this is what I get for not using bittorent...

June 10, 2006 7:20 AM

DVD drive problem, Specifically with Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion...

Basically, my DVD drive can't read the install disk. Well, that's not totally true. It sees an autorun.inf file, but that's it. The drive itself works. I watched a movie on it yesterday and read a DVD data disk just fine the day before. So the install will kick off, then fail almost right away by prompting me to insert a disk with a file it can't find. At this point I'm pretty much screwed.

The suggestions at their support forum are pretty anemic, but I followed them anyway. Updated the drive's firmware. Uninstalled it and let Windows redetect it. I have an external USB DVD drive, made by a different company, that I plugged in with the same result.

An email to their support folks (yeah, I know, jousting at windmills, but it's supposed to be a really good game and I'm desperate,) got me a lovely cut-and-paste response about how to fix my CD-ROM drive, which I though was rather cute since the game only comes on DVD.

Any software or hardware solutions that will read this damn disk would be greatly appreciated.

posted by Cyrano to computers & internet (8 comments total)

Have you tried making a copy of the disc, say, at 1X speed and using that? It may not be possible (easily) if it's copy-protected, etc., although it could be done with Alcohol 120% and other tools. I've had luck with this method as some discs are just not compatible with some drives at "regular" speeds, but you can generally read them at 1X and then copy it to "better" media to use normally.

Works for a lot of scratched discs, too.
posted by kcm at 7:48 AM on June 10, 2006

It could just be a bad disc on their part, too, so you could probably exchange it where you bought it for another copy.
posted by kcm at 7:49 AM on June 10, 2006

Mine did that too. It's bad media. Must have been a bad batch or something.

Return it, ask for a replacement copy.
posted by disclaimer at 8:07 AM on June 10, 2006

I'd try taking it back to the store and getting another copy. Tell them it is defective. Since you are just exchanging it for the same thing, there shouldn't be a problem. Hell, back in the late 90s when I worked at an Electronics Boutique, we would do this all the time, with or without a reciept...

If that fails, personally I would go out and download a copy of the game and see if that works. You have, after all, already paid for the game.
posted by blind.wombat at 8:08 AM on June 10, 2006

Good to know. But guess what happened when I exchanged it for another copy?

Same batch. Grrr!

Oh well, it'll be downloaded by tomorrow.
posted by Cyrano at 8:47 AM on June 10, 2006

I had the same problem. The DVD didn't work on either drive on my desktop, nor 2 different laptops. I brought the disc back and they tried it on a computer at the store and it worked. They gave me a replacement anyway, and it works now. Strange.
posted by batou_ at 10:06 AM on June 10, 2006

It's probably bad media, but you might also verify that you don't have Starforce installed from another game. Starforce is a very bad copy protection that, in some cases, can mess up your system pretty badly.

This is how to detect if you have it.

You can get the removal tool from this page.
posted by Malor at 3:49 PM on June 10, 2006

Malor, I did the Starforce thing. That was actually suggested by their support website. Didn't have it installed, but that's a good suggestion for future issues.

A *cough* *cough* alternately aquired version of the game is working just great, though :)
posted by Cyrano at 5:55 PM on June 11, 2006