Cd Anywhere or Virtual Cd

[Raybaby 0]

I know this could be considered a software issue but if you bear with me you'll realise it's an Operating System issue.

 

If I install Cd Anywhere or Virtual Cd, (both of these programs are for Windows 98/ME/XP) onto my Athlon XP +1700, 768 MB, 40G HDD + 80G HDD system running Windows XP, neither of these programs work. If I install them on a PC running either 98 or ME they work fine.

On Windows XP, the install goes fine, no problems, you extract the image all ok, Windows XP is recognising the virtual drive (assigning it a drive letter correctly & not conflicting with any other drive letter), you hit 'insert', the cd is both visually inserted on screen & also if you check it by Windows Explorer...but that is it !! The inserted cd does nothing.....if you follow this exact procedure on Windows 98 or ME when you hit insert the game/program auto starts.

By the way, I've also experimented with having Windows XP in both 'auto cd insert mode on' & 'auto cd insert mode off"

I've tried this with Windows XP & with Windows XP with SP1, no difference.

 

Any one else had this, anyone got a fix for this ?

[DosFreak 2]

Haven't used those 2 programs but you might try Daemon Tools (free) or Alcohol 120% (Shareware) and see if those products work for you.

[CUViper 0]

Is it only the autoplay that's broken? If you open the drive through explorer, can you see and interact with files on the disc?

[Raybaby 0]

Dosfreak, I'll give those programs a try, thanks.

 

CUViper, both of these programs create an 'image' of the cd, so if you look under Windows Explorer & right click the drive created by the program it is showing as 'there', from here you can select eject & it does eject the cd. This is also able to be done directly from the program itself, so everything is working you select 'insert' you get a graphical image of the cd inserting....it is 'inserted', then when you 'eject' it graphical ejects & it is ejected. The only problem is nothing else happens & yet when you follow this exact procedure on 98 or ME the game/program autoplays. As I said I've selected 'auto insertion of cd' on Windows XP in both on & off positions....there is no difference to the procedure (this is even if I've reset the pc to make the changes take effect).

 

I know this is difficult to comprehend so I'll give you an exact example ;-

 

In 98 or ME the game I try to play is Hoyle Puzzle Games 2003, you create an image of the cd, remove the real cd from the real drive. You then press insert on either Cd Anywhere or Virtual Cd, the cd image inserts & auto comes up with Hoyles splash screen of 'Install or play', this first time play is not selectable (as it has not been installed yet), so you select install. Installation process runs, everything works, you then close the program. You reopen the program & select insert, the virtual cd image inserts & auto starts again with the splash screen, this time both install & play are selectable, so you select play & it plays just like the real cd is in the drive (when it's not). As I said this is with 98 or Me, if you try this exact same procedure on XP...nothing happens (that is you never get the splash screen with Install & play on it....the FIRST SPLASH SCREEN).

 

Now I thought to myself, what if I install this program normally, then do an image of it & try running it that way.....still no change. You may say how do I know there is no change, well with this program you need the cd inserted into the pc to be able to change 'background music', 'animations' & 'themes'. So that when you try all of the above on XP, it still will not allow any of the music/animations/themes to be changed, unless you put the REAL cd in. Copyright or a qwerk of this cd/program is not the issue here as all cds (even audio) & all programs will not work on XP....but work first time & everytime on 98 & ME.....aaaaaarrrgghhh crazy

[CUViper 0]

Thanks for the lengthy explanation, but I am aware of how these programs work... I use Nero ImageDrive, since it came with Nero.

 

Anyway, what I was hoping to get from you, is that you said when you insert the disc you are correctly able to see it in the virtual drive in explorer. I assume by seeing it you mean that you can see the name of the disc in the drive, and maybe even the autoplay icon. What I am wondering is, can you double-click on the the drive there, to view the files on the virtual disc? This will tell us if the entire image-drive functionality is broken, or maybe just the autoplay part is broken...

 

Or if you have Nero just be like me and use their ImageDrive program...

[Shakti 0]

Daemon Tools mount almost ANYTHING and get freqently updated, they could be used also to satisfy not so well burned backups of game-cds. Here a link:http://www.daemon-tools.net/main.htm

[Raybaby 0]

CUViper, yeah sorry about the long winded explanation, it's hard to know who has or who hasn't used what progams at times, or even to know if I've provided enough info. Anyway, yes you can see the image 'inserted' in Explorer, no you can't view the files there, as XP comes up with the dialogue box of not knowing what the file is, even if you associate those files with Cd Anywhere or Virtual Cd, it still won't work.

 

BUT, I've now downloaded Daemon Tools & guess what ? ...hey presto it works fine, so thanks for the referral 'Shakti', it works brilliantly, yeeeehhaaa lol

 

I'ts a strange world we live in, Cd Anywhere & Virtual Cd charge you for their XP compatabile programs that don't work on XP & yet Daemon Tools is FREE & it works on XP crazy

 

Thanks heaps guys for your help, much appreciated.

[DosFreak 2]

Quote:

CUViper, yeah sorry about the long winded explanation, it's hard to know who has or who hasn't used what progams at times, or even to know if I've provided enough info. Anyway, yes you can see the image 'inserted' in Explorer, no you can't view the files there, as XP comes up with the dialogue box of not knowing what the file is, even if you associate those files with Cd Anywhere or Virtual Cd, it still won't work.

BUT, I've now downloaded Daemon Tools & guess what ? ...hey presto it works fine, so thanks for the referral 'Shakti', it works brilliantly, yeeeehhaaa

I'ts a strange world we live in, Cd Anywhere & Virtual Cd charge you for their XP compatabile programs that don't work on XP & yet Daemon Tools is FREE & it works on XP :x

Thanks heaps guys for your help, much appreciated.

That's the difference between people who LOVE what they are doing and the people who do what they do for MONEY. It makes all the difference. Occasionally you find a company that combines both but that is the exception.

[Shakti 0]

These Daemon Tools guys belong to this category, they sell their product as an advanced version with up to 20 or 40 virtual drives under a different name, and keep the free version for private users, they also have a brilliant support forum for private users mostly concerned with game-backups and anti copy protections.

[adamvjackson 0]

Quote:

That's the difference between people who LOVE what they are doing and the people who do what they do for MONEY. It makes all the difference. Occasionally you find a company that combines both but that is the exception.

I would agree, and point out the Linux community as an excellent example. Also, most SourceForge projects would fall into this category as well.

On a related note, ChristianB from these forums is involved in the FreeDOS project, another good example of dedication to free software, and quality.