Home

Plextor PlexWriter RW 12/4/32 Burner

1. Appendix C Technical Support Store Plextor s email web site phone and fax numbers in a convenient location Keep your drive s serial number and a copy of your sales receipt handy as well If you experience a problem while installing or operating your Plex Writer drive please refer first to the relevant sections of this manual regarding setup and installation Chapters 1 3 If you do not uncover the solution there please refer next to the maintenance and troubleshooting chapter that begins on page 43 It contains solutions to the most common types of problems fielded by our technical support staff You may also wish to refer to the Frequently Asked Questions FAQ section of our web site to assist you in troubleshooting the problem on your own NOTE We encourage you to go the Plextor web site www plextor com before attempting to contact Technical Support The answers to the most common questions callers ask can be found quickly in the FAQ area A link to the FAQ area can be found on our home page If you have not been successful in your quest our Technical Support Department will help you solve problems that relate specifically to your PlexWriter drive In many cases a problem that appears to be caused by your PlexWriter actually originates in another part of your computer In such instances our technical support staff will try to help you identify the part at fault and will refer you to the manufacturer of that part for further
2. Prextor PLEX WRITER 12 4 32 Models PX W12432TSi Internal SCSI PX W12432TSe External SCSI Congratulations Thank you for purchasing the PlexWriter 12 4 32 a reliable high performance CD rewriter recorder and reader We appreciate the confidence you have shown in us Our goal is to put you and keep you on the leading edge of CD technology To get you there we first have to help you install your PlexWriter drive properly and operate it correctly After that the responsibility is yours to seek the applications that make rewritable CD such a powerful and exciting addition to your system FCC NOTICE This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions may cause harmful interference to radio communications However there is no guarantee interference will not occur in a particular installation If this equipment causes harmful interference to radio or television reception which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures e Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna e Increase the s
3. Solution e You will need to purchase additional software from the manufacturer or from a third party Supported software lists can be found on the Plextor web site at www plextor com Note that Plextor does not supply or sell this software Symptoms Drive not responding Possible Cause 1 e Bad connection between Plex Writer drive and SCSI interface Solution 1 e Check the cable to ensure it is seated properly and has no bent pins Possible Cause 2 e Conflicts with other software Solution 2 1 Disable all extensions that are currently being loaded with the exception of your Plex Writer software 2 Restart your Macintosh 3 Enable extensions one at a time to determine which extension conflicts with the Plex Writer software NOTE In addition to the troubleshooting hints shown here for the Macintosh refer to all the possible causes and solutions shown on preceding pages Most apply not only to personal computers but to the Macintosh as well 56 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 6 Frequently Asked Questions about Recording What media should I use for my PlexWriter Supported media lists can also be found on the Plextor web site at www plextor com When can I use CD RW media CD RW media can only be used for writing in ReWritable drives It is readable only in ReWritable drives or newer MultiRead CD ROMs with UDF readers installed UDF readers are available from software companies that develop packet writin
4. Transportation Humidity 0 to 45 degrees Celsius 5 to 40 degrees Celsius 20 to 80 non condensing 40 to 60 degrees Celsius 20 to 95 non condensing 20 to 95 non condensing 60 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Appendix A PlexWriter 12 4 32 Specifications Dimensions and Weight Dimensions W H D Internal SCSI Drive 5 75 x 1 63 x 7 95 without front panel External SCSI Drive 7 0 x 2 24 x 12 03 Weight Internal SCSI Drive 2 64 Ibs External SCSI Drive 6 2 lbs Reliability MTBF 60 000 Power On Hours POH Tray Loading 200 000 Load Cycles PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 61 Appendix A PlexWriter 12 4 32 Specifications This page intentionally left blank 62 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Appendix B Installing a SCSI Drive in Windows This appendix contains more detailed explanations of installation of a PlexWriter SCSI drive in Windows 95 98 and NT whether you have new or older hardware and software Installing SCSI Drivers in Windows 95 98 This section explains how to install drivers that let your SCSI interface board work with the Windows 95 98 operating system If you have any problems at all our technical support staff will help you Install Hardware Before installing software drivers install the SCSI interface board and PlexWriter hardware Check that all the cable connections between your PlexWriter drive and PC are correct and that all switches dial
5. Emergency eject hole Tray front door Power switch READ WRITE DISC ON L H Headphone jack indicator indicator button Volume ON READ WRITE L CD Audio control indicator indicator play skip forward button Figure 2 Front Panel of the PlexWriter 12 4 32 External Drive PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 5 Section 1 Getting Started Tray front door Attached to tray drawer Headphone jack Stereo mini jack for headphones and powered speakers Volume control Controls volume of headphone jack This control has no effect on the rear panel audio outputs Emergency eject hole Insert emergency eject stick paper clip or other thin rigid object to eject tray if automatic eject button does not work Turn OFF power before using this feature DISC indicator Green when disc is in the drive and power is ON ON READ indicator Green when power is ON and no disc is in drive Green flashing when disc is being accessed WRITE L indicator Orange when recording CD R discs at 2X 4X or 8X speed WRITE H indicator Orange when recording CD R discs at 12X speed Both WRITE H and WRITE L indicators are turned on orange when recording CD RW discs at 4X or 2X speed CD Audio play skip forward button With an audio CD in the drive push once to put the drive in CD Audio play mode Push button once during CD play mode to skip tracks Push and hold down this button more than one second to fast forward Stop Eject button Push to e
6. Q BLOCK Block size You may need to change this setting if you are working in a UNIX environment and want to boot from your PlexWriter see page 15 e Audio output connectors Output stereo analog signal Use to connect to sound board or audio amplifier Use standard RCA jack connectors e SCSI In and SCSI Out interface connectors Use one connector to link your PlexWriter to your SCSI interface board Use the other to link your PlexWriter to another SCSI peripheral in a chain see page 30 You may use either connector for either purpose 8 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Section 1 Getting Started About Mastering Software In order to create CD R and CD RW discs you will need to have mastering software installed on your computer system You can check our web site www plextor com for an updated list of software that supports your drive We provide mastering software kits in retail packaging for your convenience Precautions Like the rest of your computer system your PlexWriter requires reasonable care in its installation and use e Do not put your computer monitor or anything weighing more than 30 lbs on top of a PlexWriter external drive e Keep the area around your drive clean from dust smoke and other contaminants e Use a soft dust free cloth for cleaning your drive Do not allow moisture or liquids including water or cleaning fluids to touch the drive Thinner benzene or alcohol based solvents can
7. contact the manufacturer of the SCSI interface board for assistance in properly configuring your SCSI configuration 66 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Appendix B Installing a SCSI Drive in Windows Installation of a SCSI Drive in Windows NT This section gives some details about software installation in Windows NT Install Hardware Before installing software drivers install the SCSI interface board and PlexWriter hardware Check that all the cable connections between your PlexWriter drive and PC are correct and that all switches dials and termination are set properly If you are using a PlexWriter external drive turn the power switch to OFF Once the drive installation is complete remember to turn the drive s power ON before turning your computer on Getting NT Drivers for Your SCSI Board To install Windows NT support for your SCSI board from your NT CD ROM disc you first need to verify that your SCSI interface board is supported by NT Check your NT manual for information on which SCSI interface board NT supports e If you purchased SCSI interface board from Plextor with your PCI SCSI kit all the drivers are provided for you on the PlexWriter CD e If your SCSI interface board is not on NT s list of supported hardware and the necessary drivers are not the NT disc contact your board s manufacturer and request an NT software device driver for the board The files you obtain need to be added to the NT installation
8. contact the SCSI board manufacturer at their web site for the required SYS file e If you have DOS or Windows 3 x You need an ASPI manager file for DOS Windows 3 x to support your SCSI board ASPI managers are provided by SCSI board manufacturers Even if you have an ASPI manager file it may need to be updated to work with your PlexWriter drive Contact the SCSI board manufacturer at their web site for the latest driver version To install or update SCSI support for an existing SCSI board 1 Try using the SCSI interface with your PlexWriter drive If it works you probably don t need to install or update the SCSI driver 2 If you need to install or update SCSI support in your computer follow the installation instructions supplied by the SCSI manufacturer Plextor SCSI Drive with PCI SCSI Kit If you bought a PlexWriter SCSI drive with PCI SCSI Kit Plextor has included the applicable MPD SYS and ASPI manager files These are on your Plextor software disc To install SCSI support for the new SCSI board e Follow the instructions in Appendix B Installing a SCSI Drive in Windows 34 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Section 3 Installing and Using Software Install Device Drivers Your PlexWriter SCSI drive acts as a CD ROM Drive for purposes of installation and setup In some cases you will need to install additional software to make use of all of the features of the PlexWriter e Using the PlexWriter on a P
9. e Try a different disc Possible Cause 2 e Disc is badly manufactured Solution 2 e Try a different disc Possible Cause 3 e Bad connection between the PlexWriter drive and the motherboard or between the PlexWriter drive and the SCSI board Solution 3 e Inspect the SCSI cable and drive for recessed broken or bent pins e Inspect the SCSI ribbon cable for any signs of distress such as kinking Possible Cause 4 e CD Audio disc in the drive Audio CDs do not have computer data so typing computer commands in DOS while an audio disc is in your drive gives an error message Solution 4 e Use a data CD in the PlexWriter drive Possible Cause 5 e Disc is inserted upside down Solution 5 e Eject the disc and load it with the label or text side up Possible Cause 6 e Blank CD R or CD RW disc is inside the drive Solution 6 e Remove the disc from the drive and test it by using another disc 46 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Section 5 Maintenance and Troubleshooting Possible Cause 7 e PlexWriter drive set for test mode Solution 7 e Test mode is for factory use only Set DIP switch on external drive or jumpers internal drive to switch test mode off Possible Cause 8 e Improper or no SCSI bus termination Solution 8 e Ensure that only the peripheral at the end of the internal SCSI cable and or the last peripheral in a SCSI chain of external devices is terminated See page 13 e Some p
10. 8 disc cannot write to 49 cleaning 40 ejecting 6 troubleshooting 46 DISC indicator 6 disc specifications 59 drive does not read CD R CD RW discs 47 drive does not respond 45 drive does not respond to DIR 46 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 73 Index drive has read errors 46 drive not detected by software 50 drive not recognized 44 Drive with PCI SCSI Kit 3 SCSI ID and 13 SCSI support 34 Drive with Software Kit 3 SCSI support 34 drivers installing 35 E emergency eject hole 6 environmental conditions 60 external drive audio cable connection 32 connecting a single drive 29 connecting multiple drives 30 factory switch settings 18 rear panel 8 F firmware revision 2 upgrading 43 front panel controls 5 front panel controls 60 H headphone jack 6 High Sierra format 53 I installation 11 device drivers 35 internal drive 22 internal drive audio cable 27 quickstart 11 software 63 Windows NT 67 internal drive audio cable connection 27 installing 22 jumpers 15 mounting 23 rear panel 5 7 SPDIF cable connection 27 invalid device specification 54 74 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual ISO 9600 format 53 J jumpers 7 factory settings 16 setting on internal drive 15 16 L low sound level 49 M Macintosh playing CD on 42 troubleshooting 56 maintenance 43 mastering software 9 37 media 39 care and handling 40 recommended 59 s
11. Manual Section 5 Maintenance and Troubleshooting Solutions e Each sound board has a different setting for each input source including one for CD Audio Run your sound board s mixer program and verify that the volume is turned up or not muted You can do this by double clicking on the speaker icon on your computer s task bar e Check your system configuration to see if the sound board settings such as IRQ memory etc are conflicting with other devices on the system e Check if all the necessary drivers and multimedia devices required by your sound board are installed e Make sure the audio cable is properly connected between PlexWriter and sound board Symptoms Low sound level from PlexWriter drive Possible Cause 1 e Improper audio cable connection between PlexWriter drive and sound board Solution 1 e Check the cable connection from PlexWriter to sound board Possible Cause 2 e Low levels from audio mixer Solution 2 e Check the master CD and line levels of all audio mixers Troubleshooting Writing to Discs Symptoms Cannot write to CD R or CD RW disc Possible Cause 1 e You are using authoring software other than that bundled with your Plex Writer Solution 1 e Use the authoring software provided with the Plex Writer e To use other types of authoring software contact the supplier and ensure the software supports the PX W12432T CD RW drive Supported software lists can also be found on the Plext
12. Plex Writer Choose a SCSI Ribbon Cable The SCSI cable you will need is a standard 50 pin flat ribbon cable The cable may have a termination on it To Pin 1 Termination Figure 11 Internal SCSI Ribbon Cable You may need to add or change a SCSI ribbon cable Use these guidelines to help decide on what internal SCSI cable you will use e You purchased an internal Plextor Drive SCSI Kit Use the SCSI cable that came with the kit e The SCSI cable in your PC has a free connector Use that SCSI cable e The SCSI cable in your PC does not have a free connector If you already have one other SCSI peripheral such as a hard disk and your existing cable has only two connectors remove the cable and replace it with a cable with additional connectors You will need to purchase this cable PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 23 Section 2 Installing Your PlexWriter SCSI Drive Do You Need a Power Cable In most computers you will find free power connectors in the computer that are ready for your use When you open the computer check the cable running from your power supply to your hard disk and see if it has extra connectors on it If so you can plug one of these into the power connector found on the rear panel of the PlexWriter If you do not find any additional connectors either because they were not supplied or they are all in use you will have to buy a splitter or a Y connector These can also be found at most
13. a number of other SCSI peripherals To provide this flexibility Plextor lets you specify the drive s settings before it is installed On an internal SCSI drive you determine settings by the position of jumpers on the jumper block at the rear of the drive On an external drive you determine settings by the position of DIP switches and the rotary dial on the rear panel of the drive Your drive ships from our factory with its jumpers switches and or dial set to work in the most commonly found environment You should leave those switches and jumpers at their factory settings unless 1 you plan to use another SCSI peripheral e g CD ROM hard disk scanner with your computer system in addition to your PlexWriter or 2 you find it necessary to change the block size setting most likely in an older UNIX system Quickstart Installation Continued Scenario 3 You have a SCSI board that is not Plug and Play SCAM capable and you have Windows 95 or 98 What to do Set a unique SCSI ID number for the Plex Writer and make sure all other peripherals have their own SCSI numbers Set the termination of each peripheral OFF except set the termination of the last peripheral devices on each side of the chain to ON Other scenarios or if you have problems Better take a closer look at this chapter and at Appendix B Installing a SCSI Drive in Windows Do Have to Change My PlexWriter s SCSI ID Number Your PlexWrit
14. e Ensure the power cable is connected securely to the PlexWriter s power connector e Try a different power cable Possible Cause 2 e SCSI cable isn t connected properly Solution 2 e Ensure that the SCSI cable is securely inserted and is not damaged e Check the connector pins to ensure they are not bent Symptoms Cannot eject tray Possible Cause 1 e Tray is locked by Plextor Manager software Solution 1 e Refer to Plextor Manager manual how to unlock the eject feature Possible Cause 2 e CD was not properly set into tray and is stuck Solution 2 e At the PlexWriter s front panel insert a thin object such as a paper clip into the emergency eject hole and eject the tray Possible Cause 3 e Other software has control of the drive and has locked the tray Solution 3 e Close all programs that are running Then try ejecting the tray again e Restart the computer then try ejecting the tray again PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 45 Section 5 Maintenance and Troubleshooting Troubleshooting Reading from a Disc Symptoms Plex Writer drive has read errors may not respond to a DIR command or cannot run a program Message CDR101 Not Ready Reading Drive X Possible Cause 1 e Defective CD ROM CD R or CD RW disc e A fingerprint contaminants or scratches on the disc s surface may prevent the drive from reading or writing data Solution 1 e Clean the disc as detailed on page 40
15. eeceecesecesecesecesecoeecaeeeaeseaeseeeeeeeseenseenseenaes 9 PRECAUTIONS p einser EE E E EE EE E A R EE E 9 2 Installing Your PlexWriter SCSI Drive sesesessesesoesesesosoesesecocoesososecoesosoeseseeeee 11 Quickstart SCSI Installation For Experienced PC Users Only 11 Set SCSI Drive Switches or Jumpers 0 0 0 ee ee cee cee cseceeceseceecseeeseeeeeeeeeeneees 12 Do I Have to Change My PlexWriter s SCSI ID Number 00 ee 12 Do I Have to Change My PlexWriter s SCSI Termination Setting 13 Do I Have to Change Other PlexWriter SCSI Settings 0 eee eeeee 15 Setting Jumpers on a PlexWriter Internal SCSI Drive 0 eee eee 15 Setting Switches on a PlexWriter External SCSI Drive eee 18 Install a SCSI Interface Board cee eeeceeeeesseceeeeecsseceeeeecsseceeeeecaeceeneecsaeeeeneees 20 How to Choose a SCSI Board ecceeecescecsseceecceceseceeneeceaeceeeeecsaeeeeeeecnaeeeeee 20 Install the SCSI Board cc e ccececeesticsseccbesatencevessacennenssccvscececunnvedeevoseaves caveats 20 Install a PlexWriter Internal SCSI Drive cee eeeceeeeeesseceeeeecneeceeeeeneeeeneeees 22 Record the Serial NuUmbe0 ec ceeeeesceceseeeeneeceeeceaeceereeeaeceeeeeeaecesrevenaeeeees 22 Mount the PlexWriter Internal SCSI Drive eee eeeeeeesceeeeeeeneeceseeeeneeeeees 23 Install a PlexWriter External SCSI Drive cee eeseceeeeecsseceececeeeeeeneeceeeeeneees 28 Connect a Single SCSI Drive wo eee eee ceseceecseeceeeceeeeeeeeeeeee
16. floppy disk s that came with your NT CD ROM disc Your SCSI interface board manufacturer will provide you with specific installation instructions Install SCSI Drivers for Windows NT To add CD RW drive support after NT has already been installed 1 In Windows NT choose Start Settings Control Panel SCSI Adapters to add support for your SCSI interface board 2 Select Add Remove SCSI Adapters from the menu 3 Choose your SCSI interface board from the list or add the driver you obtained from your SCSI interface board manufacturer 4 Shut down your system and connect your PlexWriter to the SCSI interface board 5 Turn ON your computer and your PlexWriter drive should now be visible to the system PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 67 Appendix B Installing a SCSI Drive in Windows Troubleshooting Windows NT SCSI Installations If you have difficulty getting NT to recognize your CD RW drive and SCSI interface board confirm that all of your hardware is operating properly This is best done by using a boot floppy disk with CD ROM support or by simply installing DOS e If your system does not work under DOS you probably have a hardware problem that needs to be resolved before you can go any further e If your system works under DOS but not NT review your device driver installation and verify that the SCSI interface board device driver and CD ROM drive support are loaded correctly 68 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual
17. installed an internal PlexWriter is the only SCSI peripheral you will use with your computer and you do not need to change any settings skip now to Install a PlexWriter Internal SCSI Drive on page 22 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 15 Section 2 Installing Your PlexWriter SCSI Drive Factory SCSI Jumper Settings Figure 6 shows the factory settings of the SCSI jumpers The functions shown are ON if the jumpers are installed and OFF if the jumpers are removed ON Jumper installed OFF Jumper removed L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 pE SIG foro T GND e E O SCSI ID TERM BLOCK SIZE PARITY TEST Figure 6 Factory Settings for Jumpers at the Rear of the Internal SCSI Drive Changing SCSI Jumper Settings To remove a jumper pull it off with your fingers or a pair of needle nose pliers CAUTION Ensure power to the drive is OFF before installing or removing jumpers To add a jumper push it onto the jumper pins In addition to the three jumpers already installed at the factory extra jumpers are supplied with the PlexWriter drive Install jumpers this way DO NOT install jumpers this way Vertically Horizontally Figure 7 Install Jumpers Across Vertical Pairs of Pins CAUTION Install jumpers across each pin as shown vertically Do not connect one pin switch to another by installing the jumpers lengthwise horizontally Doing so could result in d
18. lower pair of holes as shown in Figure 13 In some instances you may need to fasten the rails to the upper set of holes After fastening the rails check their positioning by sliding the drive into the bay before you mount the drive or connect any cables Be sure not to mistake the inner and outer face of the rail when attaching Typically the smooth side of the rail faces away from the drive s chassis Figure 13 Installing Mounting Rails if Needed 6 Plug a free connector on the SCSI cable into the SCSI connector on the rear panel of the drive before you insert the drive into your computer Then thread the cable through the front of the open bay you plan to use and back toward the SCSI interface board The drive should slide smoothly into the bay If it does not check for obstructions in the bay and ensure the side rails if needed are attached properly PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 25 Section 2 Installing Your PlexWriter SCSI Drive 7 If not already connected attach one end of the SCSI ribbon cable to the connector on the SCSI board To Pin 1 Either end of the cable may be connected to the PlexWriter drive or the SCSI interface board Figure 14 Connecting the SCSI Ribbon Cable CAUTION It is easy to accidentally plug your SCSI ribbon cable upside down into both your drive and SCSI interface board Be sure you match the red stripe along one side of the SCSI cable to Pin 1 on th
19. mar your drive s surface e Do not drop or jolt the drive e Do not attempt to open the drive and service it yourself Removing the cover may expose you to harmful electrical voltages or the laser beam For your safety entrust service to Plextor authorized service personnel only e Keep your CD discs free of dirt or other contaminants by storing them in jewel cases Use only industry standard discs Do not insert dirty warped poorly balanced or cracked discs into the drive e Do not clean discs using a circular motion Instead use a radial motion start at the center of the disc and proceed to the outer edge CAUTION Install your PlexWriter horizontally Plextor does not guarantee the drive s performance in a vertical position PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 9 Section 1 Getting Started This page intentionally left blank 10 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 2 Installing Your PlexWriter SCSI Drive This chapter explains how to physically install your PlexWriter SCSI drive This chapter illustrates how to install the SCSI drive in your computer internal drive or how to attach the Plex Writer external drive to the SCSI interface The steps you ll need to do are as follows 1 Turn OFF your computer system 2 Set the SCSI ID for your new Plex Writer drive 3 Set the PlexWriter s termination By default termination is enabled 4 If you have a new PCI SCSI interface board insert it i
20. recommended and risks damage or premature wearing of the mechanism Handling CD Media Take care when handling blank CD R and CD RW media Dust scratches and fingerprints on the data side of the disc can cause write errors during recording When picking up or holding blank media you can either place your fingers along the outer edge of the disc or place one finger through the center hole and one finger on the outer edge Once you have finished creating a disc label it by writing on the top using permanent ink NOTE We do not recommend placing self sticking CD R labels on the disc The weight of the label may unbalance the disc and cause write errors during recording or read errors during reading Cleaning Discs For proper read and write performance your CD R CD RW and CD ROM discs must be clean Trying to record on a dirty disc may result in a failed session and ruin the disc To clean the disc wipe the disc using a clean soft cotton cloth to remove surface dirt such as fingerprints Use a straight line motion wiping from the center out Do not wipe the disc in a circular motion 40 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Section 4 Using Your PlexWriter Figure 21 Wipe the Disc from the Center Outward HINT Keep your frequently used discs in jewel cases at all times to prevent them from becoming dirty or damaged Playing Audio CDs In order to listen to an audio CD connect an audio cable to the analog audio conn
21. shipping your drive refer to the Plextor web site for pointers The web site is at http www plextor com If you did not receive a box for example your drive came pre installed in a computer we recommend you pay a packaging store such as Mail Boxes Etc to ship your drive If you don t have a packaging store in your area ask our Technical Support Department for packaging pointers when you call to get an RMA number before returning any drive PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 3 Section 1 Getting Started The configuration you received is indicated by stickers applied to your box Your drive may also have been integrated into a computer system or subsystem sold by a third party NOTE Look at the security sticker on top of your box If the sticker is cut there may be a good reason for example a dealer may have purchased one configuration from Plextor then added other components or software Carefully check the contents to ensure nothing has been removed If something is missing contact the party from whom you purchased the box for an explanation Use the following table to check the contents of your box Here s What Should Be In Your Plex Writer Box PX W12432T Internal PX W12432T External SCSI Drive SCSI Drive Item Drive Drive with Drive with Drive with with PCI SCSI Software PCI SCSI Software Kit Kit Kit Kit CD RW drive OOo x x x 4 mounting screws Approved CD RW media 1 piece Approved CD R
22. 5 98 configuration process should select the correct file from the disc and copy it to the correct Windows 95 98 subdirectory on your hard drive PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 63 Appendix B Installing a SCSI Drive in Windows NOTE If you don t have a CD drive available in your system yet copy the drivers from the Plextor CD onto a floppy disk SCSI drivers have the extension sys Then adjust steps 3 and 4 above to use this floppy instead of the Plextor PlexWriter CD To install software if you purchased a SCSI interface board separately Follow the above procedure for hardware installation until you are asked to insert the Windows 95 98 disk or CD Then insert the disk supplied by the manufacturer of your SCSI interface board rather than inserting the Windows 95 98 disk If you do not have this disk or cannot find it among all the other disks you have you can try using the files provided by Windows 95 98 but we cannot guarantee you will get the most recent version of the driver that will work properly To reboot your computer after installation 1 Select Shut Down from the Start button 2 In the Shut Down dialog box select Restart the Computer and select Yes This will reboot your computer with the new configuration Troubleshooting Windows 95 98 SCSI Installations If you followed the previous instructions you should be up and running without any problems If things are not working correctly there are a few likel
23. C Q As CD ROM The computer s operating system whether it is Windows 95 Windows 98 or Windows NT supplies a generic CD ROM device driver that allows the PlexWriter to function as a standard CD ROM drive You don t need to install anything else Q Asa CD R or CD RW device In order to write to CD R or CD RW media you will need additional software If you purchased a kit from Plextor software is supplied e Using the PlexWriter on a Macintosh Whether using the PlexWriter as a standard CD ROM or as a CD R or CD RW device you will need additional drivers or software besides those that are part of the Macintosh operating system You will need to purchase this software separately The compatibility list is available from Plextor s web site at www plextor com Before installing any software check that all the cable connections between your Plex Writer and computer are correct that any jumpers are set properly and the Plex Writer is recognized by your system PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 35 Section 3 Installing and Using Software Install Plextor Applications Software Windows 95 98 and NT can immediately operate your PlexWriter drive as a CD ROM device reader and permit the drive to be recognized by the computer s operating system In order to take advantage of the PlexWriter s ability to record on CD R or CD RW media however you will also need packet writing and mastering applications software on your PC Y
24. CD R or CD RW disc Possible Cause 1 e The CD R or CD RW disc was originally written using other software If the software is different incompatibility errors may occur Solution 1 e Always use the same authoring software to add content to a disc Possible Cause 2 e Not enough disc capacity Capacity of a standard 74 minute CD is limited to 650 MB Solution 2 e Use different CD R or CD RW media if the capacity is insufficient Possible Cause 3 e The disc is written with on a CD R or CD RW drive from another vendor Solution 3 e Use a different CD R or CD RW disc e Try to use same drive to add more data to CD R or CD RW disc Symptoms Cannot write at 12X speed Possible Cause 1 e Using poor quality media Solution 1 e Use the CD R RW media recommended by Plextor Supported media lists can also be found on the Plextor web site at www plextor com Possible Cause 2 e Buffer underrun occurring Solution 2 e Reduce the load on CPU resources Some ways to do this are Q Log off from the network Q Disable the screen saver or power save mode Q Quit all other applications except the authoring software Possible Cause 3 e Using CD RW media This drive does not support 12X speed with CD RW media Solution 3 e Use CD R media 52 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Section 5 Maintenance and Troubleshooting Possible Cause 4 e Defective CD R media Solution 4 e CD R media may be dirty sc
25. PCI SCSI Kit and 13 non SCAM compliant SCSI board and 13 SCAM compliant SCSI board and 13 selecting 66 setting for external drive 8 setting for internal drive 7 setting on internal drive 17 SCSI interface connector 7 SCSI ribbon cable connecting 26 SCSI support Drive with PCI SCSI Kit 34 MS DOS 34 software 34 Windows 3 1 34 Windows 95 98 34 Windows NT 34 SCSI termination changing on internal drive 17 improper 54 setting 13 15 setting on external drive 8 19 security sticker 4 serial number 22 shipping your drive 3 slow read performance 48 slow write performance 51 52 software application 33 device drivers 33 installing 33 mastering 9 SCSI support 34 Sony Philips digital interface 7 15 connections 27 sound board audio 42 drive performance and 20 SCSI connection and 31 SPDIF 7 15 connections 27 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 75 Index specifications disc 59 performance 59 speed reading 1 writing 1 Stop Eject button 6 support 69 switch factory settings for external drive 18 SYS file 34 T technical support 69 TERM external drive switch setting 8 internal drive jumper setting 7 setting 15 termination automatic 66 improper 54 setting 13 15 setting on external drive 7 termination power 14 47 54 TEST 15 external drive switch setting 8 internal drive jumper setting 7 test mode 47 TLA code 22 tray ejecting 6 front door 6 load
26. Q SPDIF Sony Philips digital interface digital audio out If your sound board supports the Sony Philips digital interface you can connect it here e SCSI interface connector Connects to SCSI interface board using 50 pin to 50 pin flat ribbon SCSI cable e Power connector Connects to your computer s power supply to provide DC 5V and 12V to the PlexWriter PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 7 Section 1 Getting Started Rear Panel External SCSI Drive AC power input SCSI ID dial scsi lt scsi ouT vs z ABI ag Te a e Ae L SCSI IN ao een N O DIP switches Audio output SCSI interface connectors connectors Figure 4 Rear Panel of the Plex Writer 12 4 32 External SCSI Drive e AC power input Use the power cord supplied with your drive e SCSI ID dial Use this dial to designate SCSI ID numbers Rotate the dial to change the number If you are using more than one SCSI peripheral you may need to change your SCSI ID number see page 12 e DIP switches Use to select parity SCSI termination or block size Leave these switches at their factory settings unless one or more of the following situations pertains to you Q PRTY Parity In some cases you may need to turn parity off see page 15 Q TERM SCSI termination In some situations you may need to set this jumper to turn the PlexWriter s SCSI termination off see page 13 for details Q TEST For factory use only Do not change this setting
27. R Evolution V Apple Macintosh Performa 575 etc e The type of VGA Super VGA or other graphics board you use e Brand name and model number of any other peripherals you have installed or connected to your computer e g CD ROM scanner fax board network board e For PlexWriter SCSI drives the name and model number of your SCSI interface board e g Adaptec AHA 2940 Advansys ABP 930UA e For PlexWriter SCSI drives the version of the software device drivers if any that came with your SCSI interface board this typically is found on the label of the floppy disk which contains the device drivers Returns You must receive an RMA Returned Materials Authorization number from our Technical Support Department before any Plextor drive can be returned for repair or replacement Any drive sent to Plextor without an RMA number will not be accepted Drives must be sent postage prepaid We recommend that you insure your shipment as Plextor cannot be held responsible for any damage that may occur during shipment 70 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Appendix D Helpful Contacts Use the contacts below for CD R and CD RW software and components SCSI boards cables and hardware and for PC vendors Contacts for Hardware and Software Company Phone Fax Product Web Address Adaptec 408 945 8600 408 262 2533 CD R software www adaptec com Advansys 800 525 7443 408 383 9612 SCSI interface www boards advansys
28. a at up to 4X speed It reads all CD ROM and CD R media at a maximum of 32X speed with an average access time of 160 milliseconds Maximum read speed of CD RW media is 20X Reliable writing is virtually guaranteed thanks to unique circuitry that automatically detects the type of media being recorded and adjusts the PlexWriter 12 4 32 to provide the optimum laser power and length of burn The PlexWriter 12 4 32 has an interface that supports SCSI commands including special commands for CD R The PlexWriter 12 4 32 is fully MMC compliant supporting writing features such as Disc at Once Track at Once and Session at Once as well as variable and fixed packet writing It also supports the UDF file system implemented through packet writing PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 1 Section 1 Getting Started The PlexWriter 12 4 32 supports running OPC and is compatible with Windows Plug and Play Flash memory allows upgrading the PlexWriter 12 4 32 to the latest firmware revision available from the Plextor web site without opening the drive Plextor backs up this remarkable drive with a one year full warranty on parts and labor and unlimited toll free tech support What You Can Do with the PlexWriter 12 4 32 Just look at some of the things you can do with your PlexWriter 12 4 32 e Record data or audio onto writable or rewritable CD media e Play music CDs e Save photos and other images on rewritable or writable CDs e Create a CD sne
29. ad write 1 2 MB sec 4X read write rewrite 600 KB sec 2X write rewrite 300 KB sec 1X read only 150 KB sec 160 ms 4 MB Brushless Mode 1 1 Block 10 Bits Mode 2 1 Block 10 Bits PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 59 Appendix A PlexWriter 12 4 32 Specifications Front Panel Eject Lights Disc Loading Headphone Jack Volume Control CD Audio Controls Rear Panel Power Supply Power Switch Interface Connector SCSI Termination Audio Connector Jumper Switches DIP Switches Rotary Switch Auto Eject Manual Emergency Eject Disc In On Busy High Speed Write Normal Write RW Write Auto load auto eject Stereo mini jack 0 8V at 32 ohms Wheel knob Play Track Advance Stop Eject Internal SCSI Drive DC 5V and DC 12V External SCSI Drive AC 100 250V 50 60 Hz External SCSI Drive Tumbler type 3A 250V Internal SCSI Drive SCSI bus 50 pin flat ribbon type External SCSI Drive SCSI bus two 2 50 pin high density Internal SCSI Drive Jumper switches External SCSI Drive DIP switches Internal Drive Analog output Molex connector External Drive Analog output RCA jacks Internal SCSI Drive SCSI ID parity termination test block size SPDIF connector External SCSI Drive Parity termination test block size External SCSI Drive SCSI ID Environmental Conditions Operating Temperature Performance Guarantee Operating Humidity Storage Temperature Storage Humidity
30. ains how to install a PlexWriter internal SCSI drive in a PC If you have an external SCSI drive go to the section titled Install a PlexWriter External SCSI Drive on page 28 Before proceeding double check your SCSI number setting SCSI termination setting and other jumper controlled settings Record the Serial Number Record the serial number and TLA code of your drive on the inside front cover of this manual If your drive came preinstalled you can get this information using Plextor Manager 2000 See the Plextor Manager 2000 user s manual for instructions 22 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Section 2 Installing Your PlexWriter SCSI Drive Mount the PlexWriter Internal SCSI Drive You can mount your internal Plex Writer drive in any available bay You must remove the small panel that covers the bay that you want to use CAUTION Install your PlexWriter horizontally Plextor does not guarantee the drive s performance in a vertical position You must make a minimum of two cable connections to your PlexWriter The two cable connections that you must make are e SCSI cable e Power cable There are also two optional cable connections e A cable connection if you are using a sound board in your computer and plan to connect the PlexWriter s audio output to the audio connector on the sound board e A cable connection if the sound board is equipped with SPDIF and you wish to use the SPDIF digital audio output from your
31. akernet to share information with colleagues just use software such as Adaptec DirectCD to Drag and Drop files onto CD R or CD RW media then continue adding files and sharing the same CD disc e Archive images and video to CD e Master new software programs on CD e Periodically back up your computer s hard disk including operating system hardware configuration registry program files and data Plextor s CD Res Q software makes this easy You can even make a bootable CD Information on CD Res Q can also be found at http www plextor com cdresq htm Get CD Res Q Directly from Plextor If your drive s bundle doesn t include CD Res Q this software is available for purchase directly from Plextor To purchase CD Res Q by phone please call us at 408 980 1838 ext 4 To purchase CD Res Q by email send your request to sales plextor com Type CD RES Q REQUEST in the subject line You will also need to include the serial number of your drive 2 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual What s in the Box What you find in your Plextor box depends on what the company that sold you the box put in or took out while the Plextor drive was in their possession Plextor currently sells its PlexWriter 12 4 32 drive in these configurations Internal SCSI drive with software Internal SCSI drive with SCSI kit External SCSI drive with software External SCSI drive with SCSI kit Drive with Software Kit Includes
32. alb einer Anlage zusammen mit anderen Ger ten betrieben so muss bei Inanspruchnahme der Allgemeinen Betriebs genehmigung nach der BMPT AmtsblVfg Nr 243 1991 die gesamte Anlage folgenden Richtlinien entsprechen UG Vfg 243 e Grenzwertklasse B der EN55022 e Auflagen nach 2 der BMPT AmtsblVfg 243 1991 Dies ist bei der Zusammensetzung einer Anlage z B Computersystem aus nur einzeln gepr ften Ger ten nicht immer erf llt Table of Contents 1 Getting Started iesiccsssssssessossssassososssscassasvoes seossusseeseosdsecesenssbaceenacascussoas suessassaness 1 Abo tthis Man al sisne sags oxtihevevweonetoeruhiguavenscwseres ite A A TRA ESE 1 Meet Your PlexWriter T2432 neneeese a R E E 1 What the Plex Writer 12 4 32 Does 0 eeecessseceseceeseceeeeeeseceeneeenaeceseeeseneecees 1 What You Can Do with the PlexWriter 12 4 32 oo ee eesseeereeenecesreeeneeeeees 2 Save Your BOX i rinine A RARE RRA TE NE 3 What s m the BOX arei ara e r EEEE E EA E 3 PlexWriter Drive Features and Controls 0 ccescessseeeseeceeeeeececeseeeeneeceeeeeeneeees 5 Front Panel Internal Drive eeseeseeesseeseseeeseesseessresseseteseeeseersessressressresees 5 Front Panel External DTiVe senesne nnrir i E 5 Rear Panel Internal SCSI Drive 0 0 cee eesseceseeeensececeeceaeceeeeeceaeeeeeeeenaeeeees 7 Rear Panel External SCSI Drive 00 cee eesceseeeeseceerecnseceeeeeceaeeeeneesnaeeeees 8 About Mastering Software eee
