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Q97878: Encarta: Setup Diagnostic Fails

Article: Q97878
Product(s): Microsoft Home Multimedia Titles
Version(s): 1993
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 26-MAY-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Encarta 1994 The Complete Multimedia Encyclopedia 
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SUMMARY
=======

Included in the Encarta Setup procedure is a diagnostic of the CD-ROM drive to
check system requirements and determine Multimedia PC (MPC) compatibility. The
diagnostic tests the drive for the following MPC parameters:

- Audio support installed

- MIDI support installed

- Windows 3.1 installed

- CD-ROM drive data transfer rate

- Available RAM memory

- VGA display installed

The most common failure is the transfer rate test. The specification requires a
150k per second transfer rate without exceeding 40 percent of the CPU bandwidth.
In this case, CPU bandwidth is the amount of time the CPU must spend doing the
transfer versus other concurrent tasks. If the drive requires more than 40
percent of the CPU bandwidth (the diagnostic actually allows up to 47 percent),
it will be flagged as non-MPC compatible. In some cases of non-MPC compliance,
the diagnostic warns of possible problems with some features of Encarta.

NOTE: MPC compatible drives that have low available system resources may be
flagged as non-MPC compatible. To avoid this flag, ensure that non-necessary
programs are closed and that at least 80 percent of Windows resources are free
before installing Encarta.

MORE INFORMATION
================

The result of this diagnostic test can be written to a file and viewed
separately. To do this:

1. Start Setup and continue to the Welcome screen.

2. Click Help.

3. Press and hold down the ALT key and type "len" (lowercase without the
  quotation marks). The machine beeps as the letters are typed.

4. Continue Setup through the Diagnostics check screen (at least).

Setup creates a file in the root directory called DEBUG.CD. Open DEBUG.CD in
Write. (You also can open the file in Notepad, but it will be harder to read.)
You will see the results of each of four tests that Setup runs. The CPU
bandwidth test is returned as a percentage called "CPU BLOCKED". For example, a
value of 52.4 percent for this test result would mean that the CD-ROM drive
consumed 52.4 percent of the CPU bandwidth when transferring data. The MPC
specification calls for a maximum consumption of 40 percent of the CPU
bandwidth.

Additional query words: non MPC non-MPC CD ROM 1.00 multimedia multi-media multi media debug install power failed NEC multispin spin multi-spin fails fail check-out yield cdrom

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Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbHomeProdSearch kbEncartaSearch kbEncartaEncycSearch kbEncartaEnCyc1994
Version           : 1993

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