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Playback of audio or data on the CD-ROM is uneven or jerky

Explanation: Your CD-ROM drive works but you have intermittent problems such as stuttering, jerky response, occasional pauses in playback, etc.

Diagnosis: One common cause of this problem is simply having a slow CD-ROM drive. Many drives that are 4X speed or below simply aren't fast enough to stream data from them to satisfy the more demanding software out there. Some drives produce somewhat pausy or erratic results because of the delay as they change speeds while seeking. Other problems have to do with configuration, or even a resource conflict.

Recommendation:

• Make sure that you have set the drive up properly. Double-check the driver parameters and ensure that they are correct.
• There could be a resource conflict with another device, particularly if this problem shows up when using another device (modem, COM port, etc.).
• Investigate the use of CD-ROM caching software. This may improve performance.
• Upgrade your CD-ROM drive if it is older and you need more performance. Consider one of the newer CAV drives. They do not change speeds while moving from one part of the disk to another and so they may provide you with smoother performance.

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