Tech Support > Microsoft Windows > why does windows "freeze" pause when you insert a cd/dvd?
why does windows "freeze" pause when you insert a cd/dvd?
Posted by Joshua Wood on October 26th, 2005


Basically as my topic states, why does the system seem to pause when I
insert a cd or dvd? To some extent it buffers my actions. It's like
the whole system is temporarilly on pause until windows has finished
examining the cd/dvd.

Autoplay is turned off, and I'm using xp pro. DMA is on for my cd/dvd
drives, and both are on the 2nd channel correctly setup. Other
machines/windows verions do it also.

I don't really see any need for this, any way to fix it?

Thanks,
Josh

Posted by kurttrail on October 26th, 2005


Joshua Wood wrote:
> Basically as my topic states, why does the system seem to pause when I
> insert a cd or dvd? To some extent it buffers my actions. It's like
> the whole system is temporarilly on pause until windows has finished
> examining the cd/dvd.
>
> Autoplay is turned off, and I'm using xp pro. DMA is on for my cd/dvd
> drives, and both are on the 2nd channel correctly setup. Other
> machines/windows verions do it also.
>
> I don't really see any need for this, any way to fix it?


Stop inserting CDs when you don't want Windows to pause to read it.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"


Posted by Richard Urban on October 26th, 2005


If Windows did not pause to examine the CD/DVD you inserted, the operating
system would not know how to handle the disk. You wouldn't want to overwrite
what is already there, right. If the system didn't note the inventory of
what is already on the disk, that could happen. The system "has" to know
what it is working with, what type of disk has been installed, where the
present information is located, where the free space is positioned etc.

If you have a bad file on the CD it will greatly lengthen the review time,
or may stall the system completely. This happened to my brother when he
burned a questionable .mp3 file (yes, from Kazaa) onto a CD that already had
about 60 songs on it. The CD became unusable and would freeze his system
every time he put the CD in the tray. I told him exactly what the problem
was, but it took him about 3 weeks before he finally listened to me. He
burned a new CD, without the song in question, and continued to add
additional songs till the disk was filled. He had no further problems.


--
Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

"Joshua Wood" <t_h_e_king@h_o_t_m_a_i_l.c_o_m> wrote in message
news:8jiul19chj8a3fd2di6cb7rsk68rfvmeq5@4ax.com...
> Basically as my topic states, why does the system seem to pause when I
> insert a cd or dvd? To some extent it buffers my actions. It's like
> the whole system is temporarilly on pause until windows has finished
> examining the cd/dvd.
>
> Autoplay is turned off, and I'm using xp pro. DMA is on for my cd/dvd
> drives, and both are on the 2nd channel correctly setup. Other
> machines/windows verions do it also.
>
> I don't really see any need for this, any way to fix it?
>
> Thanks,
> Josh



Posted by Richard Urban on October 26th, 2005


Isn't it great that computer are smarter than many of the people who try to
use them?

--
Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

"kurttrail" <dontemailme@anywhereintheknowuniverse.org> wrote in message
news:%232VYnvh2FHA.3600@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Joshua Wood wrote:
>> Basically as my topic states, why does the system seem to pause when I
>> insert a cd or dvd? To some extent it buffers my actions. It's like
>> the whole system is temporarilly on pause until windows has finished
>> examining the cd/dvd.
>>
>> Autoplay is turned off, and I'm using xp pro. DMA is on for my cd/dvd
>> drives, and both are on the 2nd channel correctly setup. Other
>> machines/windows verions do it also.
>>
>> I don't really see any need for this, any way to fix it?

>
> Stop inserting CDs when you don't want Windows to pause to read it.
>
> --
> Peace!
> Kurt
> Self-anointed Moderator
> microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
> http://microscum.com/mscommunity
> "Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
> "Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"
>



Posted by Grim Reaper on October 26th, 2005


I've been saying for years that people should be made to take a computer
test before they're allowed to drive a PC....
________________________________________
The Grim Reaper

"Richard Urban" <richardurbanREMOVETHIS@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:u3gRLGi2FHA.268@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> Isn't it great that computer are smarter than many of the people who try
> to use them?
>
> --
> Regards,
>
> Richard Urban
> Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
>
> If you knew as much as you think you know,
> You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
>
> "kurttrail" <dontemailme@anywhereintheknowuniverse.org> wrote in message
> news:%232VYnvh2FHA.3600@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
>> Joshua Wood wrote:
>>> Basically as my topic states, why does the system seem to pause when I
>>> insert a cd or dvd? To some extent it buffers my actions. It's like
>>> the whole system is temporarilly on pause until windows has finished
>>> examining the cd/dvd.
>>>
>>> Autoplay is turned off, and I'm using xp pro. DMA is on for my cd/dvd
>>> drives, and both are on the 2nd channel correctly setup. Other
>>> machines/windows verions do it also.
>>>
>>> I don't really see any need for this, any way to fix it?