33. amage to the drive 16 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Section 2 Installing Your PlexWriter SCSI Drive Changing the SCSI ID If you already have another SCSI peripheral whose SCSI ID is set to 4 you must change the SCSI ID number of either that peripheral or that of the PlexWriter drive But see Do I Have to Change My PlexWriter s SCSI ID Number on page 12 before proceeding The SCSI ID number of the internal PlexWriter drive is determined by the placement of jumpers on Pins 1 2 and 3 To find the location of Pin 1 Pin 2 and Pin 3 refer to the jumper diagram above To change the SCSI ID number follow the chart below Jumper Installed Across e te 4 Factory setting OFF OFF CON pS ON OFF CONT e FCF ON CON 7 ON OJON OON k For example the factory setting for SCSI ID 4 is made by installing a jumper across Pin 3 of the jumper block leaving Pin 1 and 2 uncovered To set the SCSI ID at 3 you would install a jumper across Pin 1 another jumper across Pin 2 leaving Pin 3 uncovered To set the SCSI ID at 2 you would install a jumper across Pin 2 leaving Pins 1 and 3 uncovered Changing the SCSI Termination Setting The PlexWriter internal drive is shipped from the factory with its SCSI termination enabled ON If you have to disable turn OFF SCSI termination on your PlexWriter drive remove the jumper from Pin 5 Factory setting is enabled ON See page 12 for an explanation of SCSI ter
34. andling CD Media sisi ccc a cide usa etek ee ane anaes Auten 40 Cleaning DISS vie 3 16 eiere naea sees eat bnt eh ele aw Bokeh 40 Playing Audio CDS rosin eaae a Sacto O Va a AaS 41 Writing to CD R and CD RW Medi a eseeseeeseseseseeeseseeersserrreserrrsresreerensesrese 42 5 Maintenance and Troubleshooting csscccsssscssececesscscssssscesessscssessssesees 43 Upgrading Firmware nsss ses ieiti ee eeseesceescesseesecesecesececesecsaecsaecnaecnaecaaeeseseneveasees 43 TErOUDIESHOOUN ES runerne nn a eecovetres eae treats 44 Troubleshooting General sc s 265 53 esse seioaiiiga een tiinti tena eesceeents 44 Troubleshooting Reading from a Disc 00 eee eeeeeceseceeecneeeeeeseeeneeeeeeeees 46 Troubleshooting Playing an Audio Disc 0 0 eee ees cesecsecseeereeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees 48 Troubleshooting Writing to Discs eee eeeeeeeseceeceseceecaeecseeeseeeaeeeeeeenens 49 Troubleshooting SCSI Problems 00 0 eee eeceeeesecesecesecnseceecaeeeseseeeeeeeeeeees 54 Troubleshooting for Macintosh Users eseeseeeseeseseeesesreereserrrssrsreeresreerssesees 56 6 Frequently Asked Questions about Recording csccccsscssscsssssessseseesees 57 Appendix A PlexWriter 12 4 32 Specifications cscssssscssssssssssessssesoees 59 Appendix B Installing a SCSI Drive in Window sscccssesssssssssssscesoeee 63 Installing SCSI Drivers in Windows 95 98 00 eee eceeeeecesecesecesecnsecnseeeeeeeeeeeeees 63 I
35. assistance How to Contact Us There are several ways for you to contact Plextor s Technical Support Department e Visit our web site www plextor com for answers to Frequently Asked Questions e Send us email at support plextor com or send a fax to the attention of the Technical Support Department at 408 986 1010 Include your telephone number and the hours during which you can be reached Be as detailed as possible in describing your problem Please include system configuration hardware and software as well as versions of drivers used e Call 1 800 886 3935 If you are outside the U S call 1 408 980 1838 Select option 3 the technical support extension PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 69 Appendix C Technical Support Before You E mail Log On FAX Call Please gather as much of the following information as possible before contacting us e The serial number and TLA number of your PlexWriter Your serial number can be found both on the warranty card that accompanied the drive and on a label on the drive itself The TLA number appears both on the drive label and on a sticker at the rear of internal drives e The version of Plextor Manager you are using if applicable e The latest version of firmware you loaded onto the drive if applicable e The version of the Windows Mac or UNIX operating system you are using e The brand name and model number of your computer e g Dell 466 NP Micron P66PCI Powerstation AL
36. com 800 832 3475 425 861 8391 Devices www eer cables acc Bason 800 238 4453 818 727 9064 SCSI interface www Comp boards oe 650 843 3780 650 843 3799 CD R software ceq uadrat com Creative 405 742 6622 405 742 6633 Sound boards www Labs creativelabs com Creative 408 244 7007 408 244 7077 Windows www cdr com Digital UNIX CD R Research software Diamond 800 468 5846 408 325 7408 Sound boards www com boards 408 474 0868 408 474 0828 SCSI interface www boards datatechnology com drivers Baii 800 934 2839 408 982 9329 Audio cables www piccable Inter com Connects Plextor 408 980 1838 408 986 1010 Recommend www plextor boards audio com tech htm cables all other technical support needs Testa CD 520 531 1880 CD Tach www tcdlabs Labs performance com benchmarks PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 71 Appendix D Helpful Contacts Contacts for PC Vendors Company IBM Gatewa Compaq Hewlett Packard Intel ASUSTeK Computer GIGA BYTE ABIT Aopen EPOX SOYO Computers Tekram FIC Micro Star International Will Elitegroup Computer Systems Web Address http iom com http dell com http www gw2k com http compag com http www hp com http intel com http www asus com tw http www giga byte com http www abit usa com http www aopen usa com http www epox com http www soyousa com http www tekram com http ww
37. d Even if you already have a SCSI board in your computer it may not be adequate for use with your high performance PlexWriter drive See How to Choose a SCSI Board below for more details Then if your SCSI board is suitable you can go directly to Install a PlexWriter Internal SCSI Drive on page 22 or to Install a PlexWriter External SCSI Drive on page 28 How to Choose a SCSI Board Plextor s technical support engineers have developed these recommendations for choosing and installing a SCSI board that gives the best performance with your PlexWriter drive e Use a high performance PCI bus mastering SCSI interface board If you purchased a PlexWriter Drive with PCI SCSI Kit this board is included e Connecting the PlexWriter to a parallel to SCSI interface or to the SCSI interface on a sound board will slow the PlexWriter s performance and is not recommended With this configuration you will not be able to achieve maximum rated writing speed e If you have a desktop PC do not connect your PlexWriter drive to a non bus mastering interface board PIO You will not be able to achieve maximum rated writing speed with this configuration e If you have a laptop computer you can use a PIO PCMCIA card however these cards can write at 4X speed at best To achieve full writing performance use a CardBus PCMCIA card Install the SCSI Board This is a PlexWriter installation and operation manual it is not a SCSI inter
38. d CD RW drives You can restore from any drive Get CD Res Q Directly from Plextor If your drive s bundle doesn t include CD Res Q this software is available for purchase directly from Plextor To purchase CD Res Q by phone please call us at 408 980 1838 ext 4 To purchase CD Res Q by email send your request to sales plextor com Type CD RES Q REQUEST in the subject line You will also need to include the serial number of your drive 36 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Section 3 Installing and Using Software Other Applications Software Other valuable applications software which may already be included if you purchased a kit from Plextor lets you use your PlexWriter drive in exciting new ways e Packet writing software This type of application lets you use your PlexWriter as an enormous floppy drive You can drag and drop files straight to a CD R or CD RW disc Mastering software In conjunction with your PlexWriter drive mastering software lets you create discs in specific formats such as audio data mixed mode and others PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 37 Section 3 Installing and Using Software This page intentionally left blank 38 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 4 Using Your PlexWriter This chapter explains how to use your PlexWriter drive and how to load handle and care for your CDs CAUTION Ensure your PlexWriter is in a horizontal position Plextor does
39. d terminator settings on your Plex Writer and other peripherals CAUTION Install your PlexWriter horizontally Plextor does not guarantee the drive s performance in a vertical position Before proceeding double check your SCSI number setting SCSI termination setting and other switch controlled settings 28 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Section 2 Installing Your PlexWriter SCSI Drive Connect a Single SCSI Drive If you are installing a single PlexWriter external SCSI drive connect it as shown in Figure 17 SCSI interface board AC power Personal computer supply Figure 17 Connecting a Single PlexWriter External SCSI Drive to a PC PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 29 Section 2 Installing Your PlexWriter SCSI Drive Connect Multiple SCSI Drives If you are installing more than one PlexWriter external SCSI drive or one PlexWriter and other external SCSI peripherals connect them as shown in Figure 18 SCSI cable All connections are 50 pin high density No terminator Personal computer SCSI cable Termination enabled using DIP switch setting Figure 18 Connecting Multiple External SCSI Drives or Peripherals NOTE Performance of SCSI devices may suffer if total cable length in the SCSI chain plus cabling in the external case exceeds 1 5 meters Assume cabling in the external case equals about 20 cm when adding up total cable length Quality of cabling is also important Use s
40. e interface board and Pin 1 on the drive Each connector on the ribbon cable has a key in the middle This key should fit into a slot in the middle of each connector of the SCSI interface board your PlexWriter and any other internal SCSI peripherals 8 Double check your work You must ensure the side of the SCSI cable with the red stripe is matched to Pin on the interface board and on the drive 9 Connect a power cable from the computer to the DC INPUT connector of the Plex Writer drive In most computers you will find free power connectors that are ready for your use Check the cable running from your power supply to your hard disk and see if it has extra connectors on it If so you can plug one of these into the power connector found on the rear panel of the Plex Writer 26 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Section 2 Installing Your PlexWriter SCSI Drive 10 Connect the audio cable if you want to use a sound board in your system This cable runs from the four pin audio output connector on the rear panel of your PlexWriter drive to your sound board See Using Sound Boards and Audio Cables on page 31 for more information about audio cables L L m L gt s foro gono ooye To sound board SPDIF connector and cable Figure 15 Installing the Optional SPDIF Cable 11 Connect the SPDIF cable if your sound board is equipped with SPDIF and you wish to use the SPDIF digital audio output fro
41. ector on the rear of the drive and connect the other end to your sound board There are two types of audio you may encounter e CD Audio This comes from audio discs like the ones used by your home stereo that are translated directly by your PlexWriter into sound You do not need a sound board to hear this audio Simply plug in a set of headphones or powered speakers into the headphone jack on the front of your drive as shown in Figure 22 You can control audio playback through software Stereo mini plug to headphone jack Figure 22 Connections for Playing Audio Using the Headphone Jack PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 41 Section 4 Using Your PlexWriter e Sound board audio This comes from data files such as a WAV WMA or MP3 file that is transferred from the CD via the SCSI interface to your computer The sound board translates the data into sound If you do not have a sound board you will not be able to hear this form of audio from your PlexWriter To listen to music through the computer s sound board you can control volume with the volume control on the Windows Taskbar You can also mute the sound on your sound board and listen to music through headphones or self powered speakers NOTE The volume control on the front panel of your drive adjusts only the sound level of the headphone jack It has no impact on the volume level of the rear panel audio outputs Playing a CD Using Plextor Manager For PC users Plext
42. eeeeeeeenseenaes 29 Connect Multiple SCSI Drives eee eee cee eseeeeeeeeeeseeeeeeneeceseceaecnaecsaeenee 30 Using Sound Boards and Audio Cables 2 0 0 eecesecesecesecneeeneeeneeenseeeeeenees 31 Audio Cables wishes cuits cues aceonten a AE EE E E E 31 3 Installing and Using Software sesseseossesessossesoossesoesseoossesoesoeseosoesessossesoesssse 33 Quick Installation in Windows 95 98 ccccccesssscecssssececseececessnececseaeeeeseneeenens 33 Install or Update SCSI Support eee eeceeeceseceseeceeeseseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenseenaes 34 Plextor SCSI Drive with Software Kit 0 ceecceesseceeeeeneeceeeeceaeeeeneecnaeeeeee 34 Plextor SCSI Drive with PCI SCSI Kit ee eescecsseeeneeceeeeeneeeesreeeeeeeees 34 Tnistall Device DIVES nennen i e a O ie E TO E 35 Install Plextor Applications Software essesseseeeseeeseseeeseseerrssesrreresresrssreeresreersse 36 Pl xtor Manager 2000 rpe ee ere eorn eskas gies supeucceantevatens EAS Eeo I RESPE eit 36 C DA TA O EA E A S E EEE OA E OEE 36 Other Applications Software 0 eee csecseeeneeeeeeeeeeseeeeeeesecaecaecsaecsaeeneeeaes 37 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual iii Table of Contents 4 Using Your PlexWriter ccscscssscssssssssscsscssscssscsscesesssecsscssecsseessessscsssessses 39 What Media to Use ive imienne cabaishevs Gtvssdeteseervace ees acaceesuacb tute n S 39 Tray Loading and Operation 0 0 0 eee eeeeeeeeeceececesecaecseecneesseeeseeeeeeeeeeerenseens 39 H
43. eparation between the equipment and receiver e Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected e Consult the dealer or an experienced radio TV technician for help Any changes or modifications should be approved by the party responsible for compliance of FCC Rules otherwise the user loses authority to operate the equipment CAUTION Use of controls or adjustments or performance of procedures other than those specified herein may result in hazardous radiation exposure The laser beam emitted from the optical pickup is invisible Accordingly e Do not open the optical pickup housing e Obtain service only from Plextor authorized personnel LASER INFORMATION These products have been designed and manufactured according to IEC 825 1 on the Safety of Laser products This product comes under Class 1 Laser Products A Laser Caution Marking is attached on the top of the internal drive model Caution Invisible laser radiation when open Avoid direct exposure to beam CAUTION To disconnect the CD drive from an electrical current pull out the power plug VORSICHT DIE TRENNUNG VOM NETZ ERFOLGT DURCH ZIEHEN DES NETZSTECKERS Zur Einhaltung der Funk Entst6rung von nicht selbst ndig betreibbaren Hochfrequenzgeriten periphere Anlagenkomponenten Dieses Ger t entspricht als Einzelgerat den Funk Entst ranforderungen der Postverfiigung Nr 243 1991 Wird das Ger t innerh
44. er SCSI drive is shipped from the factory with its SCSI ID number set to 4 The SCSI interface lets you chain several SCSI peripheral devices to a single SCSI interface board or to the SCSI port of an Apple computer with no loss of performance NOTE The cable length of all SCSI chain cables should not exceed 1 5 meters However each peripheral must have a unique SCSI ID number your PlexWriter can have any of 8 numbers 0 7 SCSI ID 7 is typically reserved by the SCSI interface board 12 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Section 2 Installing Your PlexWriter SCSI Drive You probably don t need to physically set the SCSI ID if Your PlexWriter drive is the only SCSI peripheral In this case don t change the SCSI ID Leave it set to the original factory setting of 4 You have a PlexWriter Drive with PCI SCSI Kit If you bought a Plextor kit with a SCSI interface board both the drive and the board are SCAM compliant This means each time you turn on your computer the SCSI interface board will detect whether there is SCSI ID conflict between multiple devices Because your PlexWriter also supports SCAM the drive automatically resets its SCSI ID internally to avoid any conflict with other devices This overrides any hardware settings So you don t have to worry about setting SCSI ID numbers You have a SCAM compliant SCSI board Your Plextor drive is also SCAM compliant so if you have Windows 95 or 98 you don t have to
45. eripherals have a setting marked Termination Power instead of Terminator Ensure that termination power switches are set correctly e Note that a lack of termination or too many terminations in a chain may cause intermittent problems Possible Cause 9 e SCSI controller driver is old and needs to be updated Solution 9 e Obtain the latest available SCSI controller driver from the SCSI board s manufacturer or the manufacturer s web site Then install the updated driver in your computer Symptoms Cannot use other CD ROM drives to initialize or read CD R or CD RW discs written by PlexWriter Possible Cause 1 e Trying to read a CD RW disc in a CD ROM drive that does not support it Solution 1 e Use the PlexWriter to read CD RW discs or use a different CD ROM drive Only CD ROM drives manufactured after 1997 can read CD RW discs Possible Cause 2 e UDF reader is not installed on the system to read CD RW or packet written discs from a CD ROM drive Solution 2 e Refer to your packet writing software manual for how to obtain a UDF reader and install it on the computer where you need to access these discs Possible Cause 3 e Session was left open on a CD R disc and does not have a Table of Contents Solution 3 e Place this disc back into PlexWriter and use the same software originally used to write to it Then close the session disc PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 47 Section 5 Maintenance and Trouble
46. face board operation manual Unless you purchased a SCSI interface board and its accompanying manual bundled in the same box with a PlexWriter we have no way of knowing which type of board you elect to use There are dozens of SCSI interface boards on the market and each is installed somewhat differently Use the instructions for this section only as guidelines For more detailed instructions on how to properly install your SCSI interface board refer to the operation manual you received when you purchased the board 20 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Section 2 Installing Your PlexWriter SCSI Drive CAUTION Be very careful not to cause static electricity Static electricity is a silent killer Just a small jolt to one of the chips on your interface board may render it useless with no apparent damage To guard against static electricity position your computer in a location without a carpet underfoot Also use common sense for example don t walk on a carpeted floor in stocking feet just before you install your SCSI board or PlexWriter drive To install the SCSI board 1 Before proceeding make sure the power to your computer and any external peripherals is OFF and your computer is UNPLUGGED from its power source Figure 9 Removing a Typical Computer s Cover 2 Remove your computer s cover following the directions provided by your computer s manufacturer Typically this involves loosening or removing several scre
47. g software With CD RW media you can Q Use as if it were a large capacity floppy disc Q Transport files to and from work Q Copy your important data periodically Q Store large projects as you develop them When should I use CD R media CD R media can be read in most CD ROM CD Recordable or CD ReWritable drives Use CD R media to Permanently archive important data Copy your music to CD for personal use Create specific format discs Create discs for distribution to others Share non editable presentations OOooo Why doesn t CD Copier work Some possible reasons are Q Some CD ROM drives are not fast enough for direct copying to the PlexWriter They cannot stream data fast enough to record at 12X or are not capable of digital audio extraction at high speed Q The CD R disc being used is poor quality scratched badly manufactured or has oily fingerprints Q Some CDs have copy prevention or other feature that does not allow direct CD to CD duplication Q Software may not support that disc format Why am I getting buffer underrun errors Recording CDs requires a source device to provide an uninterrupted stream of data A buffer underrun occurs when the data stream is interrupted This can occur if Q Another application interrupts the writing process The write speed is set higher than the source drive can supply data The computer has insufficient RAM random access memory You are using poor quality di
48. hielded cables when possible 30 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Section 2 Installing Your PlexWriter SCSI Drive Using Sound Boards and Audio Cables Whichever category your sound board falls into you will find that the best source of information about installing the sound board in your computer is the board s manual Once you have successfully installed the sound board in your computer you can continue below for a description of the different cable connections that need to be made NOTE Plextor strongly suggests you not use the SCSI connection on your sound board to control your PlexWriter You may not be able to utilize high speed recording 12X due to the performance of the board Audio Cables Plextor provides audio cables in kits which also include SCSI interface boards because we are assuming this will be the primary or possibly the first SCSI CD ROM in your system Your PlexWriter Kit Audio Cables You How to Connect Audio Received Drive with Software Kit No audio cables you will Purchase the appropriate have to purchase these cables and connect them cables as for the Drive with PCI SCSI Kits detailed below Internal Drive with PCI 1 MPC compliant audio Connect to MPC audio SCSI Kit cable source and to audio output connector at the rear of the PlexWriter 1 Sound Blaster Connect to Sound Blaster compatible audio cable compatible audio board and to audio output connector at the rear of the PlexWri
49. ically supplies termination power Any additional devices supplying termination power will not cause any problems 14 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Section 2 Installing Your PlexWriter SCSI Drive Do I Have to Change Other PlexWriter SCSI Settings You probably won t have to change any of the other settings on your PlexWriter SCSI drive s switches or jumpers Use this table to help decide SCSI Switch Where to Set It or Jumper Setting PRTY Parity setting Leave this ON The parity check provided by the ON setting enhances the reliability of the SCSI bus Set to OFF only if your computer system or SCSI interface board specifically requests that parity be disabled TERM Termination setting This enables or disables turns ON or OFF SCSI termination Factory setting is enabled ON See page 13 for an explanation of SCSI termination and to determine if you need to change this setting TEST Leave this OFF It is for factory use only BLOCK Block size Leave this OFF unless you are working in a UNIX environment and want to boot from your PlexWriter drive If so set this switch jumper ON SPDIF Sony Phillips Digital Interface Format digital audio out If your sound board supports SPDIF or Digital In use an SPDIF cable not supplied to connect it to these pins Setting Jumpers on a PlexWriter Internal SCSI Drive Use this procedure if you have a PlexWriter internal SCSI drive However if you already have a SCSI board
50. ing and unloading 39 tray does not eject 45 troubleshooting 44 audio problems 48 76 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual disc problems 46 general problems 44 Macintosh installation 56 SCSI problems 54 writing discs 49 U UNIX settings for 7 8 15 upgrading 2 upgrading firmware 43 V vibration troubleshooting 48 volume control 6 42 WwW weight 61 Windows 3 1 SCSI support 34 Windows 95 98 SCSI support 34 66 Windows NT installation in 67 SCSI support 34 WRITE H indicator 6 writing CD 1 errors 51 frequently asked questions 57 slow 51 52 troubleshooting 49 writing to CD R and CD RW 42
51. ipheral in a chain don t change the PlexWriter s termination setting Leave it set to ON NOTE The PlexWriter uses active termination PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 13 Section 2 Installing Your PlexWriter SCSI Drive You should change the PlexWriter s SCSI termination setting to OFF if e Your PlexWriter is in the middle of a chain If you have multiple SCSI peripherals and the PlexWriter drive is not the last device in the chain set its SCSI termination to OFF In this case remove disable or turn off termination for all devices between the SCSI board and the last peripheral on the opposite end of the chain Set the termination of the last device in the chain to on PlexWriter in Device at middle of chain end of chain Termination OFF Termination ON PlexWriter is only device or is at end of chain Termination ON Figure 5 What Termination Settings to Use REMEMBER Only the last SCSI peripheral in the chain should have termination enabled If you have any SCSI devices chained after your PlexWriter you must disable or turn OFF the PlexWriter s SCSI termination using the instructions later in this chapter Termination Power Some interface boards and peripherals have the ability to disable and enable termination power This should not be confused with termination itself Termination power can and should be provided by at least one device attached to your SCSI interface board Your Plextor drive automat
52. ject tray During CD play mode press once to stop playback press twice to eject the disc Power switch external drive To turn power the drive s power ON or OFF 6 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Section 1 Getting Started Rear Panel internal SCSI Drive TEST r BLOCK SEE Tani DC INPUT 5V GND 12V AUDIO j OUT IIIIIII RGL nA JUMPERS k SCSI comt tee FS Skt kn ee eo 2 Audio output Jumpers SCSI interface Power connector connector connector Figure 3 Rear Panel of the Plex Writer 12 4 32 Internal SCSI Drive e Audio output connector Outputs stereo analog signal Use to connect to sound board or audio amplifier Use standard MPC 3 type 4 pin connector e Jumpers Use to select SCSI ID parity SCSI termination or block size Leave these jumpers at their factory settings unless one or more of the following situations pertains to you Q SCSI ID If you are using more than one SCSI peripheral you may have to change your SCSI ID number see page 12 for details Q PRTY Parity In some cases you may need to turn parity off see page 15 Q TERM SCSI termination In some situations you may need to set this jumper to turn the PlexWriter s SCSI termination off see page 13 for details Q TEST For factory use only Do not change this setting Q BLOCK Block size You may need to change this setting if you are working in a UNIX environment and want to boot from your Plex Writer see page 15
53. k or files capturing audio duplicating CDs and more Some of these applications are supplied with your Plex Writer if purchased as a kit from Plextor while others are available from other vendors If you have any problems at all our technical support staff will help you Quick Installation in Windows 95 98 Use this section for a quick installation of your PlexWriter drive in a Windows 95 or Windows 98 system If you encounter any problems refer to Appendix B Installing a SCSI Drive in Windows Windows 95 98 should automatically recognize and support your interface board and PlexWriter drive Microsoft has included a generic CD ROM device driver in the operating system and this driver supports the PlexWriter as a reader Microsoft has also included numerous controller specific drivers on the Windows 95 98 CD ROM e PlexWriter SCSI drive and previously installed SCSI interface board If you connect your PlexWriter drive to a previously installed and operating SCSI interface board Windows 95 98 will recognize it automatically However you will need to install additional software to use the PlexWriter as a CD R or CD RW recorder If recording software was not included with your Plex Writer bundle the software is available from third parties e PlexWriter SCSI drive with PCI SCSI Kit If you purchased your SCSI interface board in a Plextor kit use the Plextor provided CD R software CD to access the necessary drivers e PlexW
