FF7 PC "Please insert game disk" but it's in there...

I saw a topic dealing with FF7 PC installation, but since it had been resolved, I decided to make a new one, since this problem is entirely different (once a problem like that's been resolved, people tend to leave it alone).


I am at my wit's end with this thing... I have tried to install this game on Win98, WinMe, and WinXP, and I have the same problem on all of them! The installation will go fine and everything, but as soon as I double-click the icon, I get a message saying, "Please insert FF7 Game Disk 1, 2, or 3." I have put every disk in my CD drive, and it still won't recognize that it's there.


I am using my XP computer (it's my main one) and have installed, and uninstalled the game numerous times, and installed every patch possible (except XP v1.04, as I hear it messes with system files). I have even made a directory on my HD for all the movie files and changed the directory in the registry to no avail. I also have told WinXP to run the game in compatability mode for Win95, Win98, WinMe/2000, and even WinNT.

The furthest I've gotten is this last time: I will double-click the icon, I get the message, and a black box will flicker in the top left corner of my screen, and a program called DEFAULT bearing the FF7 icon will appear on my taskbar, then vanish.

I have scoured the internet for weeks for an answer, and no matter what I do, I can't get past this point.

I'm not completely sure if this is right, but I remember a long time ago when i still had my PC copy that I ran regedit and did something to the cd path. I'm not sure if that's the problem and I can't expand on it much seeing as it was a very long time ago, but I hope it helps somehow. Good luck!

Yes, I have done that, and still no good. That was to change the video directory so that the videos run from the PC and not the disk... I don't think that's what's causing the problem.

Have you checked the CDs in Windows Explorer or something similar to make sure your computer can read them?

I am familiar with this problem, as I have reinstalled FFVII on so many different PCs and operating systems that my discs are wearing out. :D

I'll have to look for my notes, 'cause it's been a while since I've done it on XP, but I do remember the disc reading problem.

In the meantime, take your disc out, make sure it's clean, and that your computer can read it. Rather than using the start menu to open it, try using the disc's auto-run. If you use the auto-run menu to start the game, it means that the computer can read the disc, and can sometimes circumvent that sort of problem.

Also, are you doing a Maximum installation (all files except vids play from the PC)?

Yes, I did the maximum installation. And my computer can read them as far as I can tell. When I put in the CD, the drive changes from just E: to ff7_disk1 (E: or whatever the disk is called. The autorun menu DOES come up, but all I have to choose from is "play videos" or "make CD" or "take no action."

Are you saying if I tell it to play videos then it should start the game?

Dangit, confused my discs, FFVII doesn't have it's own auto-run.

Can you run the FF7 Configuration? It should be in the FFVII folder in the Start Menu.

And can you play the movies from the disc? They're in the "movies" folder inside the disc's main "ff7" folder.

Unfortunately, I'm not on MY computer (I'm at work) so I can't answer some of the question. I have played the some of the movies... However, I can't remember if they were the ones I copied to my hard drive or straight from the CD.

I can run the FF7Config... In fact, when I double-click the Final Fantasy VII Icon, the config dialog box pops up. When I hit "OK" it then gives me the "Please insert disk" message. But I have tried and succeeded in running the config by itself.

Ok, that rules out that problem. The first time you run FFVII after installing it, it will always try to run the config first, so I just wanted to rule it out.

Try running the movies from the disc, to make sure you can.

Have all of the Operating systems you've put this on been on the same physical system? Or have you used several different computers? It could be a problem with the CD drive's communication with the computer.

I have tried it on two different comps. My XP one, and then a Win98 one, and then upgraded the Win98 one to ME (I know... I'm so sorry) and tried it on that one.

My XP comp is an eMachine, and the other one is IBM, I believe (I can't remember at the moment). As for saying it could be a drive communication problem, I use the CD drive often, and it has worked fine with every other CD I put in there, so I have a hard time believing it's the drive itself.

This is quite a conundrum. Since you've tried all your discs, the chances of it being the discs is very low. But, since you've done it on multiple computers and operating systems, that rules out the computer or system.

I would suggest getting a virtual drive and copying your discs into one of those, but such programs can be annoyingly hard to find. If you can get one, though, use it, as it is treated as an individual drive but is still on your hard disc so it bypasses almost all communication problems.

I did a quick search on google this link has several suggestions. Maybe one of them will help you.

Final Fantasy 7 [Archive] - MegaGames Forum

Videos run fine from the CD drive. Everything else seems to work just fine except the program itself... I even copied the contents of the first CD to a folder, and changed all directories in the registry referring to my CD drive to this folder I made (only for FF7, mind you), and I still get the same message.

As for virtual drive software, everywhere I've looked I've had to buy it, and I can buy the Playstation game itself for about as much as most of this software is. This PC version came from a friend, and he never actually used it because his brother ended up buying the Playstation version, like, the next day... soo, he never really had problems with it (whether or not you can have problems with something that you never used is a different discussion).

Interesting story: The first video that played (out random order of all the videos on the first CD) was the scene with Aeris praying in the church, and Sephiroth killing her... I thought that was odd for some reason.

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Originally Posted by standinginmotion

Videos run fine from the CD drive. Everything else seems to work just fine except the program itself... I even copied the contents of the first CD to a folder, and changed all directories in the registry referring to my CD drive to this folder I made (only for FF7, mind you), and I still get the same message.

As for virtual drive software, everywhere I've looked I've had to buy it, and I can buy the Playstation game itself for about as much as most of this software is. This PC version came from a friend, and he never actually used it because his brother ended up buying the Playstation version, like, the next day... soo, he never really had problems with it (whether or not you can have problems with something that you never used is a different discussion).

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The PC version has sharper graphics and an improved translation, but I understand your point.

Have you tried running it with no disc at all and then putting the disc in after it gives you the error message and running it again?

And does your PC have multiple CD drives?

I just tried that, and it didn't work. I'm getting ready to use a no-CD patch, as I haven't tried using one of those, yet. For some reason, I really didn't want to do that, but when all else fails... and it has. :(

Oh, and I only have one CD drive (actually, it's a DVD drive... that shouldn't matter, should it?)