ID: Q124970
The information in this article applies to:
This article is a checklist for troubleshooting distribution media format (DMF) setup issues. Some of the issues mentioned here are covered elsewhere in greater depth. Each section lists where you can find more information about a particular subject. The following topics are covered:
1. When you start your computer, bypass the configuration files by pressing
F5 when you get the "Starting MS-DOS" prompt.
prompt
md \disks
and change to that directory by typing "cd \disks" (without the
quotation marks).
Extract.exe is on disk 2 for Microsoft Office 97.
extract /e <drive>:\msoff<x>.cab
where <drive> is the floppy disk drive containing the Office disk and
<x> is the number of the disk.
NOTE: The Extract program may ask for additional disks. This behavior is
normal.
To obtain replacement Office disks, call the Microsoft Order Desk at (800) 360-7561 and request a replacement for the damaged Microsoft Office disk. If you are outside the United States, contact the Microsoft subsidiary for your area. To locate your subsidiary, see the Microsoft World Wide Offices Web site at:
http://www.microsoft.com/worldwide/default.htm
When you run Setup using the icon in Program Manager (Maintenance Mode Setup), you may receive errors such as "Could not read file" when you insert disks. This happens when Word was installed on the hard disk drive with standard disks and you use DMF disks when prompted by Maintenance Mode Setup. The Setup program on the hard drive cannot read the distribution media format (DMF) disks.
For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q121802
TITLE : "Could Not Read From File..." Running Maintenance Mode Setup
Microsoft Windows NT version 3.1 is not able to read DMF disks. A service pack is available to correct this problem.
To correct this problem, do any of the following:
Method 1: Update your operating system by updating Floppy.sys or installing
Microsoft Windows NT Service Pack 3.
system files.
standard (non-DMF) disks.
Symptoms of this problem include:
This can happen in any of the following scenarios:
Case 1: The floppy disk drive is not reading the disks properly.
If change-line support is not working properly, accessing a distribution
media format (DMF) floppy disk fails.
Change-line support informs MS-DOS when a disk and/or the format of a
disk has changed. If MS-DOS determines the format of the first disk but
does not realize that the formatting of the second disk is different,
the second disk cannot be read.
Case 2: Disk caching software isn't releasing the contents of the
previous disk.
Case 3: A virus has infected the hard drive or disks.
To work around this problem, use the method below for case that applies to you:
Method 1: Add the MS-DOS DRIVPARM command to your Config.sys file.
Place the DRIVPARM command in the Config.sys with appropriate
syntax for your floppy disk drive.
For a 1.44-MB A drive For a 1.44-MB B drive
--------------------------------------------------
DRIVPARM=/d:0 /f:7 DRIVPARM=/d:1 /f:7
ARTICLE-ID: Q79207
TITLE : WinWord Setup Fails on Disk 2; Cannot Do DIR on 2nd Disk
reinsert Disk 2, and press ENTER again.
the floppy disk drive, do the following:
a. Press ALT+TAB to switch to File Manager (or to Program
Manager, and then run File Manager).
b. Select the drive icon that contains Disk 2, and press F5 to
force a refresh.
c. Press ALT+TAB again to switch back to Setup and continue.
ARTICLE-ID: Q119837
TITLE : Setup Program Keeps Requesting Disk 2
Disable the disk caching software. Commonly-used disk caching software includes the following products:
While this is an unlikely possibility, Microsoft has received reports that certain viruses will cause the Setup program not to recognize disk 2.
Scan the hard drive, using MS-DOS software or a third-party virus detector. If a virus is found, remove the virus before reinstalling the software.
Microsoft has rigorous quality control measures to insure that viruses are not on disks that we ship. The Setup disks for the programs listed above are distributed virus-free.
For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q105212
TITLE : Office: Setup Problems May Indicate that System Has Virus
ARTICLE-ID: Q80520
TITLE : How Microsoft Ensures Virus-Free Software
You may receive an error that setup is unable to decompress or read from a cabinet file (such as Word2.cab or Msoff2.cab) when running setup in maintenance mode from your hard drive. If you receive this error running setup in maintenance mode, exit setup and run setup from the installation disk #1 instead.
Another possible cause of this error during an installation could be the use of third-party disk caching software.
To work around this problem, disable the disk caching software and proceed with setup. Commonly-used disk caching software includes the following products:
Floptical (and other SCSI floppy drives) cannot read DMF disks because the drive hardware has fixed assumptions about standard floppy formats.
Contact Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400 to obtain standard (non-DMF) disks.
Older Gateway Handbook machines have Flash BIOS which needs to be updated.
Method 1: Contact Gateway for a BIOS update.
Method 2: Contact Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400 and
order standard (non-DMF) disks.
When you run the Setup program for one of the applications listed above on an Apple Power Macintosh computer running SoftWindows, your computer may not read the Setup disks. The Setup program may fail to recognize disk 2 and will continue to prompt you for disk 2 after you've inserted it in the disk drive.
For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q122279
TITLE : Error Installing Application on Power Mac Running
SoftWindows
Setup of any of the products listed above was not tested on OS/2 or OS/2 Warp Version 3. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q122280
TITLE : Error Running Setup from DMF Disks Under OS/2
DMF is a new disk format which allows more information to fit on each disk. Because of this format, disks cannot be backed up. In the past, making backup disks was a necessary part of installation. Now, better hardware and software means backup disks are seldom, if ever, needed.
If you do want backup disks, you may order them by calling Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. There is a small handling charge of $5.00, which is less than the price of new, blank disks.
Any of the symptoms listed above may also be symptoms of a virus. If you suspect that a virus is present on your computer, scan the hard drive and disks with a virus detector. If a virus is found, remove the virus before running Setup again.
Microsoft has rigorous quality control measures to insure that viruses are not on disks that we ship. The Setup disks for the applications listed above are distributed virus-free in sealed clear plastic envelopes that display a message about the Microsoft software license agreement. If disks are purchased in any other type of package, they should not be used.
The following viruses are known to cause problems when Setup is run from DMF disks:
antiEXE NOINT Junkie A-Dign B1 V-Sign RIPPER
ARTICLE-ID: Q105212
TITLE : Office: Setup Problems May Indicate that System Has Virus
Keywords : offwin offwinsetup
Version : 1.10 2.00 3.00
Platform : WINDOWSLast Reviewed: November 18, 1998