www.virtualacorn.co.uk/forum

I used to use a Desktop PC which allowed Virtual Acorn to run correctly with the file "ATAPICD" in use, however with my new Laptop this is not the case and I had to change the name to this file to "OldATAPICD" so that I can RUN VA.

I checked in "Control Panel" and ATAPI appears to be supported, can you, Please, through any light on the matter?

I would have liked to attached a screen image showing the Control Panel information, but do not see how this can be done!

We've been comparing notes with Allan on this one and mutually conclude that this is one of those rare occasions where a 'modern' DVD/CD drive is not compatible with VirtualRPC (possibly it's a SATA device).

To get VirtualRPC to run up, Allan renamed the ATAPICD file in the C:\Program fIles\VirtualAcorn\VirtualRPC-AdjustSA\Plugins\atapicd folder - success!

(Purely for the record, the VirtualAcorn 'official' procedure is on http://www.virtualacorn.co.uk/support/a ... /index.htm - which also results in success...)

Either way, renaming or moving the ATAPICD file allows VirtualRPC to start up, but unavoidably disables CDFS under RISC OS. However, it's still possible to access the DVD/CD drive under RISC OS by setting up a HostFS 'mount' for it. That works in all respects with the exception of the 'front end' bit of a RISC OS disc, such as the Foundation/RISCWorld compilation DVD. However, you can still access the disc contents by double-clicking on the HTML directory and then on the Index/htm icon, which will open the front page. (Further details are on pp31-32 in the VirtualRPC In Use booklet.)

If when starting up RISC OS you get an error message saying 'Soft load driver not present' or similar, you can remove the CDFS icon by accessing !Boot.Configuration.Discs and setting the number of CD-ROM discs to zero.

HTH, Alex Hamilton
pp T.O.M.S.