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  5. Operation Manual

Plextor PlexWriter 8/4/32 Operation Manual

Manual is about: Plextor PX-W8432Ti CDR Drives: User Guide

Summary of PlexWriter 8/4/32

  • Page 1

    Model px-w8432ti (internal) congratulations! Thank you for purchasing the plexwriter 8/4/32, 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, w...

  • Page 2: Fcc Notice

    Üg-vfg.243 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...

  • Page 3: III

    Plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual iii table of contents 1. Getting started.............................................................................................1 about this manual.......................................................................................... 1 meet your plexwriter...

  • Page 4

    Iv plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual troubleshooting............................................................................................. 30 troubleshooting: general ........................................................................... 30 troubleshooting: read ...........................

  • Page 5: 1. Getting Started

    Plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 1 1. Getting started this manual explains how to install and use your internal atapi plexwriter 8/4/32 drive. For those of you with pcs, the installation process may seem a bit complicated (mac people have it easy). Fear not. We have successfully walked through the...

  • Page 6

    Section 1. Getting started 2 plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual the plexwriter 8/4/32 supports running opc and is compatible with windows plug & play. Flash memory allows upgrading the plexwriter 8/4/32 to the latest firmware revision (available from the plextor web site) without opening the drive. ...

  • Page 7: What'S In The Box

    Section 1. Getting started plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 3 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 8/4/32 drive in this config...

  • Page 8: Front Panel

    Section 1. Getting started 4 plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 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 figure 1: front panel of the plexwr...

  • Page 9: Rear Panel

    Section 1. Getting started plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 5 rear panel figure 2: rear panel of the plexwriter 8/4/32 internal drive • audio output connector: outputs stereo analog signal. Use to connect to soundboard or audio amplifier. Use standard mpc-3 type, 4-pin connector. • jumpers: use to...

  • Page 10: Precautions

    Section 1. Getting started 6 plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual precautions like the rest of your computer system, your plexwriter requires reasonable care in its installation and use. • keep the area around your drive clean from dust, smoke, and other contaminants. • do not allow moisture or liquid...

  • Page 11: Open The Computer

    Plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 7 2. Installing your plexwriter this chapter explains how to physically install your plexwriter in your computer. The steps you'll need to do are as follows: 1. Turn off your computer system. 2. Set the jumpers for your new plexwriter drive, if necessary. 3. Mount ...

  • Page 12

    Section 2. Installing your plexwriter 8 plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 2. Remove your computer’s cover, 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. F...

  • Page 13: Set The Drive’S Jumpers

    Section 2. Installing your plexwriter plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 9 set the drive’s jumpers you specify your drive's master or slave setting before installing it. You do this by changing the position of a jumper on the jumper block at the rear of the drive. Your drive ships from our factory w...

  • Page 14: Select An Ide Configuration

    Section 2. Installing your plexwriter 10 plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual figure 5: 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 c...

  • Page 15

    Section 2. Installing your plexwriter plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 11 how to install the plexwriter a b c figure 6: typical ide configurations for connecting the plexwriter drive.

  • Page 16: About Cable Select

    Section 2. Installing your plexwriter 12 plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual about cable select the cable select jumper position sets the plexwriter drive to use the csel signal from the ide interface for configuration. This signal automatically selects the correct master/slave setting for the plexwr...

  • Page 17: Do You Need A Power Cable?

    Section 2. Installing your plexwriter plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 13 a third cable connection will need to be made if you are using a soundboard in your computer and plan to connect the plexwriter’s audio output to the audio connector on the soundboard. Do you need another ide ribbon cable? T...

  • Page 18

    Section 2. Installing your plexwriter 14 plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 3. 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 pl...

  • Page 19

    Section 2. Installing your plexwriter plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 15 5. If you must use mounting rails, fasten the rails to the lower pair of holes as shown in figure 10. (in some instances, you may need to fasten the rails to the upper set of holes.) after fastening the rails, check their po...

  • Page 20

    Section 2. Installing your plexwriter 16 plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual caution: it is easy to accidentally plug your ide ribbon cable upside down into both your drive and the motherboard. Be sure you match the red stripe along one side of the ide cable to pin 1 on the motherboard and pin 1 on t...

  • Page 21

    Section 2. Installing your plexwriter plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 17 11. Mount the plexwriter drive in the computer using the four screws 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. ...

  • Page 22: On A Pc With Windows Nt:

    Section 2. Installing your plexwriter 18 plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual note: refer to the computer’s documentation for information on how to run the motherboard bios setup program. 4. Use the setup program to set up ide master and slave designations as needed for your configuration, on the prim...

  • Page 23: Enable Dma

    Section 2. Installing your plexwriter plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 19 enable dma to achieve top speeds for reading and writing with your plexwriter drive, direct memory access (dma) must be enabled for the drive. To ensure that dma is enabled: 1. In windows 95 or 98, click the start button, th...

  • Page 24

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  • Page 25: Install Device Drivers

    Plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 21 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: • device driver: software program that allows your computer to interact...

  • Page 26: Plextormanager 2000

    Section 3. Installing and using software 22 plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 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 ...

  • Page 27: Other Applications Software

    Section 3. Installing and using software plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 23 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. • packet writing software: this t...

  • Page 28

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  • Page 29: 4. Using Your Plexwriter

    Plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 25 4. Using your plexwriter this chapter explains how to use your plexwriter drive and how to load, handle and care for your cds. What media to use use the right media! Your plexwriter drive's capabilities change depending on which type of compact disc you use. It ...

  • Page 30: Handling Cd Media

    Section 4. Using your plexwriter 26 plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 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 p...

  • Page 31: Playing Audio Cds

    Section 4. Using your plexwriter plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 27 playing audio cds connections for playing audio cds there are basically two types of audio: q cd-audio: this comes from audio discs (like the ones used by your home stereo) that are translated directly by your plexwriter into sou...

  • Page 32: Playing A Cd On A Macintosh

    Section 4. Using your plexwriter 28 plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual playing a cd using plextormanager for pc users, unique and powerful audio software - plextormanager 2000 - is provided. For installation and operating instructions, refer to the separate plextormanager 2000 user's manual and read...

  • Page 33: Upgrading Firmware

    Plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 29 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...

  • Page 34: Troubleshooting

    Section 5. Maintenance and troubleshooting 30 plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 2. Double-click the cd-rom icon and choose the px-w8432t by clicking on it once. Then, click on the properties button and select the settings tab. You now see the drive properties for the plexwriter. 3. Enable dma by cl...

  • Page 35: Possible Cause #4

    Section 5. Maintenance and troubleshooting plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 31 possible cause #4 • wrong cable with jumper set to cable select. Solution #4 • make sure that a csel-compatible ide cable is used if you want to use the plexwriter with jumper set to cable select. Possible cause #5 • po...

  • Page 36: Troubleshooting: Read

    Section 5. Maintenance and troubleshooting 32 plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual troubleshooting: read symptoms plexwriter drive has read errors, may not respond to a dir command or cannot run a program. Possible cause #1 • defective cd-rom, cd-r, or cd-rw disc. • a fingerprint, contaminants, or scr...

  • Page 37: Symptoms

    Section 5. Maintenance and troubleshooting plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 33 symptoms cannot use other cd-rom drives to initialize or discs written by plexwriter. Possible cause #1 • trying to read a cd-rw disc in a cd-rom drive that does not support it. Solution #1 • use the plexwriter to read ...

  • Page 38: Symptoms

    Section 5. Maintenance and troubleshooting 34 plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual symptoms can read only the last session of a multisession cd-r or cd-rw disc. