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Frequently Asked Questions About CD-R and CD-RW Discs |
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Frequently Asked Questions About CD-R and CD-RW Discs |
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Not all problems are related to recording hardware. As operating systems have become more user friendly, they have also become increasingly dependent upon shared files having extensions such as DLL (application extension, dynamic link library), MPD (Windows '95 miniport driver), or VXD (virtual device driver). In the past, resident drivers often could be found in DOS AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files, or in the SYSTEM.INI and WIN.INI files of Windows. Today they may be in the registry or other locations where they are difficult to detect and monitor.
Problems occur when installation of new software overwrites an old version of a critical driver with a newer version of the same driver. The old version worked, but the newer one may not. A well- behaved application can suddenly crash until it or another program is reinstalled, restoring the old version of the critical driver. Sometimes install programs may refuse to overwrite newer with older versions, and all offending programs may have to be deleted first. Installation of Windows '95 over Windows 3.1, or of Windows '98 over Windows '95, might trigger such a problem. Perhaps CD recording packages from several different vendors are installed on the same machine, and peaceful coexistence stops when an update of one program installs drivers that are not compatible with the other software.
Many critical shared files that affect CD-R recording are located in the ASPI (Advanced SCSI Programmer's Interface) layer. These manage communications between software and various peripheral devices. Updates from hardware or software manufacturers can create problems in systems that have been performing flawlessly. The latest SCSI software is not always the best SCSI software. New drivers supporting the latest SCSI cards may not be fully compatible with an older card and certain recording software. Multiple SCSI cards from different vendors in the same system may appear to be compatible until installation of a new driver from one vendor adversely affects other cards. Even scanners or external drives may disrupt a recording system after their vendor- supplied software is installed.
Always monitor the path, filename, version, size, and date of all critical drivers. Obtain a list of critical drivers from suppliers of your hardware and software. DOS and Win 3.1/3.11 Adaptec drivers are usually named ASPIxDOS.SYS. VASPID.386 may be used as a 16 bit Windows 3.1 driver. Important Windows '95 drivers for Adaptec SCSI cards are (not all drivers listed will be present, because some apply only to specific card families):
Backups are often the solution to mysterious problems that suddenly appear. Full system backups to tape are always best but may be time- consuming. Such a procedure is still faster than reformating your hard drive and reinstalling everything. There are several alternatives that are faster. The Windows '95 CD-ROM contains a registry backup program that is highly recommended. Move d:\OTHER\MISC\CFGBACK\CFGBACK.EXE and CFGBACK.HLP files from the CD-ROM to the \WINDOWS directory and create a Registry Backup shortcut in Start.Programs.Accessories.System Tools. Use it to maintain up to nine copies of various configurations on your hard drive. Also back up existing versions of critical files, such as the appropriate DLL, MPD, and VXD files, to a floppy disk before installing new software. Do not wait until after installation of new software or an update is complete and your system has crashed before remembering that backups are important. Then it is too late.
