I'm not sure whether my problem is Hardware or Software but decided to start here.

I am experiencing a problem with my Computer CD System. I am trying to install a program from a CD. Even though I have the CD installed in the CD tray I get a message "Please Insert A Disk Into Drive D".

When I have previously installed programs from CD's the installation program would start automatically. It does not now and if I go to "Run" and try to start the installation I get the same message as above.

I got another CD of the program I am trying to install but got the same results.

Music CD's work OK - start automatically.
Data CD information is accessible.
Won't recognize the Program CD is in the CD tray.

What can I do to get the CD installation program to recognize the CD is in the CD tray.

My computer is a Dell 4100 Series with a Samsung CDRW/DVD SM - 308B CD Drive and I have Windows ME OS.

Hello LionJohn,
Firstly, welcome to CompuForums. I hope that you can visit our forum often in the future and post - rather than just receiving our help and advice, and then disappearing. We provide our help for free, and it's only fair that all we ask in return is that you participate in our forum and refer your friends, or consider a premium membership.

Hmm - your post is slightly confusing - are you having this problem with only one CD, or a lot of them?

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Hi Ash - Thanks for the prompt reply.

I have put other "Program Installation" CD's in the CD tray that I have previously been successful in installing in the computer and I get the same message telling me to put the CD in the CD tray.

For some reason my CD System recognizes music CD's and data CD's when they are in the tray but doesn't recognize a "Program Installation" CD when it is in the tray.

Hope this answers you question - It appears problem applies to all CD's which have "installation programs" on the CD.

I'll try to be active but I'm not very computer "literate".

The term "installation programs" is a bit vague - maybe you could type exactly what is on the label of some of the disks that you are trying to use?

Also, are they retail copies or home-burned onto CD-Rs?

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Ash
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The CD I am trying to install was made by H&R Block called TaxCut and is used to prepare income taxes. When I couldn't get the CD to work I went back to the store where I bought it and got another CD Disk but it didn't work either.

So, I put the CD installation disk used for installing the program I used last year for preparing my income taxes and which worked last year when I installed the program but the CD System won't recognize it either this year.

They are retail copies.

Sorry for all the questions, but just to verify... is this happening with most retail disks, or just ones from a particular publisher, or just one single title?

It could simply be that your CD drive is on the way out - how old is the computer/drive?

And finally - could it be that the disk is a DVD Rom but your drive cannot read these? Check that the packaging mentions CD-ROM.

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Ash
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Ash,

Disks are all CD's.

Is happening to all retail disks which have "software installation" programs on them (like the disk I used to load ISP software, the disk I used to install printer software).

However retail CD disks with music on them work OK.

My computer (& CD System) are about 5 years old.

LionJohn, try this... Insert the CD. Open My Computer. Right-click the CD-ROM drive and select OPEN, rather than Run. See if the drive is recognizing the data on the CD.

If it does open and you can view all the files on the disk, find the file named something like, Install.exe and double-click that installation file. Go from there.

If it DOES NOT recognize the data, keep the CD in the drive, restart the computer, and after Microsoft Windows has fully loaded, once again try to access the data on the disk by going to My Computer, right-click the drive and select Open (rather than Run).

Post back and let us know what happens.

Thanks for the suggestion.

I followed your instructions but ended up getting the same message "Please Insert A Disk Into Drive D".

Appears that something is preventing the CD Drive from recognizing that a disk is installed. When I insert the disk there is a small green light associated with the CD tray which blinks many times - this is normal when I insert a CD.

Your IDE cable may be improperly connected (or using the wrong type), or your CD-ROM jumper settings may be improper.

1. How many CD-ROM drives do you have connected to the IDE cable?

2. If one CD-ROM, is the jumper on the CD-ROM set as Master?

3. If one CD-ROM, do you have the IDE cable fitted into the IDE channel 2 on the motherboard, with the hard drive fitted in IDE channel 1?