Audio CD Input Problems

[MikeCerm]

So, about 30 minutes ago I could use the Audio CD Input with no problems. No, when I try to start it, my CPU usage jumps to 100%, but cdgrab never actually starts. I tried doing a reinstall, and it still doesn't work. I uninstalled everything that I could possibly uninstall, then reinstalled, and still nothing. I'm registered, and I've tried r11, 11.1beta, and beta 2. Nothing seems to work. I even checked the registry to find anything that I could that might make cdgrab think that it's not a fresh new installation, but I couldn't really find anything of value there. How can I make it work again. I'm running XP SP2.

~Mike Cerm

[MikeCerm]

Re: Audio CD Input Problems

Now that I think about it, I might have fudged up a setting the last time I used Audio CD Input. The CD that I was ripping had a really long last track with a "hidden song" at the end that I wanted to ignore. I might have selected the "Standard CD Emulation" setting just to see what it did, and it didn't seem to do anything. Maybe that's why the program won't start anymore. Perhaps that setting is permanently on and malfunctioning or something, but after several uninstalls and trying different versions (I even found an old 10.1 that I had laying around), I'm still getting nowhere. I've tried changing the drive access mode, because that's they only settings page that I can get to, but nothing seemed to have any effect. When the program fails to start, it doesn't even get to a place where it tries to access the drive, I believe. C'mon Spoon, help me out!!!

~Mike Cerm, again

[ChristinaS]

Re: Audio CD Input Problems

Now that I think about it, I might have fudged up a setting the last time I used Audio CD Input. The CD that I was ripping had a really long last track with a "hidden song" at the end that I wanted to ignore. I might have selected the "Standard CD Emulation" setting just to see what it did, and it didn't seem to do anything. Maybe that's why the program won't start anymore. Perhaps that setting is permanently on and malfunctioning or something, but after several uninstalls and trying different versions (I even found an old 10.1 that I had laying around), I'm still getting nowhere. I've tried changing the drive access mode, because that's they only settings page that I can get to, but nothing seemed to have any effect. When the program fails to start, it doesn't even get to a place where it tries to access the drive, I believe. C'mon Spoon, help me out!!!

~Mike Cerm, again

Did you reboot at all?

Are you pointing to the right drive?

[MikeCerm]

Re: Audio CD Input Problems

Yes, I've rebooted between all uninstallations and reinstallations. I can't "point" to any drive because the program will not start at all, but I only have one drive, so that can't really be the problem.

~Mike Cerm

[LtData]

Re: Audio CD Input Problems

Can you start the program if there isn't an Audio CD in the drive? If yes, try disabling the auto-retrieval of CD information from FreeDB and see if it then starts up correctly.

[adaywayne]

Re: Audio CD Input Problems

Do other CD ripping programs work?

[MikeCerm]

Re: Audio CD Input Problems

Can you start the program if there isn't an Audio CD in the drive? If yes, try disabling the auto-retrieval of CD information from FreeDB and see if it then starts up correctly.

No, the program doesn't start, even without a disc. Like I said, it hangs before it even tries to access the drive. When present, the disc in the drive never spins up, the light on the drive (a Plextor 708) never comes on, the CdGrab.exe process just maxes out my CPU and nothing happens.

Do other CD ripping programs work?

Well, I don't have any other ripping (only) programs, because I like dB, but Windows Media Player works fine, recognizes discs, downloads track names and stuff, and rips. Nero works fine as well. It's definitely not a hardware problem.

My belief is that somewhere, locked annoyingly deep in my registry, dMC has stored some setting that doesn't want to uninstall itself. Is there any way that I can access the Audio CD Input settings without actually running the program? Maybe it's something as simple as replacing the associated Audio CD dll, but I already deleted that when reinstalling, so maybe not. I would ask for somebody to just zip up their Program Files/Illustrate folder and send it to me, but I've already tried cleaning mine out and completely reinstalling, and it hasn't worked. It's got to be something in the registry, I just know it.

[Spoon]

Re: Audio CD Input Problems

Start the program with no cd in the drive.

[MikeCerm]

Re: Audio CD Input Problems

Start the program with no cd in the drive.

Spoon, thanks for the reply. In my previous posts, I did make it clear that the program will not start even with no CD in the drive. Furthermore, the program never even attempts to access the drive, as it never actually get far enough in the loading process to do even that. I click on the icon, CPU usage jumps to 100% and stays there, and nothing else happens, ever. The drive is never accessed, and I have tried both with and without a disc.
I've tried with and without a disc in "fresh" (re-)installations of v.10.1, 11, 11.1b1, 11.1b2. It used to work fine, and then it stopped, I believe after I switched on "Standard CD Emulation". I'm pretty sure that's what "caused" the "problem".

~Mike Cerm

[LtData]

Re: Audio CD Input Problems

Try following the uninstalling instructions here: http://forum.dbpoweramp.com/showthread.php?t=6828 The post includes instructions on cleaning out the registry too.

[MikeCerm]

Re: Audio CD Input Problems

Right... HKEY_CURRENT_USER... I've already tried deleting everything (applicable) in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, but I didn't even think about HKEY_CURRENT_USER. Maybe that's why I wasn't able to find much worth deleting in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. I'm at work now, so I won't be able to try this fix for another two hours or so, but I definitely will immediately when I get home.
Whether this fix works or not, I'm really grateful for the forum here. dMC (and every other piece of software) isn't without its share of bugs and quirks, but it's really nice to have such a helpful and supportive group of regulars to work through whatever problems do arise, and a fearless leader like Spoon to actually fix stuff that is broken (not by operator-error).
So, thanks for posting and stuff, and my next post will hopefully put an end to this thread.

~Mike Cerm

[MikeCerm]

Re: Audio CD Input Problems

Problem (somewhat) solved. Deleting registry entries worked, and the program ran. Then I was able to duplicate the problem. I went to Options, Standard CD Emulation, Audio CD Parameters, and changed the length of the last song. I mentioned in a previous post that the CD that I was ripping had a really long last track with a "hidden song" at the end that I wanted to ignore. Sure enough, CdGrab.exe froze up, and then wouldn't restart after quitting.
If I want to only rip half of the last track on the CD, is there some way of doing that? (Other than the way that I've already tried, which apparently doesn't work all that well)

~Mike Cerm

[ChristinaS]

Re: Audio CD Input Problems

Problem (somewhat) solved. Deleting registry entries worked, and the program ran. Then I was able to duplicate the problem. I went to Options, Standard CD Emulation, Audio CD Parameters, and changed the length of the last song. I mentioned in a previous post that the CD that I was ripping had a really long last track with a "hidden song" at the end that I wanted to ignore. Sure enough, CdGrab.exe froze up, and then wouldn't restart after quitting.
If I want to only rip half of the last track on the CD, is there some way of doing that? (Other than the way that I've already tried, which apparently doesn't work all that well)

~Mike Cerm

Don't rip that last track at all, so unselect it in dMC Audio cd input when you rip the cd.

Then use dMC Auxiliary Input and record that track as it is being played through your soundcard, and stop it wherever you want to stop it.

[LtData]

Re: Audio CD Input Problems

Or just run the "Trim" DSP effect and type in the amount of time that is at the end of the song that you don't want. Note that you need the PowerPack to run DSP effects.

[MikeCerm]

Re: Audio CD Input Problems

Or just run the "Trim" DSP effect ....

That the answer that I was looking for, because I'm definitely not interested in analog ripping CDs. Thanks a lot!

~Mike