Ohhh My Help! : Problems installing from CD

[saturn_5@verizo]

I have Xara 3D6 and Extreme 2.0, Windows Vista 32 and a headache! Neither one will install due to a CRC Error stating that the files dont match the ones in the cab file. Furthermore, it says my "Media is corrupt". This was right before I installed on my other computer with no problems. Any help you nice people could offer would be appreciated. I'm going for Exedrin.

[steve.ledger]

Dirty CD media, faulty optical drive and bad RAM can cause these errors.

As it's happening for both CD's, I'd initially suspect a the faulty optical drive.

Also you will need to 'run as administrator' when you do get the setup to read correctly.

NOTE: If your other PC is networked to the Vista PC, you can 'share' the optical drive on your other PC, and then install across the netwok onto the Vista computer.

[saturn_5@verizo]

Thanks for your response! The CD DVD is fine. I just used it to load another program. The CD Loaded fine on the other computer to. It tells me that the setup files dont match the files in the Installation CAB. WHatever that means. I did a TOTLA unisnstall and dumped the registry also. Still the same error. Perhaps someone would like to play $200.00 Frisbee?

[saturn_5@verizo]

I spoke too quickly! I took your advice on a whim.....and I hookep up my spare USB DVD Drive. Worked like a charm. I'm flabbergasted. Why would other CD's work and not these two. I love computers! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUGGETION!


Tom

[steve.ledger]

Some discs will read while others won't.. It's a fact with Optical drives, and one which still plagues many users of shiny new DVD/RW devices that continue to spit out dud discs. The drive is usually fine in most cases, but the media is unkown (to the firmware - each blank media has information embedded to assist in power calibration) so the laser power calibration does the best it can.
Some drives have better error-correction (this is where you see CRC errors) and can deal with slight misreads.

With comercially produced discs there's usually less of a problem, but the same rules apply. Same effect with Video DVD's (bought or rented). Some will play fine on your brand new expensive KISS player, other will skip or freeze about 3 quarters through the movie..

Glad your external drive worked for you

[Egg Bramhill]

Good heads up Sledger.

[steve.ledger]

Cheers Egg..

If you're curious, there are free utilities to check the media for this embedded information.
It can help avoid buying rubbish blanks ( a second time ) by identifying the REAL manufacturer.

CDR Media Code Identifier

DVD identifier

The manufacturer database hasn't been updated in a while, but may still be usefull.

[zaphodeist]

Steve - a problem I often have is blank discs not being there according to WMP11. I've tried different burning software and bought, a while back, an external CD drive. It works for a time then just doesn't (playing CDs is no problem btw). Recently I re-downloaded/re-installed WMP11 and blank discs are recognised again. I've had to do that a number of times - I don't burn a lot, I just want it to be there at short notice.

Is there a way to make sure blank media is recognised without having to do this re-install? For instance, is there a registry setting that might be getting changed by programs I run - like PC Optimizer - that I could reset manualy?

Has it anything to do with the "Do you want WMPconfig to run automatically" message I get everytime I use WMP ?

Hope you don't mind this digression.