54. le SCSI termination on your PlexWriter drive set DIP switch 2 TERM to OFF If you are using external SCSI peripherals only then you should be using an external SCSI cable or cables In this case all devices between the SCSI host adapter and the last peripheral on the end of your SCSI chain should have their termination removed disabled or turned off If you have both internal and external SCSI peripherals both the internal and external connectors of your host adapter are used then the termination of your SCSI host adapter should be removed disabled or turned OFF The last peripheral on your internal cable and the last peripheral on your external SCSI chain should retain their termination have it set ON All other SCSI peripherals connected to the host adapter should have their termination removed disabled or turned off NOTE The SCSI interface board that is bundled in the Plextor kits has Auto Termination so turning off its termination is unnecessary However you still must sometimes specify termination ON or OFF on the PlexWriter drive PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 19 Section 2 Installing Your PlexWriter SCSI Drive Install a SCSI Interface Board By itself your PlexWriter is incapable of communicating with your computer You must use a hardware link that enables your drive to talk with the rest of your computer The PlexWriter SCSI drive uses a SCSI interface as its link SCSI board already installe
55. m your PlexWriter This cable runs from the right most set of pins on the jumper panel to the sound board Figure 15 shows how the optional SPDIF cable is connected to the jumper panel The SPDIF cable is not supplied by Plextor 12 Before completing the installation check your cable connections against Figure 16 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 27 Section 2 Installing Your PlexWriter SCSI Drive Internal PlexWriter Power cable Audio cable optional SPDIF cable optional SPDIF connector Power CD ROM audio on sound board supply connector on PC Figure 16 Power SCSI and Optional Connections for an Internal Plex Writer Drive 13 Mount the PlexWriter drive in the computer using the four screws that were supplied with your drive Use only these screws CAUTION Do not mount your drive in your computer using screws other than those supplied by Plextor You may damage the drive if you insert screws that are too long SCSI Cable Connection Hints If you have more than one peripheral device the PlexWriter drive and one other peripheral connect the two peripherals to the other two connectors The device farthest from the SCSI must have its termination set to ON Refer to page 13 of this manual for information about SCSI termination Install a PlexWriter External SCSI Drive To install a PlexWriter external SCSI drive decide which cables you use and whether you need to change the switch dial an
56. media 1 piece Plextor CD with bundled software Plextor Manager 2000 and CD Res Q SCSI interface board and quick install guide Audio cable Power cable SCSI cable Plextor operation manual Warranty registration card Plextor Manager 2000 manual CD Res Q manual Extra jumpers for setting drive switches See Appendix D for locations to purchase additional or replacement accessories X lt x lt gt X lt gt x lt x lt NOTE If your drive came pre installed the rails cables interface boards and other parts shown in the table may have been installed and may not be separately available Other accessories especially software may not have been purchased from Plextor and thus may be different from those sold in Plextor retail packages 4 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Section 1 Getting Started PlexWriter Drive Features and Controls Before proceeding become familiar with the controls and features of your PlexWriter drive Match the parts of your drive to the illustrations below Front Panel tinternal Drive Emergency eject hole Tray front door iSG PLEYWwrITER 12 4 32 Be DISCON L H EE Ea Headphone DISC Stop eject jack indicator indicator button Volume ON READ WRITE L CD Audio control indicator indicator play skip forward button Figure 1 Front Panel of the PlexWriter 12 4 32 Internal Drive Front Panel External Drive
57. mination and to determine if you need to change this setting If your drive is already installed in your computer be sure to turn off your computer before removing or reinstalling the jumpers We recommend that you retain the jumpers so you can reinsert them onto the termination pins if you later need to turn the drive s SCSI termination ON If you have internal SCSI peripherals only then you should be using an internal ribbon cable In this case all devices between the SCSI host adapter and the last peripheral on the opposite end of the ribbon cable should have their termination removed disabled or turned off PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 17 Section 2 Installing Your PlexWriter SCSI Drive If you have both internal and external SCSI peripherals both the internal and external connectors of your host adapter are used then the termination of your SCSI interface board should be removed disabled or turned OFF The last peripheral on your internal cable and the last peripheral on your external SCSI chain should retain their termination have it set ON All other SCSI peripherals connected to the host adapter should have their termination removed disabled or turned off NOTE The SCSI interface board that is bundled in the Plextor kits has Auto Termination so turning off its termination is unnecessary However you still must sometimes specify termination ON or OFF on the PlexWriter drive as discussed on page 13 Setting S
58. not guarantee the drive s performance in a vertical position What Media to Use Use the right media Your PlexWriter drive s capabilities change depending on which type of compact disc you use It currently supports these types e CD ROM You can immediately play or read prerecorded discs such as audio CDs and data discs e CD R Recordable CD You can record on these discs but only once You can also read them e CD RW ReWritable CD These discs support recording and re recording up to 1 000 times You can also read them CD RW discs are rated for specific recording and rewriting speeds for example 2X and 4X Your Plex Writer drive will automatically detect the disc s write speed rating and will write at that speed Tray Loading and Operation To load and unload the tray 1 While the PlexWriter drive is powered up push the Stop Eject button on the front panel The tray drawer slides out in 3 4 seconds 2 If this is the first time the drive is used remove the tray insert 3 Lay a blank CD in the depression in the tray label side up The CD should lie flat in the tray PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 39 Section 4 Using Your PlexWriter Figure 20 Loading the Tray 4 Press the Stop Eject button again and the tray slides shut within seconds NOTE Always use the Stop Eject button to close the tray in a smooth and secure manner Closing the tray by pressing the front of the drawer by hand is not
59. nstall Hard Walensee enera a e a eveteaneens R tboentieeneneen tess 63 Install SCSI Drivers for Windows 95 98 c ccesceescecseeceeeeeceseeeeneecseeeeneees 63 Troubleshooting Windows 95 98 SCSI Installations ssesseeeesseeeeseeeseeeeeeee 64 Installation of a SCSI Drive in Windows NT uuu eesceceeceenceceeeeeeneecesreeeneeeeees 67 Install Hard Ware aeie e i va seueseeasvacebensOuncben sede vies EG E E 67 Getting NT Drivers for Your SCSI Board eee cece eseeeeecneeeneeeeeeeeeees 67 Install SCSI Drivers for Windows NT 0 ceseeseceeececeecceeececeeceeeeecnaeeeeneees 67 Troubleshooting Windows NT SCSI Installations 000 eeeeeeeee eee 68 Appendix C Technical Support e essesessoesessessesoosesoossesoesoesessossesoossesoessesoesosossse 69 How to Contact U Sieh oiri e E E E EEE nies 69 Before You E mail Log On FAX Call sessseesseseeeseresesreesesesrrssrrrrnresreeresrerrssene 70 Retumis a r a a stuns a a a a a a e ae ii 70 Appendix D Helpful Contacts eseossesessesoosoesessoesesoossesoesoesessossessossesoessesoesoesesse 71 Contacts for Hardware and Software eeseeeeeeeesesssesesseesseesreseseseeesereseersressres 71 Contacts for PC Vendors ipni ii e E E E 72 ING OX SAAE EA NAE E N AE NNE 73 iv PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 1 Getting Started This manual explains how to install and use your internal or external SCSI PlexWriter 12 4 32 drive For those of you with PCs the installation process ma
60. nto an available PCI slot in your computer 5 If you have an internal model Plextor drive mount the drive into an available drive bay inside the computer system 6 Make all necessary cabling connections SCSI cable power cable and audio cable 7 Turn your computer system ON The following pages give more details for this procedure Quickstart SCSI Installation For Experienced PC Users Only If you ve installed computer peripherals before you re in luck with the PlexWriter drive Use this quickstart installation designed to get you up and running quickly Scenario 1 You purchased a Plextor Drive with SCSI Kit the Plex Writer is your only SCSI peripheral and you have Windows 95 or Windows 98 What to do Install the SCSI board plug in the PlexWriter and go Windows will recognize the board After the SCSI board drivers are installed the drive s drivers will automatically be installed by the operating system Scenario 2 You have a SCAM SCSI board installed the PlexWriter is your only SCSI peripheral and you have Windows 95 or 98 What to do Plug in the Plex Writer and go Windows will recognize the drive and install the correct drivers automatically PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 11 Section 2 Installing Your PlexWriter SCSI Drive Set SCSI Drive Switches or Jumpers Your PlexWriter SCSI drive needs to be flexible enough to work with the variety of computer systems and
61. nual Section 5 Maintenance and Troubleshooting Symptoms Writing error occurs Buffer underrun Does not record at 12X Possible Cause 1 e Network is being used e Mouse was moved or Windows screensaver activated while writing e Other applications are running e Power save mode is active Solution 1 e If problems occur when writing reduce the load on CPU resources Some ways to do this are Q Log off from the network Q Disable the screensaver or power save mode Q Exit all other applications Possible Cause 2 e Shortage of PC memory If there is insufficient main memory in the PC data may be swapped to the hard disk and this can cause a buffer underrun Solution 2 e Increase the PC s main memory capacity Possible Cause 3 e Automatic thermal recalibration triggered Some high speed hard disks are equipped with an automatic thermal re calibration function Solution 3 e Use another hard disk in this case Possible Cause 4 e Defective CD R or CD RW media CD R or CD RW media may be dirty scratched or damaged Solution 4 e ReWrite using another CD R or CD RW disc Possible Cause 5 e Use of media that is not supported by the PlexWriter Solution 5 e Try writing at a lower speed e Check Plextor s web site www plextor com for a list of recommended media PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 51 Section 5 Maintenance and Troubleshooting Symptom Cannot add information to
62. of the PlexWriter drive and device driver software e Invalid device specification e No device found e No SCSI interface board found e No response from SCSI interface board e No drives in use Possible Cause 1 e Improper SCSI device driver installation Your computer needs a SCSI device driver to link the SCSI interface board to the Plex Writer drive Solution 1 e Obtain the latest available SCSI device driver from the SCSI board s manufacturer or the manufacturer s web site Then install the updated driver in your computer e Remove device support from the operating system and attempt to re install the SCSI device driver e Make sure there are no hardware conflicts with another board in the system Such hardware conflicts can prevent the SCSI device driver from loading Possible Cause 2 e Improper SCSI bus termination Solution 2 e Ensure that only the peripheral at the end of the internal SCSI cable and or the last peripheral in a SCSI chain of external devices is terminated See page 13 e Some peripherals have a setting marked Termination Power instead of Terminator Ensure that termination power switches are set correctly Possible Cause 3 e Hardware memory or IRQ conflict Solution 3 e Try to change these settings in Windows 95 98 right click on My Computer select Properties and select Device Manager then change the settings e Remove the SCSI board from its sl
63. or Manager 2000 software provides several unique and powerful capabilities for playing audio For installation and operating instructions refer to the separate Plextor Manager 2000 User s Manual and README files Playing a CD Using Other Utilities Other alternatives for playing CDs include audio utilities designed into your operating system Media Player or CD Player in Windows for instance or various other utilities that can be purchased commercially Playing a CD On a Macintosh Mac users can run a program such as CDT Remote which is typically included with FWB s CD ROM toolkit Writing to CD R and CD RW Media In conjunction with your PlexWriter drive mastering and packet writing software such as EasyCD Creator and DirectCD allow you to write audio video data or other information to writable CD R or rewritable CD RW media IMPORTANT Only newer CD ROM drives can read CD RW discs Drives manufactured before 1997 cannot read them All Plextor CD ROM drives beginning with the 12 20PleX or newer can read CD RW discs 42 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 5 Maintenance and Troubleshooting This chapter explains maintenance and troubleshooting procedures for your PlexWriter drive With proper maintenance you can prevent problems If problems arise you can often solve many simple problems on your own rather than wait for assistance from a Plextor representative TIP Read all of this section that pertain to y
64. or web site at www plextor com Possible Cause 2 e CD R or CD RW media is not supported Solution 2 e Use CD R or CD RW media recommended by Plextor Supported media lists can also be found on the Plextor web site at www plextor com PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 49 Section 5 Maintenance and Troubleshooting Possible Cause 3 e Disc inserted upside down Solution 3 e ject the disc from tray and load it with the label side up Possible Cause 4 e Lack of hard disk capacity This varies with different software packages Contact the software vendor or check their documentation for recommendations Solution 4 e Delete files from the directory C WINDOWS TEMP e Delete other files from your hard disk to free up sufficient space or use another hard disk Symptoms CD R or CD RW software cannot detect PlexWriter Possible Cause 1 e Power connector is not attached to Plex Writer Solution 1 e Ensure the computer s power cable is securely attached to the PlexWriter s power connector e When the computer s power is turned ON confirm that the PlexWriter s indicator LED is illuminated briefly then is extinguished e Try connecting another power cable to the PlexWriter Possible Cause 2 e SCSI cable isn t connected properly Solution 2 e Ensure that the SCSI cable is securely inserted and is not damaged Check the connector pins to ensure they are not bent 50 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Ma
