Unable to install KOTOR (and some other games)

When I install KOTOR, after the 1st disc, when I insert the second disc, the computer will try to read it for a while. Then Windows will tell me that my CD driver is unplugged and the Setup program crashes. But not without an error:

'Access Denied'

This also happen to Beyond Good & Evil when reading disc 2, but with a 'Incorrect Function' error. Tried & restarted about 14 times with no progress.

When installing Silent Storm, this also happen a few times before sucessfully completing install.

KOTOR and Beyond Good & Evil installed smoothly on Win ME before an unfortunate corruption made me format my C drive, and installing Windows 2000 because I lost my Win ME CD...

Any suggestions why *both* my CD drive is uncooperative?
Also, what OS is good for games? I heard Windows 2000 isn't good.

 

windows 98 is the best, but it crashes alot, so probably winxp
how fast is ur cd-rom?
it might be ur cdrom 's problem

 

The installation of KOTOR was sucessful after lending an unwanted CD drive from my friend. But after restarting, the computer 'chokes' on any CD, refusing to install or autorun from them. I then returned the CD drive and use my CD drives instead.

One of them is a DVD drive. I don't know its speed but it says on the front 16Xmax
The other one is a Creative CD-RW drive, speed of 40X
The unwanted one was I think 52X