Software CD won't install

[Eno Safirey]

Hi guys, I'm new here. I've been reading along for awhile but now I have a problem that i need some help.

I bought a copy of HR Block Home software. I've been using there stuff for many years with no problems. When I tried to install the CD it just spins and nothing opens up on the desktop. I took it out and tried several other ones, both factory made and ones I burnt myself and they all worked. So, I don't think its the computer.

I tried it on my friends pc and same problem. He was unhappy that it froze his computer and he had to restart it. He said something about a virus so I took it to computer store and they couldn't get it to work either.

So I take it back to the store and get another copy (exchange) and the same thing is going on.
What is the deal here?

 

[corkyg]

Maybe they gave you a 64 bit version and you are running 32. or vice versa? Can you read the contents of the CD in Explorer?

 

[Eno Safirey]

The disk says Windows XPSP3 Vista Windows 7 and Mac OSX 10.5.8 or greater. I tried to install on both a Windows 7 and a XP PC.

Did I put this in the wrong section? Should i be in computer problems area?

Oh, you can't see anything in Windows explorer except th name of the disk.

 

[EagleKeeper]

I have installed on Win7 Home with no problems.

Call Block Help and expain to them the problem.

Potentially; you may have a bad burn run.

If you give them the key code that came with the S/W; they can direct you to a download site.

 

[Eno Safirey]

I just spent over an hour on hold with HRBlock help line. They kept repeating the same three songs from their 1980's Muzak collection.
I gave up.

I did look at the event viewer\system\error properties and it said-

The device, \device\CdRom0, has a bad block

I am not a happy camper. I wish that I could get a download link since I have the installation key code in my hand.

 

[MrChad]

Sounds like a bad CD, especially since you've tried in on multiple machines.

 

[Eno Safirey]

Thanks, EagleKeeper. I called HR Block help line again and decided to be patient instead of getting frustrated. I finally got a rep after fifteen minutes and he got me squared away with a download and even waited for me to install it to make sure everything was okay.

 

[C1]

Sometimes a cd is pressed badly and the particular optical reader cant read the disk. Put the disk in a notebook computer's CD reader to see if it can be read. (When you insert the disk, hold the shift key down to keep the CD from booting, then use Explorer to see if the disk can be read.) If so, then just copy the disk and install from the copy into the target machine.

 

[fjmeat]

looks like you got a bum disk. glad its resolved!

 

[C1]

A disk version is still nice to have as archive in case one needs to have the program available at a later date (long after the download becomes unavailable) and even for use in a different machine. Most of the time too, the CD has ancillary files (eg, help, demos and extras) which are not available a part of a download.