65. ot in your PC and place it into a different PC slot e Try to set the PCI slot you are using to a specific IRQ in your motherboard s BIOS if your motherboard has this feature Possible Cause 4 e SCSI board not properly seated Solution 4 e Ensure the SCSI interface board is seated securely in your computer 54 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Section 5 Maintenance and Troubleshooting Possible Cause 5 e Driver fails to recognize the SCSI interface board Solution 5 1 Do a hard reboot that is turn the power switches on the PlexWriter drive and the computer OFF then ON This complete shutdown should fully reset the drive and computer 2 If the driver still fails to recognize the SCSI interface board disconnect all SCSI devices from the SCSI controller board and reboot 3 Ifthe driver now recognizes the SCSI interface board check the SCSI configuration of all devices to make sure all settings are correct 4 If device configuration is correct plug in one SCSI device at a time to determine if a particular device causes the problem PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 55 Section 5 Maintenance and Troubleshooting Troubleshooting for Macintosh Users Symptoms Drive will not operate as CD ROM CD R or CD RW device Possible Cause e Whether using the PlexWriter as a standard CD ROM CD R or CD RW device you will need additional software and device drivers that are not part of the Macintosh operating system
66. ou PC or Macintosh Many of the problems discussed happen only rarely and others may seem as if they do not pertain to you However if you are familiar with the variety of problems that can occur you will be better prepared to deal with them if they do occur Upgrading Firmware Plextor creates firmware revisions to meet the peculiar needs of large computer manufacturers It is rare that these will impact the performance or operation of your Plex Writer drive However we advise that our customers always update drives with latest available firmware Before troubleshooting a possible problem with your drive please make sure to visit our web site at www plextor com to check if you have the latest firmware To obtain new firmware for your PlexWriter drive 1 Go to the Plextor web site at www plextor com 2 Look for firmware upgrades in either the Technical Support area or on the Downloads page There is a description of the latest firmware revision and its intended use 3 Download the firmware to your computer To upgrade firmware 1 Run the executable file that you downloaded from Plextor s web site 2 Accept all defaults by continuing to click on the Next button until you see the message Firmware update has completed PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 43 Section 5 Maintenance and Troubleshooting Troubleshooting If you have problems during or right after installation of your Plex Writer drive use
67. ou can also check the compatibility list on the Plextor web site at www plextor com for software that supports the PlexWriter under other operating systems You will need to purchase this software separately If you purchased your PlexWriter as part of a Plextor kit and you have a PC much of the software you need is included Plextor has developed several utilities to help you get the most from your Plex Writer drive Plextor Manager 2000 This unique suite of audio management and drive control applications puts you in the CD driver s seat A variety of distinctive modules allow you to listen to record and even create your own playlists using a standard and digital audio file formats Rip the finest quality audio using digital audio extraction at high speed Need to make a duplicate CD A simple mouse click and you re done Control every aspect of the drive from spinup and spindown timeout to eject lock Plextor Manager 2000 also gives you information on the drive s configuration and the media inserted into it See the Plextor Manager User s Manual for details CD Res Q For backup and disaster recovery CD Res Q lets you create an image of your hard disk drive on secure reliable CD R media By spanning CDs you can back up your entire hard drive Additional features include making a CD bootable choice of compression hard drive or image file integrity verification and more NOTE CD Res Q backup works only with Plextor CD R an
68. ouble click on System Click on the tab called Device Manager at the top of the window In the new window of devices double click on SCSI Controllers This displays all the SCSI interface boards currently installed in your system 5 Double click on the SCSI controller for the PlexWriter 6 Go to the Driver tab 7 Click on Update Driver 8 9 1 E are Click on Next Click on Other Locations 0 Use the Browse button and go to the ADAPTEC SCSIDRVR folder of the PlexWriter CD 11 Highlight the driver listed 12 Click on OK 13 When the driver is updated you will be prompted to reboot your system Reboot and everything should work fine Do you have Plug and Play enabled Another likely cause of problems is that your motherboard may not have a Plug and Play capable BIOS or your Plug and Play SCSI interface board is not Plug and Play compliant To solve this problem 1 Restart your computer 2 Check your motherboard BIOS CMOS or your SCSI controller BIOS to confirm that Plug and Play is enabled If it is disabled then enable Plug and Play 3 If either your motherboard or your SCSI interface board does not support Plug and Play review the hardware installation procedures beginning on page 11 of this manual Make sure termination is set properly on your interface board and all devices attached to it 4 Restart your computer PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 65 Appendix B Installing a SCSI Drive in Windo
69. ratched or damaged Rewrite using another CD R disc Possible Cause 5 e Using authoring software other than that bundled with the Plex Writer Solution 5 e To use other types of authoring software contact the supplier and ensure the software supports the PX W12432T CD RW drive Supported software lists can also be found on the Plextor web site at www plextor com Possible Cause 6 e CD ROM drive used cannot read data fast enough to record at 12X Solution 6 e Record an image to the hard disk first then record the image from the hard disk to the PlexWriter Possible Cause 7 e Writing many small files causes operating system caching to slow down data streaming Solution 7 e Write at lower speed e Record an image to the hard disk first then record the image from the hard disk to the PlexWriter e Use packet writing software Symptoms Message CDR103 Not High Sierra Format Possible Cause 1 e Incorrect BLOCK jumper setting Solution 1 e Ensure BLOCK jumper internal drive or DIP switch external drive is OFF Possible Cause 2 e Incorrect version of Microsoft CD ROM extensions PC installation Solution 2 e Version 2 00 or higher of MSCDEX EXE is required to read a High Sierra or ISO 9660 format disc PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 53 Section 5 Maintenance and Troubleshooting Troubleshooting SCSI Problems Symptoms Error messages such as the following upon initial installation
70. retail and mail order computer stores To mount the PlexWriter internal SCSI drive 1 Make sure the power to your computer and any external peripherals is OFF and your computer is UNPLUGGED from its power source If you haven t already removed your computer s cover remove it now following the directions provided by your computer s manufacturer Typically this involves loosening or removing several screws on the back panel of your computer and sliding off the cover See Figure 12 for details Remove the cover panel from the bay that will hold the PlexWriter drive To remove the cover panel pop it out by pressing outward lightly In some older computers you may have to remove screws that hold the panel in place available bay with cover panel removed Figure 12 Removing the Cover Panel from a Bay 4 Determine if you must install mounting rails on the sides of your drive To do so insert the drive into the open bay If the drive fits tightly with little or no clearance on either side of the drive you will not have to use mounting rails The drive can be mounted directly into your computer Go to step 6 24 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Section 2 Installing Your PlexWriter SCSI Drive NOTE Plextor does not provide rails If you need rails you can obtain them from the computer manufacturer or from a computer supply retail or mail order store 5 If you must use mounting rails fasten the rails to the
71. riter SCSI drive and new SCSI interface board If you purchased your new SCSI interface board from another source consult the documentation provided by the manufacturer of the SCSI interface board for installation instructions You will soon be using the highest performance CD RW drive around If you have any problems at all our technical support staff will help you PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 33 Section 3 Installing and Using Software Install or Update SCSI Support The software to allow your SCSI board to operate depends on your operating system and on which Plextor kit you purchased Plextor SCSI Drive with Software Kit This kit does not include a SCSI interface board If you already have a SCSI board installed in your computer or you are purchasing one separately make sure the SCSI driver is up to date e If you have Windows 95 98 You need a mini port driver file MPD that allows your SCSI board to operate with Windows 95 98 Many mini port drivers are included with Windows 95 98 However if your SCSI board was released recently it may not be supported by your version of Windows 95 98 In this case contact the SCSI board manufacturer at their web site for the required MPD file e If you have Windows NT You need a SYS file that allows your SCSI board to operate with Windows NT Some SYS files are included with Windows NT However if your SCSI board was released recently it may not be supported in this case
72. s and termination are set properly If you are using a PlexWriter external drive turn the power switch to OFF Once the drive installation is complete remember to turn the drive s power ON before turning your computer on Install SCSI Drivers for Windows 95 98 After your CD ROM drive and SCSI interface board are installed it is time to make the right software file available to complete your installation To install software if you purchased a Plextor drive with PCI SCSI Kit 1 Turn on your computer Your system should automatically detect and configure your SCSI interface board When you start Windows 95 98 it will then recognize that it does not have a driver installed for your new SCSI interface board A dialog box named New Hardware Found appears followed immediately by a dialog box named Insert Disk Click OK in the Insert Disk dialog box You see a second New Hardware Found dialog box will appear asking you to insert the Windows 95 98 disk or CD DON T DOIT D CAUTION If you do put in your Microsoft disk or CD Windows 95 98 may automatically load an incorrect file version for the SCSI interface board we provided in our PCI SCSI drive kits 3 Insert the Plextor PlexWriter CD This disc has the approved driver file for your SCSI interface board and will let Windows complete the installation 4 After inserting the disc select Browse in the dialog box and then select the appropriate drive letter and path The Windows 9
73. scs scratched discs discs with fingerprints or badly manufactured discs Ooo PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 57 Section 6 Frequently Asked Questions about Recording This page intentionally left blank 58 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Appendix A PlexWriter 12 4 32 Specifications Disc Specifications Useable Formats Recording Modes Disc Diameter Recommended Media 74 min 80 min CD R 12X 74 min 80 min CD R 8X 4X 2X 74 min CD RW 4X 2X CD DA CD ROM Mode 1 CD ROM Mixed Mode CD ROM XA Mode 2 Form 1 or Form 2 and Mixed Form Photo CD Video CD CD I CD Extra CD Plus CD G CD Text Track at Once Disc at Once Session at Once Multisession fixed and variable packet writing 12 cm diameter Recording time 74 min Taiyo Yuden Mitsubishi Chemicals Ricoh Kodak Maxell Pioneer TDK TDK Taiyo Yuden Mitsui Advanced Media Ricoh Kodak Fuji Photo Film Maxell Pioneer Mitsubishi Chemicals Mitsubishi Chemicals Ricoh Maxell and TDK All are rewritable up to 1 000 times Performance Specifications Data Transfer Rate Burst Read Write Sustained Read Write Speeds Average Random Access Data Buffer Spindle Motor Error Rate CLV Write CAV Read 20 MB sec synchronous 5 MB sec asynchronous 14x 32X read only 2 1 4 8 MB sec Inner Outer Track 9x 20X read only 1 35 3 0 MB sec Inner Outer Track 12X write only 1 8 MB sec 8X re
74. shooting Symptoms Excessive noise Excessive vibration Slow read performance Possible Causes e CD is poorly balanced Poorly manufactured discs or discs with poorly distributed ink on labeling cause significant vibration at high speeds because they are out of balance Read errors may also occur e If the disc label especially adhesive labels adds more weight to one area of the disc than another it can also cause the disc to be out of balance Solution e Clean the disc as detailed on page 40 e In Windows 95 98 and NT use Plextor Manager to lower the drive speed e If there is no foreign substance on the disc contact the disc manufacturer for a replacement Symptoms Can read only the last session of a multisession CD R or CD RW disc Possible Cause e Import previous session or a similar feature was not enabled when the multisession disc was created Solution e Use CD R or CD RW mastering software to import session s Such features may vary in name depending on the software being used Please refer to the appropriate manual regarding this feature Troubleshooting Playing an Audio Disc Symptoms When playing an audio CD you do not hear sound even though everything appears to be functioning normally Possible Causes e Sound board volume too low Mixer settings for sound board set too low Need sound board Need audio cable connection Sound board not properly configured 48 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation
75. ter Figure 16 External Drive with PCI 1 RCA audio cable Connect one end to the SCSI Kit sound board Line In connector or to an audio amplifier and the other end to the audio output connectors at the rear of the PlexWriter Figure 19 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 31 Section 2 Installing Your PlexWriter SCSI Drive If you purchased an internal drive SCSI interface kit and you have a sound board other than Sound Blaster that is not MPC compliant you will have to purchase a different audio cable from a computer supply store We can help by recommending several vendors who offer audio cables see Appendix D of this manual sf scstour ey J E ta To audio out Audio amplifier Audio input RCA type plugs Figure 19 Connecting Audio Cables to a Plex Writer External SCSI Drive 32 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 3 Installing and Using Software There s one more step before you can begin to use your PlexWriter drive you need to install special software on your computer There are two software types e Device driver Software program that allows your computer to interact with the PlexWriter drive Drivers are included in Windows 95 98 and NT that let you operate your PlexWriter as a CD ROM device reader The device driver is usually installed automatically by the operating system e Application software Software programs for specific tasks such as mastering CDs backing up your hard dis
76. the PlexWriter drive with CD R and CD RW media and bundled software such as CD mastering software Packet writing software CD Res Q Plextor s own software for hard disk backup and disaster recovery Plextor Manager 2000 Plextor s software suite for getting the best performance from your PlexWriter drive especially with audio Other utilities which we ll Drive with PCI SCSI Kit Includes the PlexWriter drive the CD R and CD RW media and software listed above and the Q SCSI interface board Q SCSI cable Q Audio cables for sound board Section 1 Getting Started Save Your Box Be sure to save the box after you have installed your PlexWriter drive The box and its packaging material were designed and drop tested to ensure your PlexWriter can endure rough treatment and still arrive in working order Please save the tray insert that was used to protect the delicate internal components during shipping Should you need to ship the PlexWriter it should be placed on the tray inside the drive We hope you will never have to ship your drive back to us If you do however it s best to send it packaged in the original box Some of our customers have not held on to their boxes and have had to resort to less than secure methods to get drives back to us We cannot assume liability for any damage your drive sustains during shipment Therefore please ship your drive in the safest manner possible Before
77. these tips to help find the problem You can also use these charts to help find problems that develop in existing installations e Start here if you re a PC user e If you re a Mac user start with page 56 Then come back here if you don t find the answer Troubleshooting General Symptoms PlexWriter drive not recognized by computer and or its operating system Possible Cause 1 e SCSI cable is not connected properly Solution 1 e Ensure SCSI cable is connected e Verify that connectors on motherboard and drive do not have bent pins Possible Cause 2 e Power connector is not attached to PlexWriter or does not work Solution 2 e Ensure the computer s power cable is securely attached to the PlexWriter s power connector e When the computer s power is ON confirm that the PlexWriter s indicator LED is illuminated briefly then is extinguished e Connect a different power cable to Plex Writer Possible Cause 3 e SCSI controller not properly installed Solution 3 e Ensure the SCSI controller is correctly installed recognized and operating e Ensure that the latest driver is used for the SCSI controller e Ensure there are no resource conflicts such as IRQ s with another device 44 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Section 5 Maintenance and Troubleshooting Symptoms Plex Writer does not respond e g lights or eject button are not operational Possible Cause 1 e No power Solution 1
78. upported 57 mini port driver file 34 MPD file 34 MSCDEX EXE 53 MS DOS SCSI support 34 multisession disc only last session read 48 N no device found 54 no drives in use 54 no response from SCSI 54 no SCSI interface board found 54 no sound 48 noise troubleshooting 48 O ON READ indicator 6 P packet writing software 37 parity setting 15 setting for internal drive 7 performance SCSI cable length and 30 specifications 59 playback stopping 6 playing aCD 6 playing audio CDs 41 Plextor Manager audio utilities 42 Plextor Manager 2000 36 Plug and Play disabling 65 power cable 24 power connector 7 power switch 6 precautions 9 PRTY external drive switch setting 8 internal drive jumper setting 7 setting 15 Q quickstart installation 11 R read only last session 48 reading CD 1 slow performance 48 rear panel external drive 8 internal drive 5 7 rear panel controls 60 recommended media 59 recording 6 frequently asked questions 57 reliability 61 returns 70 RMA number 3 70 S SCSI device driver 54 termination 47 troubleshooting 54 SCSI board choosing 20 installing 20 non SCAM compliant 13 SCAM compliant 13 SCSI cable 23 Index performance and 30 SCSI connection sound board and 31 SCSI connectors external drive 8 SCSI drivers installing 63 SCSI ID number changing 12 changing on external drive 19 Drive with
79. w fic com tw http www msi com tw http www iwill com tw http www ecs com tw Free Computer Technology http www freetech com 72 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Index A AC power input 8 applications software 36 ASPI manager 34 audio playing 6 41 sound board 42 audio cable 31 connecting to external drive 32 audio output connector 7 8 audio troubleshooting 48 B BLOCK external drive switch setting 8 internal drive jumper setting 7 setting 15 53 box contents of 3 4 shipping 3 buffer underrun 51 57 C cable audio 31 power for internal drive 24 SCSI 23 cable connections external drive 29 internal drive 28 cannot add information to CD R CD RW 52 CD playing 6 playing on Macintosh 42 reading 1 writing 1 CD Copier troubleshooting 57 CD Res Q 36 ordering 2 CD Audio 41 error messages 46 play skip forward button 6 CD R requirements for 35 CD R media 39 using 57 CD R RW writing to 42 CDR101 message 46 CDR103 message 53 CD ROM requirements for using 35 CD ROM media 39 CD RW reading from 42 requirements for 35 CD RW media 39 using 57 cleaning disc 40 connector audio output 7 contacts 71 hardware and software 71 PC vendors 72 controls external drive rear panel 8 front panel 5 60 internal drive rear panel 5 7 rear panel 60 D device driver 33 SCSI 34 digital audio 7 15 connections 27 dimensions 61 DIP switch
80. witches on a PlexWriter External SCSI Drive Use this procedure if you have a PlexWriter external SCSI drive However if you already have a SCSI board installed an external PlexWriter is the only SCSI peripheral you will use with your computer and you do not need to change any settings skip now to Install a PlexWriter External SCSI Drive on page 28 Factory SCSI Switch Settings A rear panel rotary dial controls the SCSI ID setting of the external PlexWriter drive and other settings are controlled by DIP switches Figure 8 shows the factory settings of the rear panel dial and switches SCSI ID Figure 8 Factory Settings for Dial and DIP Switches on External SCSI Drive CAUTION Turn the drive s power OFF before changing the setting of the SCSI ID dial or the DIP switches 18 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Section 2 Installing Your PlexWriter SCSI Drive Changing the SCSI ID If you already have another SCSI peripheral whose SCSI ID is set to 4 you must change the SCSI ID number of either that peripheral or that of the Plex Writer drive But see Do I Have to Change My PlexWriter s SCSI ID Number on page 12 before proceeding To change the SCSI ID number of the external PlexWriter drive rotate the dial s arrow to a different SCSI ID number Changing the SCSI Termination Setting The PlexWriter external drive is shipped from the factory with its SCSI termination enabled ON If you have to disab
81. worry about setting SCSI ID numbers You may have to physically set the SCSI ID if you have more than one SCSI peripheral device and Your SCSI board is not SCAM compliant If you separately purchased or already own a SCSI interface board it may not be SCAM compliant In this case you should determine the SCSI IDs of all peripheral devices and change the PlexWriter s ID to a unique number You don t know if your SCSI board is SCAM compliant In this case to be on the safe side determine the SCSI IDs of all peripheral devices and change the PlexWriter s ID to a unique number You may have an older driver Since SCAM was not a requirement when Plug and Play specifications were written original Windows 95 CDs may not include a SCAM compliant driver for your SCSI interface board In this case you should determine the SCSI IDs of all peripheral devices and change the PlexWriter s ID to a unique number Do I Have to Change My PlexWriter s SCSI Termination Setting The PlexWriter is shipped from the factory with its SCSI termination set ON You can leave the PlexWriter s SCSI termination setting to ON if Your PlexWriter drive is the only SCSI peripheral In this case don t change the SCSI termination setting Leave it set to the original factory setting of ON Your PlexWriter drive is the last peripheral in a chain If you are using multiple SCSI peripherals with your computer and the PlexWriter is positioned as the last per
82. ws Do you have a SCSI ID conflict In this case you simply need to deal with SCSI ID selection as follows 1 Turn off your computer 2 Review the discussion of SCSI ID selection in your drive s operation manual 3 Check the physical selection of SCSI ID on your PlexWriter drive and any other SCSI devices connected to your interface board Make sure that all devices are physically set to unique IDs 4 Your board also may not have automatic termination If it does not have automatic termination you will also need to make sure the termination of your board is set properly Q Ifyou have both internal and external devices attached the termination on your SCSI interface board should be disabled Review the interface board s documentation to determine how to do this Q Ifyou have only internal devices or only external devices termination of your SCSI interface board should remain enabled 5 After the SCSI IDs and termination are set properly restart your system Is your SCSI interface board being supported by Windows It is possible that your previously or separately purchased SCSI interface board is not being supported properly by Windows 95 98 If you had to use the Windows 95 98 disk or CD to get support for the interface board the driver file may not have existed or the operating system may have loaded an older or incompatible version of the file If the file did not exist or if Windows 95 98 couldn t load a driver
83. ws on the back panel of your computer and sliding off the cover See Figure 9 for details 3 Carefully remove the SCSI interface board from its packaging CAUTION Before you remove the SCSI interface board from its packaging touch a grounded object to discharge any static electricity you may have on your body 4 Select a vacant slot in your computer where you will install the board refer to the manual packaged with your interface board for instructions as to which slot in your system to use If your PlexWriter is an internal drive try to pick a slot that is closest to where the drive will be installed PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual 21 Section 2 Installing Your PlexWriter SCSI Drive 5 Remove the cover plate for this slot from the back panel of your computer Keep the screw from the cover plate nearby as you will need it in a moment Save the cover plate in case you need it at a later date TA Expansion slot cover f LF fx LL INA Figure 10 Removing the Cover Plate Rear panel 6 Plug the SCSI interface board into the slot you have selected Rock the board from end to end to ensure that it seats firmly in the slot Don t force it If you cannot push the board down completely into the slot remove the board and try again 7 Once you have successfully inserted the board fasten it in place using the cover plate screw that you removed earlier Install a PlexWriter Internal SCSI Drive This section expl
84. y seem a bit complicated Mac people have it easy Fear not We have successfully walked through the installation process with millions of customers who previously had lived in mortal terror of the innards of their computer About this Manual Please read this manual carefully and keep it handy for easy reference Use the manual for installation operation and troubleshooting See your dealer or call Plextor s Technical Support Department should your drive require repair or service In this manual you should find all the information you need to successfully install operate and troubleshoot your drive If you run into a problem that doesn t seem to be covered however please contact us See Appendix C Technical Support for the different ways you can contact us You will be connected to our friendly helpful tech support staff engineers who know their stuff What might seem like an uncooperative drive to you could very well be a 30 second fix to them But we will never know unless you contact us Meet Your PlexWriter 12 4 32 The PlexWriter 12 4 32 is a CD ReWritable drive that provides professional quality CD performance for writing rewriting and reading It is available as an internal or external drive and is available for computers with a internal or external SCSI interface What the PlexWriter 12 4 32 Does The PlexWriter 12 4 32 writes to CD R recordable CD media at up to 12X speed or to CD RW rewritable CD medi
85. y problems Is your SCSI interface board recognized by 95 98 When Windows 95 98 starts an icon for a CD RW drive will appear in My Computer If it does not then there are a couple of likely possibilities e The SCSI cable is missing or not properly connected e The support for your SCSI interface board has probably not loaded correctly In this case make sure you used the Plextor CD as detailed below Even if you get the CD ROM icon you may want to check that the Windows 95 98 32 bit driver is working properly To confirm its operation 1 Select Control Panel in My Computer 2 Double click on System 3 Click on the tab called Device Manager at the top of the window 4 In the new window of devices double click on SCSI Controllers This displays all the SCSI interface boards currently installed in your system 5 Confirm that the Driver Status box displays This Device Is Working Properly If you get this message you can now make full use of your CD RW drive with the Windows 95 98 32 bit support 64 PlexWriter 12 4 32 Operation Manual Appendix B Installing a SCSI Drive in Windows Did you use the Plextor PlexWriter CD You might have overlooked our instructions to use this disc to get the necessary driver support for your SCSI interface board If you used the Windows 95 98 disk or CD the configuration process may have copied the wrong or incompatible driver To solve this problem Select Control Panel in My Computer D

Plextor PlexWriter RW 12/4/32 Burner

Contents

Download Pdf Manuals

Related Search

Related Contents