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Q99470: Troubleshooting CD Audio Problems in Windows 3.1

Article: Q99470
Product(s): Microsoft Home Multimedia Titles
Version(s): 1.0,2.0,2.0a,3.1
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 09-NOV-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows 3.1 
- Microsoft Multimedia Viewer, versions 1.0, 2.0, 2.0a 
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SUMMARY
=======

There are three types of sound that can be played in Microsoft multimedia
applications: waveform, MIDI, and CD Audio. Products such as Encarta, Dinosaurs,
and Bookshelf only play waveform and MIDI. Beethoven, Stravinsky, Mozart, and
Schubert all play CD Audio and MIDI.

The following article discusses reasons for compact disc (CD) audio failure in
Windows and the troubleshooting techniques you can apply to solve the problem.

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

CD Audio Does Not Play
----------------------

1. Test whether the Media Player in Windows can play audio CDs or not:

  a. From the Device menu, choose CD Audio. If this option does not appear,
     refer to step 3. If you receive the error message, "There is an
     undetectable problem in loading the specified device driver," query in the
     Microsoft Knowledge Base for this error message (to obtain more
     information about the error).

  b. Choose Play on the Media Player.

     If the thumb moves, but it produces no sound from the external speakers,
     plug the speakers into the front panel connections on the CD-ROM drive. If
     CD audio plays from the front of the CD-ROM unit but not through the sound
     card, then the CDA transfer cable is not connected or is loose. The CDA
     transfer cable is a short length of heavily shielded cable that terminates
     on each end with a four-pin connector. It is used to transfer CD audio
     signals from the CD-ROM player to the sound device, usually a sound card.
     (See Step 10.)

     If you receive the error message, "There is a problem with your media
     device," query in the Microsoft Knowledge Base for this error message (to
     obtain more information about the error).

  c. Search for multiple MPLAYER.INI files. Delete all MPLAYER.INI files and
     try steps a and b again.

  d. Use a different CD audio disc and try steps a and b again.

2. Verify that the MSCDEX.EXE file is version 2.2 or later, and the device
  dependent driver in CONFIG.SYS file is the most current.

3. Verify that the [MCI] CD Audio driver is loaded in the Drivers section of the
  Windows Control Panel.

4. Verify the CD audio volume control setting in the mixer control panel is
  turned up enough to be audible.

5. Run Windows in standard mode and perform parts a and b in step 1 again.

6. If standard mode is successful, try the following debug mode to check for
  problems with the 386 enhanced device drivers (especially non-Microsoft
  VDMAD.386) in the SYSTEM.INI file

      win /d:xvfs

  where x excludes all of the adapter area from the range of memory that Windows
  scans to find unused space; v specifies that the ROM routine handles
  interrupts from the hard drive controller; f Turns off 32-bit disk access;
  and s specifies that Windows should not use ROM address space between
  F000:0000 and 1 MB for a break point.

  If starting Windows in the above debug mode corrects the problem, try using
  each parameter individually to narrow the testing scope (for instance, win
  /d:x). Add the following lines to the SYSTEM.INI file depending on which
  parameter worked correctly:

      [386enh]

    - If x worked: emmexclude=A000-FFFF
    - If v worked: VirtualHDIRQ=off
    - If s worked: SystemROMBreakpoint=off
    - If f worked: 32BitDiskAccess=FALSE

  NOTE: x is a temporary fix. Check the hardware documentation to narrow the
  addressing.

7. Re-expand the MPLAYER.EXE and the MCICDA.DRV files from the Windows disks.

  Locations of MPLAYER.EXE:

      Windows version 3.1 Disk 7 (3.5 inch, 720K)
      Windows version 3.1 Disk 3 (3.5 inch, 1.44 MB)
      Windows version 3.1 Disk 5 (5.25 inch, 1.2 MB)
      Windows version 3.11 Disk 4 (3.5 inch, 1.44 MB)
      Windows version 3.11 Disk 5 (5.25 inch, 1.2 MB)
      Windows & MS-DOS 5 Upgrade Disk 7 (5.25 inch, 1.2 MB)
      Windows & MS-DOS 5 for IBM PS/2 Disk 5 (3.5 inch, 1.44 MB)
      Windows for Workgroups 3.1 Disk 7 (5.25 inch, 1.2 MB)
      Windows for Workgroups 3.1 Disk 6 (3.5 inch, 1.44 MB)
      Windows for Workgroups 3.11 Disk 3 (3.5 inch, 1.44 MB)
      Windows for Workgroups 3.11 Disk 3 (5.25 inch, 1.44 MB)
      Windows for Workgroups 3.11 Upgrade Disk 3 (3.5 inch, 1.44 MB)
      Windows for Workgroups 3.11 Upgrade Disk 3 (5.25 inch, 1.44 MB)

  Locations of the MCI[CD Audio] driver (MCICDA.DRV):

      Windows version 3.1 disk 4 (3.5 inch)
      Windows Version 3.1 Disk 10 (3.5 inch, 720K)
      Windows Version 3.1 Disk 5 (5.25 inch)
      Windows & MS-DOS 5 Upgrade Disk 7 (5.25 inch)
      Windows & MS-DOS 5 Upgrade Disk 6 (3.5 inch)
      Windows for Workgroups Version 3.1 Disk 8 (5.25 inch)
      Windows for Workgroups Version 3.1 Disk 6 (3.5 inch)
      Windows for Workgroups 3.11 Disk 8 (5.25 inch, 1.2 MB)
      Windows for Workgroups 3.11 Disk 6 (3.5 inch, 1.44 MB)
      Windows for Workgroups Upgrade 3.11 Disk 6 (3.5 inch, 1.44 MB)
      Windows for Workgroups Upgrade 3.11 Disk 8 (5.25 inch, 1.2 MB)

8. Install Windows into a test directory with the sound card's drivers and the
  [MCI] CD-Audio driver. Then repeat steps; 1, 3 and 4 again.

9. Make sure the CD-ROM drive is capable of reading CD audio information
  (MPC-compatible CD-ROM drives should). Also, contact the manufacturer to
  ensure you are using the correct and most current device dependent driver.

10. Remove the CDA transfer cable and:

  a. Test for audio from the front jack on the CD player.

  b. Test by routing from the jack on front of the CD player to the external
     audio input jack on the back of the sound card. This will determine if
     there is a possible short in the CDA transfer cable.

11. Exit Windows and run the MS-DOS utility that came with the CD-ROM for
  playing audio CDs. Also, make sure you can change to the drive that contains
  a data CD and get a directory of files.

CD Audio Skips
--------------

For information about the CD Audio skipping, query on the following words in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base

  skips and cd

or query on:

  cd and audio and play* and driver


Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbHomeProdSearch kbWin3xSearch kbHomeMMsearch kbZNotKeyword3 kbWin310 kbMMViewer100 kbMMViewer200 kbMMViewer200a
Version           : :1.0,2.0,2.0a,3.1

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