Author Topic: Carlin CD-ROM Catalogue --- Help!!  (Read 170 times)

Moon Monkey

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Carlin CD-ROM Catalogue --- Help!!
« on: January 20, 2026, 01:07:14 PM »
I've just brought this thing from eBay:



It's a CD-ROM catalogue from 2001. This seems like yesterday to me, but to my computer it's ancient history and it refuses to open it. There are some Shockwave Audio files in there, which are playable, but beyond that it doesn't want to know. I've ripped it using ImgBurn, possibly correctly, and there's a link here:

swisstransfer.com/d/eca3ce99-54f3-4298-a0ae-bfb013c822d6

Can anyone out there get it working and maybe grab me a few screenshots please?

Good luck! :)

BlackwatchPlaid

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Re: Carlin CD-ROM Catalogue --- Help!!
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2026, 03:00:46 PM »
I run a very old version of Windows (W7sp1) and it tells me the setup.exe is incompatible with my version of windows, so hopefully someone with a retro build can run it.
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Moon Monkey

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Re: Carlin CD-ROM Catalogue --- Help!!
« Reply #2 on: January 20, 2026, 03:15:34 PM »
Thanks for trying, BwP!

nidostar

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Re: Carlin CD-ROM Catalogue --- Help!!
« Reply #3 on: January 20, 2026, 04:30:32 PM »
I have an old Dell from 2004 which I believe runs Win XP (don't laugh!). I didn't have the heart to throw it out when I moved to my Mac five years later. I'll see if I can fire it up.

Moon Monkey

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Re: Carlin CD-ROM Catalogue --- Help!!
« Reply #4 on: January 20, 2026, 07:18:03 PM »
Superb, thanks Nido - fingers crossed!

nidostar

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Re: Carlin CD-ROM Catalogue --- Help!!
« Reply #5 on: January 20, 2026, 11:25:21 PM »
Well that was a lot easier than I expected. I've not used the PC for a few years and it started up with no problem. The good news is it was able to install the CD. The bad news is that it needs Macromedia's (subsequently Adobe) Shockwave to run properly. I was, however, able to access some of the data. With wi-fi connected the CD would not run reporting that my PC didn't have enough memory! But it did run to a degree once I disconnected the wi-fi though it did throw up occasional error messages. A sample of screenshots are here ==> pixeldrain.com/l/PKQKeX47. I think the titles I have given are self-explanatory but I'm happy to provide more info if necessary.

Apart from the installation EXE and associated files there is a folder entitled SHOCKS which consists of 9 folders containing a large number of SWA files. These are Shockwave's custom audio files which I presume are accessed via the Music Search screen. They will play on Audacity but being samples are quite short. Also the bit rate quality is only 16kHz and in mono so not brilliant. If you were so inclined you could convert the audio files to, say, MP3 format using Audacity.

I hope this helps.

Moon Monkey

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Re: Carlin CD-ROM Catalogue --- Help!!
« Reply #6 on: Today at 01:05:40 AM »
Wonderful, thank you so much!

It looks terribly basic, doesn't it. Like an old ZX Spectrum game. Hard to imagine this was state of the art in 2001.
 
I've found VLC can play the audio files, although of the top of my head I can't think of anything particularly want to hear urgently.

I'll add a few of these shots into the Catalogue Thread shortly. Thanks again.

Moon Monkey

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Re: Carlin CD-ROM Catalogue --- Help!!
« Reply #7 on: Today at 01:30:39 AM »
There's a copy of the previous year's edition on Discogs, btw. Only £4! Which is only a small amount to waste on a disc that is unreadable on modern PCs!