
webster72n wrote:
Mart:

Finally made it back.
When following your instructions, WE shows the same original
conditions, i.e. Floppy A asks to "Please insert a disk into drive
A", even with a disk inserted.

I recently had this happen. I ejected the disk and reinserted it and
it wrote okay. I think the problem was it had been sitting around
too long, possibly got dusty, possibly began to be demagnetised.
What happens with a fresh-out-of-the-packet disk?

CD-ROM, with or without a disk inserted, tells me "The disk is not
formatted". Do you want to format it now?" with a "Yes" or "No"
choice. Clicking on yes gives me "This drive cannot be formatted"
and clicking "ok" informs me "The disk in drive F cannot be
formatted". That's it and as it has been from the beginning.

Harry, that just sounds like you still have packet-writing software
eg Adaptec/Roxio EasyCD or Ahead InCD installed.

If you're using CDR discs, do not select "Yes". They are already
formatted, also they are only usable one time and formatting uses
them - thereafter you'd get the message that they cannot be
formatted. If they weren't blank to begin with, you'd get the message
that they
cannot be formatted.

So, to begin addressing the problem, do not select "Yes" if asked if
you want to format them!

The next question is *why* are you being asked if you want to format
them? Are you using CDR discs or CD-RW discs? If CD-RW, they should not
be
recognised in Win ME without burning software installed, therefore
they should not be recognised. And you should be using pre-recorded
data discs to test with.

I think I'm going to have to read through this thread.

Shane

Mart wrote:
Hi Shane, will you please 'hold the fort' as I'm off out for while
and may not be back till late.

I've been through this and it's offshoot threads 3 times now, and reduced
130-odd posts down to 16 that may actually convey information!

The more I look at it the more your above request sounds like Capt. Oates at
the South Pole!


I concur with you appraisal, but just a couple of quick observations:-

the A: drive - odd thing is that the WinMe Startup floppy
*apparently* booted OK from the A: - hence my request to test using
that disk. Perhaps Harry could confirm that this floppy works 'every
time, without problems' when he tries to boot from it.

the CD-ROM - precisely!! Again, I asked Harry to test with a Data
CD (implying a computer magazine cover CD). Harry please confirm!

Good luck and I hope you're sorted by the time I get back. (And
thanks in anticipation Shane.)

Yes, well, along with having tried to impress upon Harry the need to answer
questions because we can't just come over and look at his machine to find
out what he means, the other problem with trans-Atlantic PC support is the
time lag, of course!

Not only am I trying to quit, I do have important issues to resolve here
that have nothing to do with computing, so if this threatens to drag on for
another 30 posts, let alone another 130, I shall have to bow back out again!

Seeing the lack of progress I begin to suspect Heather's proposed solution
is the practical one.

Shane

Noel Paton wrote:
Moi? 'do one'?? - I got lost somewhere?

Somewhere on the M4 corridor?

But seriously Noel, so many of our worthies have come from abroad, via
fascinating routes! :-)

btw I've made a discovery since being up here and going to London by train:
Sluff only hums from the road!


Shane

Harry, for the moment, let's just concentrate on your A: drive.

Can you please conduct the following test (and repeat as necessary) and come
back with the results:-

Boot, using your WinMe Startup floppy disk in the A: drive, Select option
4) - the help page, and ensure that you can read several pages (use the up
and down arrows on your keyboard) to confirm that files on the floppy can be
read properly.

Re-boot (Ctrl+Alt+Del or power-down and restart) several times (at least
half a dozen) and retry the above. You could also try the other options
(1-3) just to confirm that the drive and disk are working OK.

We need to confirm that the A: drive itself isn't 'iffy' i.e that it appears
to be 'reliable' every time. Until we've confirmed that the drive (and disk)
are 'good' using this process, then further testing could be misleading and
therefore pointless.

Again, this will not affect any other previous suggestion/instructions.

Mart