Easy CD Creator problems just won't go away

Users take issue with Roxio's explanation

By Kieren McCarthy, 17th May 2001

Since our last article on the compatibility problems that Roxio's Easy CD Creator software is having with Win2k machines, we've received nearly a hundred emails disputing the company's official explanation.

Roxio told us that the problem with the software was due solely to compatibility problems between the TakeTwo element of Easy CD Creator and Zip drives running on Windows 2000 Professional.

But readers' experiences would appear to blow this theory out of the water. Large numbers have emailed us explaining that they don't have a Zip drive and the software still managed to destroy their PC. Others have said that they installed the software without TakeTwo and still got the blue screen of death.

There would appear to be a whole range of compatibility issues with small programs that a minority of users have on their computer. We have as yet been unable to find a common link, but Easy CD does seem to be clashing with something.

Most of these programs are to do with hard disc manipulation, although two readers have reported problems with graphics viewers. CD Creator 5 also interferes with Win2k's new hardware detection, with several people reporting trouble-free use until they installed a new drive, at which point the system fell over.

McAfee has gone to the trouble of advising all users to remove Easy CD Creator. "Please perform all of the following, making a special point to uncheck any instance of Easy CD creator, Direct CD or other Adaptec software in addition to other unnecessary software loading at the boot of your computer", an advice from the company says.

It is clear that the software has greater problems that just the two Roxio has informed us of. However, we should note that we have yet to receive any complaints about the software after Roxio's patch has been downloaded. But if you do wish to install the software, we would strongly advise you to ghost your drive first so if anything goes wrong, you can revert to the old configuration.

One reader also wished to take up Roxio's claim that version 4 of the software was not intended to support Windows 2000. "I bought Version 4 of East CD Creator Deluxe and it certainly says Windows 2000 support on the box," he said.

We should also point out that an alternative piece of software that we recommended, Nero, appears to have some issues with Win2k as well. An experienced tester told us that the best he had found on the market was NTI CDMaker 2000. ®