How to Use Msinfo32.

exe to Optimize CD-ROM Cache Settings

The information in this article applies to:
Microsoft 3D Movie Maker for Windows 1.0
Microsoft Age of Empires 1.0
Microsoft Automap Trip Planner for Windows 5.0
Microsoft Barney Goes to the Circus 1.0
Microsoft Barney Under the Sea 1.0
Microsoft Fun on the Farm with Barney 1.0
Microsoft Beyond the Limit: Ultimate Climb 1.0
Microsoft Bookshelf 98 for Windows
Microsoft Cinemania
Microsoft Close Combat for Windows 1.0
Microsoft Complete Gardening for Windows 1.0
Microsoft Creative Writer for Windows 2.0
Microsoft Encarta 96 Encyclopedia for Windows
Microsoft Encarta 97 Encyclopedia for Windows
Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 97 Deluxe for Windows
Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia for Windows
Microsoft Encarta 98 DVD-ROM Reference Suite for Windows
Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 99
Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2000
Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Deluxe 2001 for Windows
Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Standard 2001 for Windows
Microsoft Encarta Reference Suite 99
Microsoft Encarta Reference Suite 2000
Microsoft Encarta Reference Suite 2001
Microsoft Encarta 96 World Atlas for Windows
Microsoft Encarta Interactive World Atlas 2000
Microsoft Encarta Interactive World Atlas 2001
Microsoft Encarta World English Dictionary
Microsoft Encarta World English Dictionary 2001
Microsoft Expedia Streets 98
Microsoft Expedia Streets 98 Deluxe 1.0
Microsoft Expedia Trip Planner 98
Microsoft Greetings Workshop 2.0
Microsoft P.J.'s Reading Adventures: Microsoft Koi and the Kola Nuts 1.0
Microsoft Music Central for Windows, 1996, 1997 edition
Microsoft My Personal Tutor: Alphabet Playhouse 1.0
Microsoft My Personal Tutor: Mathopolis 1.0
Microsoft My Personal Tutor: Preschool Workshop 1.0
Microsoft My Personal Tutor: Reader Railway 1.0
Microsoft Nickelodeon 3D Movie Maker for Windows 1.0
Microsoft NBA Full Court Press for Windows 1.0
Microsoft Office 97 Professional Edition for Windows
Microsoft Outwars 1.0
Microsoft P.J.'s Reading Adventures: Microsoft Paul Bunyan 1.0
Microsoft Picture It! 2.0
Microsoft Plus! for Kids 1.0
Microsoft Reader's Digest Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide for Windows 1.0
Microsoft Soccer 1.0
Scholastic's Magic School Bus series: Explores Inside the Earth for Windows 1.0
Scholastic's Magic School Bus series: Explores in the Age of Dinosaurs for Windo
ws 1.0
This article was previously published under Q184410
SUMMARY
This article describes how to use the Microsoft System Information tool to optim
ize CD-ROM performance in Windows.
The Microsoft System Information tool is located on the installation CD-ROM for
each of the Microsoft programs listed at the beginning of this article. Some of
these programs also install Microsoft System Information into the following fold
er on the hard disk:
Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Msinfo
For additional information about how to locate Microsoft System Information on t
he installation CD-ROM of a Microsoft program, please see the following article
in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
154883 Home Products Containing Multimedia Version of Msinfo32.exe
MORE INFORMATION
To use the Microsoft System Information utility to optimize CD-ROM performance i
n Windows, follow these steps:
Insert the CD-ROM for one of the programs listed at the beginning of this articl
e into the CD-ROM drive. Press and hold down the SHIFT key as you insert the CD-
ROM to prevent the program from starting automatically.
Locate the Msinfo32.exe file on the CD-ROM and copy it to the desktop.
For information about how to copy files in Windows, see your Windows printed doc
umentation or online Help, or see the following article in the Microsoft Knowled
ge Base:
133277 Windows 95/98: How to Copy a File
On the desktop, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
On the Performance tab, click File System.
On the CD-ROM tab, move the Supplemental cache size slider all the way to the le
ft (the Small position).
In the Optimize access pattern for box, click No Read-Ahead.
Click OK, and then click Close.
When you are prompted to restart the computer, click Yes.
On the desktop, double-click the Msinfo32.exe file.
Under System Info, click CD-ROM, and then note the following values:
Data Transfer Rate
NOTE: To comply with the Multimedia Personal Computer Level 2 (MPC2) specificati
on, this value must be at least 300.0 KB/s. The Data Transfer Rate must be 600.0
KB/s or faster if you want to run a program that requires a quad-speed CD-ROM d
rive.
CPU Util @ 300KB/s
NOTE: To comply with the MPC2 specification, this value must be no higher than 6
0 percent. For best performance, this value should be no higher than 30 percent,
and a value less than 10 percent is ideal.
Data Transfer Integrity
NOTE: This value should always be Tested OK.
Click Refresh (!) on the toolbar, and then note the new values. Repeat this step
four times, and then calculate and record the average values for Data Transfer
Rate and CPU Util @ 300KB/s. If the value for Data Transfer Integrity is not Tes
ted OK after any test, record the configuration as "Data Suspect," and then proc
eed to the next step.
Quit the Microsoft System Information tool.
Repeat steps 3-12 for each Supplemental cache size slider position.
Repeat steps 3-8 to change the value in the Optimize access pattern for box to m
atch the actual CD-ROM drive speed.
Repeat steps 3-12 for each Supplemental cache size slider position.
NOTE: Do not change the value in the Optimize access pattern for box that you se
t in step 14.
Use your notes to determine which configuration achieves the best CD-ROM perform
ance with no loss of data integrity. This is the optimal configuration of the CD
-ROM drive.
Repeat steps 3-8 to change the position of the Supplemental cache size slider an
d the value in the Optimize access pattern for box to match the optimal configur
ation of the CD-ROM drive.
In most cases, you can optimize CD-ROM performance in Windows 95 by moving the S
upplemental cache size slider all the way to the right (the Large position) and
then clicking the actual CD-ROM drive speed in the Optimize access pattern for b
ox. However, in some cases you may achieve better results with reduced cache set
tings. The following table shows how different combinations of CD-ROM cache sett
ings typically affect CD-ROM drive performance:
Supplemental
Cache Size No Read-Ahead Actual CD-ROM speed
--------------------------------------------------------
Small Data Transfer Rate: Data Transfer Rate:
Slowest Slower
CPU Util @ 300KB/s: CPU Util @ 300KB/s:
Heaviest Lighter
Large Data Transfer Rate: Data Transfer Rate:
Faster Fastest
CPU Util @ 300KB/s: CPU Util @ 300KB/s:
Heavier Lightest
NOTE: In the Optimize access pattern for box, click only No Read-Ahead or the se
tting that matches the speed of the CD-ROM drive. If you click a setting that is
faster than the speed of the CD-ROM drive, you may experience one or more of th
e following problems:
Performance of the CD-ROM drive decreases significantly.
Media files on CD-ROM skip or stutter when you play them.
You receive an "Error reading file" or "Cannot read from drive" error message wh
en you attempt to open a file on a CD-ROM.
The computer stops responding (hangs) when you attempt to open a file on a CD-RO
M.