>>
>> Stop inserting CDs when you don't want Windows to pause to read it.
>>
>> --
>> Peace!
>> Kurt
>> Self-anointed Moderator
>> microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
>> http://microscum.com/mscommunity
>> "Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
>> "Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"
>>

>
>



Posted by Joshua Wood on October 27th, 2005


So it's a fundamental design flaw with windows then, that hasn't been
changed over the last 10 years and we can assume it will never change?
Linux doesn't do this. I'm not pro or conning any particular OS, was
just wanting to understand why Windows needed to do it. If there is no
way around it, that's fine. I can live with it, I don't use cds that
often anyways.

On Wed, 26 Oct 2005 07:35:22 -0400, "Richard Urban"
<richardurbanREMOVETHIS@hotmail.com> wrote:

>If Windows did not pause to examine the CD/DVD you inserted, the operating
>system would not know how to handle the disk. You wouldn't want to overwrite
>what is already there, right. If the system didn't note the inventory of
>what is already on the disk, that could happen. The system "has" to know
>what it is working with, what type of disk has been installed, where the
>present information is located, where the free space is positioned etc.
>
>If you have a bad file on the CD it will greatly lengthen the review time,
>or may stall the system completely. This happened to my brother when he
>burned a questionable .mp3 file (yes, from Kazaa) onto a CD that already had
>about 60 songs on it. The CD became unusable and would freeze his system
>every time he put the CD in the tray. I told him exactly what the problem
>was, but it took him about 3 weeks before he finally listened to me. He
>burned a new CD, without the song in question, and continued to add
>additional songs till the disk was filled. He had no further problems.

Posted by Richard Urban on October 27th, 2005


It is NOT a flaw. Your thinking is flawed!

It is just the way the operating system, ANY operating system, works. Hard
drives do it also. It's just that hard drives are about a hundred times
faster than the fastest CD drive. You don't notice it.

--
Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

"Joshua Wood" <t_h_e_king@h_o_t_m_a_i_l.c_o_m> wrote in message
news:tp41m11kjurff90erlchfg8pnft2t24tk1@4ax.com...
> So it's a fundamental design flaw with windows then, that hasn't been
> changed over the last 10 years and we can assume it will never change?
> Linux doesn't do this. I'm not pro or conning any particular OS, was
> just wanting to understand why Windows needed to do it. If there is no
> way around it, that's fine. I can live with it, I don't use cds that
> often anyways.
>
> On Wed, 26 Oct 2005 07:35:22 -0400, "Richard Urban"
> <richardurbanREMOVETHIS@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>If Windows did not pause to examine the CD/DVD you inserted, the operating
>>system would not know how to handle the disk. You wouldn't want to
>>overwrite
>>what is already there, right. If the system didn't note the inventory of
>>what is already on the disk, that could happen. The system "has" to know
>>what it is working with, what type of disk has been installed, where the
>>present information is located, where the free space is positioned etc.
>>
>>If you have a bad file on the CD it will greatly lengthen the review time,
>>or may stall the system completely. This happened to my brother when he
>>burned a questionable .mp3 file (yes, from Kazaa) onto a CD that already
>>had
>>about 60 songs on it. The CD became unusable and would freeze his system
>>every time he put the CD in the tray. I told him exactly what the problem
>>was, but it took him about 3 weeks before he finally listened to me. He
>>burned a new CD, without the song in question, and continued to add
>>additional songs till the disk was filled. He had no further problems.



Posted by RW on October 27th, 2005


It most definitely is a flaw. Why should my hyper threaded 3.2ghz wizz
bang computer come to a screeching halt just to read a cd header? It's
just poor programming, pure and simple.

-----------------------------------------------------




It is NOT a flaw. Your thinking is flawed!

It is just the way the operating system, ANY operating system, works.
Hard
drives do it also. It's just that hard drives are about a hundred
times
faster than the fastest CD drive. You don't notice it.

--
Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

"Joshua Wood" <t_h_e_king@h_o_t_m_a_i_l.c_o_m> wrote in message
news:tp41m11kjurff90erlchfg8pnft2t24tk1@4ax.com...
> So it's a fundamental design flaw with windows then, that hasn't been
> changed over the last 10 years and we can assume it will never change?
> Linux doesn't do this. I'm not pro or conning any particular OS, was
> just wanting to understand why Windows needed to do it. If there is no
> way around it, that's fine. I can live with it, I don't use cds that
> often anyways.
>
> On Wed, 26 Oct 2005 07:35:22 -0400, "Richard Urban"
> <richardurbanREMOVETHIS@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>If Windows did not pause to examine the CD/DVD you inserted, the operating
>>system would not know how to handle the disk. You wouldn't want to
>>overwrite
>>what is already there, right. If the system didn't note the inventory of
>>what is already on the disk, that could happen. The system "has" to know
>>what it is working with, what type of disk has been installed, where the
>>present information is located, where the free space is positioned etc.
>>
>>If you have a bad file on the CD it will greatly lengthen the review time,
>>or may stall the system completely. This happened to my brother when he
>>burned a questionable .mp3 file (yes, from Kazaa) onto a CD that already
>>had
>>about 60 songs on it. The CD became unusable and would freeze his system
>>every time he put the CD in the tray. I told him exactly what the problem
>>was, but it took him about 3 weeks before he finally listened to me. He
>>burned a new CD, without the song in question, and continued to add
>>additional songs till the disk was filled. He had no further problems.



