You did not mention if the CDs are factory, or burned.
I have seen poorly burned (or poorly recognized) CDs
identified wrong, (usually as Audio).
It is even worse if they are erasable and were not quite
"erased enough" by a marginal burner.
CDs use a completely different file system (several as a
matter of fact).   I just read that the original file system
was for Audio only, and was adapted (or "extended")
to include "data"...  Try not to think of a CD as being too
much like a hard drive, even if the CD is using packet writing.
They are a world apart from hard drives...

If there is any question about a CD drive, I always move it to
a different system and see what happens there...
Just moving it and bringing it back will "check" things like loose
or dirty connections...  It might even "fix" it...
                 Rick Glazier
----- Original Message -----
From: "William A Council" <[log in to unmask]>
CD-Rom Drive reads all CDs as Audio
> CD-Rom drive of a Pentium II, 32 MB Ram, 4 GB Hard Drive, 24x CD Rom
> drive, Windows 98 SE calls all CDs placed inside Audio. Windows Media
> Player also refuses to play any real Audio CDs. I have checked for the
> latest drivers and download the latest critical updates from Microsoft. I
> at the point of saying replace the drive but this doesn't act like any
> defective CD-Rom drive that I have seen. Checked Audio CDs in a stand
> alone player and they play perfectly there. The software CDs can also be
> read from a different system.
>
> My question: Is it safe to assume that CD-Rom is defective and replace it
> or could it still be a software problem.

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