Bob M...
I could be wrong but part of your problem may be with Adaptec's/Roxio's drivers and registry entries. This a documented problem on both Roxios and Microsofts web sites. It caused me numerous problems. My cd drives were constantly disappearing. I finally uninstalled all adaptec software and drivers. However Adaptec is VERY invasive as it makes numerous registry changes that can cause conflicts with other programs. Simply uninstalling Adaptec cd creator will not remove these registry entries. You need to manually remove these registry entries to truly clean your system.
This link refers to this problem while using windows XP but the problem is the same (I use windows 2000 and had the same problem)
PAGE NAME I uninstalled roxio cd creator, removed all associated registry entries. Then my CD drives and MJ worked beautifully together. I then reinstalled Adaptecs software and all was well for a while then the cd drives disappeared again. I deleted all adaptec software and registry entries again.
Then I downloaded NTI CD Maker version 5 from
NTI CD Maker. I chose this software based on excellent reviews:
NTI Reviews .But more importantly because the NTI software doesn't screw with your registry like Adaptec/Roxio.
Since purging my system of Adaptec/Roxio and installing NTI's CD Maker. I have had no further problems. MJ now coexists with all my software.
These are the steps I used to delete the registry entries. However you should do your own research at microsofts and roxios web site before proceeding. You should also be sure to have an emegency boot disk available.
Remember I'm using windows 2000... you're using Windows 98 so some of the registry entries may be slightly different... do your research.
These instructions are intended as a guide only... you should download the specific instructions for your operating system before proceeding
WARNING : Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys and Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it. If you are running Windows NT or Windows 2000, you should also update your Emergency Repair Disk (ERD).
First uninstall EZ CD creator. Then:
Click
Start , and then click
Search .
Click
All files and folders .
In the All or part of the file name box, type cdr*.sys .
In the Look in list, click Local Hard Drives (C:) , and then click Search .
In the right pane of the Search Results dialog box, rename the following files if they are listed:
Cdr4_2K.sys
Cdralw2k.sys
To do this, right-click a file, and then click Rename on the shortcut menu that appears. Rename the .sys file extension to .old, and then press ENTER.
When you are finished renaming the files, close the Search Results dialog box.
Click Start , and then click Run .
In the Open box, type regedit , and then click OK .
Navigate to the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
In the right pane of the Registry Editor window, right-click the UpperFilters value (if it is present), and then click Delete on the shortcut menu that appears. Click Yes on the Confirm Value Delete message that appears.
In the right pane of the Registry Editor window, right-click the LowerFilters value (if it is present), and then click Delete on the shortcut menu that appears. Click Yes on the "Confirm Value Delete" message that appears.
Navigate to the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Cdr4_2K
On the Edit menu, click Delete , and then click Yes on the "Confirm Key Delete" message that appears.
Navigate to the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Cdralw2k
On the Edit menu, click Delete , and then click Yes on the "Confirm Key Delete" message that appears.
Navigate to the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Cdudf
On the Edit menu, click Delete , and then click Yes on the Confirm Key Delete message that appears.
Navigate to the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\UdfReadr
On the Edit menu, click Delete , and then click Yes on the Confirm Key Delete message that appears.
On the File menu, click Exit .
Restart the computer. Hopefully all will be well. Then you can decide if you want to re-install adaptec/roxio software or use another software.
You mileage may vary... Do your research before proceeding...
Good luck