There was some blue-screen error going on about DOS Compatible drivers being used instead of 32-bit drivers.

This has happened before after installing a Game demo. The fix was to change a Registry entry but I can't remember which entry.

My only other option is to use MSCDEX in AUTOEXEC.BAT but that's obviously very dodgy...

Anyone out there know which entry to change?

TIA

: Help!!! It's disappeared and has been gone for years now! I don't think it's the printer or the virus because I checked and all of them are fine.

Don't know if you saw the earlier responses, but using the registry editor and setting the key "noide" from 01 to 0 worked for me (reboot after change).

Use menu entry "RUN", type in regedit, menu "edit", entry "find", type in "noide", then edit->modify and change 01 to 00, then "ok", then exit regedit and reboot.

: When I first got my computer in 8/98 it lost the cdrom and I finally found out about changing the regestry setting,seems to be some kind off default. It seemed to doit if I had a crash or went in safe mode,now its not a big problem to regedi-find-noide and change it to 00.

: : : This is a tough one, and kind of hard to figure out from this info (and from remote).

: : : But if I had this problem I would be thinking maybe the printer driver somehow loads before the the cd-rom stuff, and trashes things somehow (or vice versa).

: : : Is there anything else you may not be telling us? Like you have a IDE to parallel port converter? (meaning something weird)

: : : It's really strange that a printer driver load trashes a CD ROM driver. To really go on a fishing trip, does it all work OK if you uninstall the printer/drivers? And is there a chance you can log what the printer install does? Like using a "uninstall" program and having it log everything?

: : : Maybe it writes over the cd-rom's driver because it installs a file that is the same name.

: : : If you let windows think the CD ROM is a new thing, maybe it will install drivers over the trashed ones. I bet your printer would screw up after that!

: : : There's a cool program called 'system file checker' for win 98 (accessories / system tools) that checks all the system files and allows updates to the record so once you have things working OK you can save that setting and when things screw up you can see what has changed.

: : : I don't know if that will work on 95, but maybe?

: : : How about upgrade to 98? I think it handles devices a lot better. I gave up a while back and found that 98 seems to be better behaved. It's the operating system you should have gotten in the first place (still needs a LOT more improvement!).

: : : : : The Windows manifestation of the error is signalled by three entries in the System Properties Device Manager having the yellow exclamation marks beside them:
: : : : : - Standard Floppy Disk Controller
: : : : : - Primary IDE controller (single fifo)
: : : : : - Secondary IDE controller (single fifo)

: : : :
: : : : 1. Check your Computer for viruses
: : : : 2. Remove *all* drive and IDE controllers from device manager and reboot.
: : : : 3. If that doesn't help do a Find in the Registry for "noide" and delete the key, remove the IDE controllers again from device manager and reboot.

: : This is a tough one, and kind of hard to figure out from this info (and from remote).

: : But if I had this problem I would be thinking maybe the printer driver somehow loads before the the cd-rom stuff, and trashes things somehow (or vice versa).

: : Is there anything else you may not be telling us? Like you have a IDE to parallel port converter? (meaning something weird)

: : It's really strange that a printer driver load trashes a CD ROM driver. To really go on a fishing trip, does it all work OK if you uninstall the printer/drivers? And is there a chance you can log what the printer install does? Like using a "uninstall" program and having it log everything?

: : Maybe it writes over the cd-rom's driver because it installs a file that is the same name.

: : If you let windows think the CD ROM is a new thing, maybe it will install drivers over the trashed ones. I bet your printer would screw up after that!

: : There's a cool program called 'system file checker' for win 98 (accessories / system tools) that checks all the system files and allows updates to the record so once you have things working OK you can save that setting and when things screw up you can see what has changed.

: : I don't know if that will work on 95, but maybe?

: : How about upgrade to 98? I think it handles devices a lot better. I gave up a while back and found that 98 seems to be better behaved. It's the operating system you should have gotten in the first place (still needs a LOT more improvement!).

: : : : The Windows manifestation of the error is signalled by three entries in the System Properties Device Manager having the yellow exclamation marks beside them:
: : : : - Standard Floppy Disk Controller
: : : : - Primary IDE controller (single fifo)
: : : : - Secondary IDE controller (single fifo)

: : :
: : : 1. Check your Computer for viruses
: : : 2. Remove *all* drive and IDE controllers from device manager and reboot.
: : : 3. If that doesn't help do a Find in the Registry for "noide" and delete the key, remove the IDE controllers again from device manager and reboot.

: But if I had this problem I would be thinking maybe the printer driver somehow loads before the the cd-rom stuff, and trashes things somehow (or vice versa).

: Is there anything else you may not be telling us? Like you have a IDE to parallel port converter? (meaning something weird)

: It's really strange that a printer driver load trashes a CD ROM driver. To really go on a fishing trip, does it all work OK if you uninstall the printer/drivers? And is there a chance you can log what the printer install does? Like using a "uninstall" program and having it log everything?