Posted by Plato on October 28th, 2005


Joshua Wood wrote:
>
> So it's a fundamental design flaw with windows then, that hasn't been
> changed over the last 10 years and we can assume it will never change?
> Linux doesn't do this. I'm not pro or conning any particular OS, was


Different types of OS's are designed for different types of customers.






--
http://www.bootdisk.com/


Posted by Bob I on October 28th, 2005


Is "Autoplay" enabled?

RW wrote:

> It most definitely is a flaw. Why should my hyper threaded 3.2ghz wizz
> bang computer come to a screeching halt just to read a cd header? It's
> just poor programming, pure and simple.
>
> -----------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
>
> It is NOT a flaw. Your thinking is flawed!
>
> It is just the way the operating system, ANY operating system, works.
> Hard
> drives do it also. It's just that hard drives are about a hundred
> times
> faster than the fastest CD drive. You don't notice it.
>


Posted by ms on October 29th, 2005


Not related to autoplay. It just seems to be the way windows works, maybe a
linux user could post experiences.

Hard drives are much faster, not to mention the variations between CD/DVD
media.

"Bob I" <birelan@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:ODxsOA82FHA.3000@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Is "Autoplay" enabled?
>
> RW wrote:
>
>> It most definitely is a flaw. Why should my hyper threaded 3.2ghz wizz
>> bang computer come to a screeching halt just to read a cd header? It's
>> just poor programming, pure and simple.
>>
>> -----------------------------------------------------
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> It is NOT a flaw. Your thinking is flawed!
>>
>> It is just the way the operating system, ANY operating system, works.
>> Hard drives do it also. It's just that hard drives are about a hundred
>> times faster than the fastest CD drive. You don't notice it.
>>

>



Posted by pjp on October 29th, 2005


I "suspect" the "hang" is related to an interrupt of some sort (ring 0 bios
call or similar???) waiting on the firmware in the drive to fill the data
buffer and report back it's success/failure code. Seems a lot of the time
Windows will hang on just about any hardware if it's slow enough or
"broken", e.g. unresponsive nic, modem, floppies, etc.

I find it more a pain in the butt when the cd turns out to be unreadable and
the drive takes it's time responding to the eject button.


"ms" <a@b.c> wrote in message
news:uug%23RbG3FHA.2600@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> Not related to autoplay. It just seems to be the way windows works, maybe
> a linux user could post experiences.
>
> Hard drives are much faster, not to mention the variations between CD/DVD
> media.
>
> "Bob I" <birelan@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:ODxsOA82FHA.3000@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
>> Is "Autoplay" enabled?
>>
>> RW wrote:
>>
>>> It most definitely is a flaw. Why should my hyper threaded 3.2ghz wizz
>>> bang computer come to a screeching halt just to read a cd header? It's
>>> just poor programming, pure and simple.
>>>
>>> -----------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> It is NOT a flaw. Your thinking is flawed!
>>>
>>> It is just the way the operating system, ANY operating system, works.
>>> Hard drives do it also. It's just that hard drives are about a hundred
>>> times faster than the fastest CD drive. You don't notice it.
>>>

>>

>
>



Posted by cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user) on October 29th, 2005


On Sat, 29 Oct 2005 09:56:27 GMT, "pjp"

>I "suspect" the "hang" is related to an interrupt of some sort (ring 0 bios
>call or similar???) waiting on the firmware in the drive to fill the data
>buffer and report back it's success/failure code. Seems a lot of the time
>Windows will hang on just about any hardware if it's slow enough or
>"broken", e.g. unresponsive nic, modem, floppies, etc.


>I find it more a pain in the butt when the cd turns out to be unreadable and
>the drive takes it's time responding to the eject button.


Yup - DOS seems to take these things in its stride, while Windows
tends to fall on its ass.

If the OS can regain control, then it needs to sanity-check how long
things take, and break cleanly when they fail. But if the OS can't
regain control, then you are screwed.

The OS can't regain control if the device's driver disables
intrerrupts without applying its own time-out protection, or if the
hardware it calls does not return from the call.

The latter's unlikely to be an issue unless the hardware disables the
CPU at the hardware level; something that AFAIK is not possible within
the Intel x86 architecture.

What's more likely to go wrong, are three things:

1) Dumb-ass drivers that disable interrupts and then wait forever for
an expected IO port event or result

2) Dumb-ass drivers that retry the failed attempt, being unaware that
underlying code and firmware may also be retrying the attempt, so the
result is an exponential number of retries that beat the hardware to
death (this is amplified with HDs where doomed attempts to hide
defects via sector remapping are made)

3) Dumb-ass app or OS code that doesn't check for error results of
disk operations, and just blunders on as if everything worked



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