Machines that exhibit this problem have usually been upgraded from Windows 3.1, or are using a CD-ROM drive that is not completely compatible with the operating system. It is possible for this error to occur under Windows 95 and Windows 98. Windows Millenium, Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP are inherently immune to this problem.

This problem stems from the fact that Windows 95 and Windows 98 are essentially graphical shells that run on top of MS-DOS. Both operating systems are constructed this way to retain compatibility with legacy applications and hardware, but this compatibility is often accompanied by limitations.

Improperly configured CD-ROM drives make use of an MS-DOS level interface known as MSCDEX (Microsoft CD-ROM Extensions). MSCDEX was introduced to support CD-ROM technology under MS-DOS and Windows 3.x. This interface can allow access to the CD-ROM drive under Windows 95 and Windows 98 as well, but it has some limitations.

The major shortcoming is that MSCDEX does not support a feature known as long file names. Without support for long file names, the operating system is unable to reliably recognize files that stray from the MS-DOS standard "8.3" naming convention.

The Exam Simulator is designed to run on machines using Windows 95 or newer. As such, compatibility with this outdated naming system is not maintained. Users that are affected by this configuration problem must eliminate the incompatibility if they wish to use The Exam Simulator CD-ROM.

The most common fix is to install updated drivers for the CD-ROM drive and disable the MSCDEX interface. Updated drivers may not be available for some very old CD-ROM drives. In this case, it is generally neccessary to upgrade the computer. In either case, solving this problem requires more in-depth knowledge about Windows than most casual users possess. We recommend consultation with a qualified computer technician. The Exam Simulator technical support staff cannot assist the user with this problem.

If the machine has working Internet access, The Exam Simulator technical support staff can grant to the user permission to download a copy of The Exam Simulator that functions independent of the CD-ROM drive. Working Internet access is required, as discless versions of The Exam Simulator must be registered before use.

For more information about this and related configuration issues for Windows 95 and Windows 98, please reference Microsoft Technical Support. Knowledge Base articles Q151634 and Q131499 contain information specific to this issue.

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