: Maybe it writes over the cd-rom's driver because it installs a file that is the same name.

: If you let windows think the CD ROM is a new thing, maybe it will install drivers over the trashed ones. I bet your printer would screw up after that!

: There's a cool program called 'system file checker' for win 98 (accessories / system tools) that checks all the system files and allows updates to the record so once you have things working OK you can save that setting and when things screw up you can see what has changed.

: I don't know if that will work on 95, but maybe?

: How about upgrade to 98? I think it handles devices a lot better. I gave up a while back and found that 98 seems to be better behaved. It's the operating system you should have gotten in the first place (still needs a LOT more improvement!).

: : : The Windows manifestation of the error is signalled by three entries in the System Properties Device Manager having the yellow exclamation marks beside them:
: : : - Standard Floppy Disk Controller
: : : - Primary IDE controller (single fifo)
: : : - Secondary IDE controller (single fifo)

: :
: : 1. Check your Computer for viruses
: : 2. Remove *all* drive and IDE controllers from device manager and reboot.
: : 3. If that doesn't help do a Find in the Registry for "noide" and delete the key, remove the IDE controllers again from device manager and reboot.

That was it! That's the key I was talking about!

I've changed it to "00" and now all is well...

Top Job Teiresias - Thanks

But if I had this problem I would be thinking maybe the printer driver somehow loads before the the cd-rom stuff, and trashes things somehow (or vice versa).

Is there anything else you may not be telling us? Like you have a IDE to parallel port converter? (meaning something weird)

It's really strange that a printer driver load trashes a CD ROM driver. To really go on a fishing trip, does it all work OK if you uninstall the printer/drivers? And is there a chance you can log what the printer install does? Like using a "uninstall" program and having it log everything?

Maybe it writes over the cd-rom's driver because it installs a file that is the same name.

If you let windows think the CD ROM is a new thing, maybe it will install drivers over the trashed ones. I bet your printer would screw up after that!

There's a cool program called 'system file checker' for win 98 (accessories / system tools) that checks all the system files and allows updates to the record so once you have things working OK you can save that setting and when things screw up you can see what has changed.

I don't know if that will work on 95, but maybe?

How about upgrade to 98? I think it handles devices a lot better. I gave up a while back and found that 98 seems to be better behaved. It's the operating system you should have gotten in the first place (still needs a LOT more improvement!).

: : The Windows manifestation of the error is signalled by three entries in the System Properties Device Manager having the yellow exclamation marks beside them:
: : - Standard Floppy Disk Controller
: : - Primary IDE controller (single fifo)
: : - Secondary IDE controller (single fifo)

:
: 1. Check your Computer for viruses
: 2. Remove *all* drive and IDE controllers from device manager and reboot.
: 3. If that doesn't help do a Find in the Registry for "noide" and delete the key, remove the IDE controllers again from device manager and reboot.

Almost all Windoze problems are difficult to diagnose - I can't wait to get my Amiga back!

I have Win 98 on my laptop and it does seem to be more stable - the desktop really needs a complete rebuild. You're right though, Win98 still needs more work - typical.

See Teiresias' post and my response to see the solution I've used.

Thnanks for your help Nate...

If the drivers are loaded by "DOS" first, windows can't access the CD ROM.

By what errors you are getting, this sounds like it.

Let us know if this fixed it. There is a list of registry keys for start up stuff in a Knowledgebase entry, I would think keyword "registry" or "registry key" would bring it up.

But I don't think the registry is to blame.

: Since installing the drivers for our new Epson 640, Windows 95 can no longer see the CD-ROM.

: There was some blue-screen error going on about DOS Compatible drivers being used instead of 32-bit drivers.

: This has happened before after installing a Game demo. The fix was to change a Registry entry but I can't remember which entry.

: My only other option is to use MSCDEX in AUTOEXEC.BAT but that's obviously very dodgy...

: Anyone out there know which entry to change?

: TIA

: JJ (UK)

: But I don't think the registry is to blame.

Nope. Config.sys and Autoexec.bat have no active entries beyond a PATH statement. Besides, neither have an appropriate timestamp.

BTW, the problem caused by the game (a Win95 game) was ages ago and was fixed by editing a single registry key. The re-occurrence was caused by the printer driver install.

The Windows manifestation of the error is signalled by three entries in the System Properties Device Manager having the yellow exclamation marks beside them:
- Standard Floppy Disk Controller
- Primary IDE controller (single fifo)
- Secondary IDE controller (single fifo)

I'll do a search as you suggest but ideas still welcomed.

1. Check your Computer for viruses
2. Remove *all* drive and IDE controllers from device manager and reboot.
3. If that doesn't help do a Find in the Registry for "noide" and delete the key, remove the IDE controllers again from device manager and reboot.