CD-ROM OR HARD-DRIVE TROUBLESHOOTING

In order for Windows 95/98 to run efficiently it needs to use the correct 32 bit CDROM drivers. Many times these drivers are supplied with Windows 95/98 or they can be obtained from the manufacturer of the drive or the computer itself. It is important to make sure that there are no 16 bit DOS or Windows 3.X drivers resident in Windows 95/98. Symptoms of this occurrence include sluggish game performance, install and/or general game play errors, or the appearance of two CDROM drives in the windows explorer (even though there is physically only one present). To check if your computer is using the correct 32 bit windows drivers try the following:

1. Open the System Properties Sheet and click on the Performance tab

2. In the open area below PC Cards (PCMCIA), you should see the words, "Your system is configured for optimal performance." If you see a message pertaining to your CDROM using a 16 bit DOS driver, you should check with your system vendor or the manufacturer of the CDROM drive to obtain the appropriate driver.

Supplemental Cache Size on the CDROM drive is used to adjust the amount of System RAM that is set aside for caching information that is read from the CD disc

When to increase cache
There may be a case where video playback appears choppy or slow. This problem can be alleviated by adjusting the CD-ROM drives supplemental cache size. This sets aside a portion of memory called a buffer that the CD drive can use to store information.

When to decrease cache
By increasing the supplemental cache size of your CDROM, you are, in affect, taking available system RAM away from other applications. It is possible to take over 1 megabyte of RAM away from an application. In some instances this can cause the game to crash, or to have inadequate memory to decompress files, such as what would happen during the installation of an application. This may be a case where more memory is not always the best and decreasing supplemental cache may be advantageous to your application.

How to change cache size
To alter the size of your computer's supplemental cache:
1. Open the System Properties Sheet and click on the Performance tab
2. Next click on the File System... button.
3. Click on the tab that is marked CD-ROM.
4. Move the supplemental cache slider bar accordingly.

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