CD won't start automatically?

I am trying to run a cd software program on my computer and it won't install. I know that it's not my CD-ROM because my other cd's and software cd programs run fine. It is an older cd-rom as the package it came with has instructions on how to install on Windows 95/Windows 3.1. Please help in trying to get this to install on my pc. I am currently running Windows XP OS.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Sounds like the CD may be 10 years old, in which case it may have degraded so as to be unreadable. What error do you get? Can you view the contents of the disk in My Computer?

Is it safe to presume the same is true for a DVD Drive?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Yes, it should work the same.

DVD's and CD's use to start automatically, or at least ask me which program to use, but now all that happens is the drive opens and shows the folders and files. I have looked at AutoPlay and everything seems to be ok. Any suggestions? Thanks for any and all help!

EDITOR'S NOTE: This may help: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/330135

I recently tried to reformat my hard drive. I tried doing the repair first, during this the pc said it could not find certain files it needed. When it was complete i went to add/remove programs and this showed no files or programs on the pc when there clearly were. So i tried reformat again, pressed any key to boot disk but now all i get is a blue screen headlined "Windows Startup". and says "windows is starting" up at the bottom. it is clearly not because its been like it for 12 hours now. my pc is three months old. is it dead already? any help would be gretly appreciated.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I'm confused... if you really did a reformat, there would be NOTHING -- not even Windows -- on your hard drive. Are you doing a re-INSTALL or a reFORMAT?