How to troubleshoot the issues with Office 2000 installation from a CD

This article contains information about troubleshooting problems that may occur when you install the programs listed at the beginning of this article from compact disc.

The steps in this article help you verify that your CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive can correctly read the compact disc.

Inspect and Clean the Compact Disc

To verify that the compact disc is clean and free of scratches, inspect the shiny side of the disc. Clean the disc by wiping it with a soft cloth in a straight line, starting from the center of the disc and wiping towards the edge. If there are no visible scratches, and if the errors still occur after you clean the compact disc, follow the steps in the next section. If the compact disc appears scratched, try a new compact disc.

Test for a Damaged Compact Disc

To determine whether the compact disc is damaged, follow these steps:

1. Insert the compact disc into the CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive.
2. Click Start, then click Run. In the Run dialog box, type command and click OK.
3. At the MS-DOS prompt, change to the CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive (usually drive E), and type the following command:
   dir /s

If an error message appears, either the compact disc is damaged, or the CD-ROM drive cannot read the contents of the entire compact disc.

For more information about using the MS-DOS command prompt, see your Windows printed documentation or online Help.

Disable the CD-ROM Drive Cache in Microsoft Windows 95/98/Me

If the error message appears while you are reading from a CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive while running Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, or Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me), try disabling the CD-ROM drive cache. Although disabling the drive cache may make the drive more reliable, it reduces performance. To disable the CD-ROM drive cache, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. In Control Panel, double-click System.
3. Click the Performance tab and click File System.
4. Click the CD-ROM tab, click No Read-Ahead in the Optimize access pattern for list.
5. Verify that the Supplemental Cache Size slider is positioned in the far left position (the Small setting), and then click OK.

Disable Smartdrv.exe (Windows 95 and Windows 98 Only)

If you are using real-mode CD-ROM drive drivers while running Microsoft Windows 95 or Microsoft Windows 98, the drive may be cached by the Smartdrv.exe program. If this is the case, remark the line that pertains to the Smartdrv.exe program in the Autoexec.bat file by typing REM at the beginning of the line. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type sysedit, and then click OK.
3. Examine the Autoexec.bat file. Look for a line that references the Smartdrv.exe file, for example:
   C:\WINDOWS\Smartdrv.exe
   Make this line a remark by typing REM at the beginning of the line.
4. Click Exit to quit the System Configuration Editor. When you are prompted to save changes, click Yes.

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Install Real Mode CD-ROM Drivers (Windows 95 and Windows 98 Only)

You may need to install real mode CD-ROM drive drivers under Microsoft Windows 95 or Microsoft Windows 98 when you are troubleshooting problems that occur when you install the programs listed at the beginning of this article.

For information about installing real mode CD-ROM drivers in Microsoft Windows 95, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For information about installing real mode CD-ROM drivers in Windows 98, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: NOTE: By following these steps, you are able to start into Windows Safe mode, which prevents other programs and device drivers that may be conflicting with the CD-ROM driver from running.

Disable the Compact Disc AutoPlay Feature

All operating systems that Office 2000 supports continuously detect whether a compact disc is inserted into the CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive. When a compact disc is detected, the operating system checks the volume for an Autorun.inf file. If the volume contains an Autorun.inf file, programs listed on the "open=" line in the file are run. This feature is called AutoPlay.

Disabling the Compact Disc AutoPlay Feature in Windows 95/98/Me

To disable both the automatic running of compact discs and the automatic playing of audio compact discs on Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and click Control Panel.
2. In Control Panel, double-click System.
3. Click the Device Manager tab.
4. Double-click the plus sign (+) next to CDROM, and then double-click the CD-ROM driver entry.
5. On the Settings tab, click to clear the Auto Insert Notification check box.
6. Click OK or Close to return to Control Panel. When you are prompted to restart your computer, click Yes.

NOTE: Be sure to reverse the steps to enable AutoPlay after you finish troubleshooting.

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Disabling the Compact Disc AutoPlay Feature in Microsoft Windows 2000 and Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Workstation

It is also possible to disable both the automatic running of compact discs and the automatic playing of audio compact discs for Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4.0 Workstation.

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Disable Enhanced BIOS Features

WARNING: Incorrectly altering hardware BIOS settings can cause serious problems that may cause your computer to fail to start or function properly. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems that result from the incorrect setting of hardware BIOS options can be solved. Alter the hardware BIOS settings at your own risk.

Most computers have several enhanced settings that allow the computer to fully use the computer hardware. These high-speed settings can cause the system to become unstable; disabling these features may make the computer more stable. Contact your computer manufacturer for information about entering the basic input/output system (BIOS) and changing the BIOS settings. You can enter the BIOS on most systems immediately after turning on the power. Usually a keystroke (for example, pressing DEL) is required to enter the BIOS. The common features that can interfere with Microsoft Office programs are the following: Newer chip sets may have more advanced features (such as memory wait states) that may cause errors. Most BIOS installation programs have an option to load the BIOS default settings. This option usually disables all advanced features.

Check for Software Updates

Outdated and incompatible software may also cause error messages to appear. Check with the manufacturer of the computer for various software updates, such as BIOS updates, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Windows updates, and CD-ROM drive driver updates.

Check Your CD-ROM Drive for Compatibility (Windows 2000 and Windows NT Only)

For Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4.0 Workstation, make sure the CD-ROM device is listed on the operating system's corresponding Hardware Compatiblity List (HCL).

For additional information about Windows NT 4.0 HCL and Windows 2000 HCL, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For additional information about troubleshooting CD-ROM devices in Windows NT 4.0 Workstation and Windows 2000, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

For help with CD or DVD drive problems in Windows Vista, visit the following Microsoft web page: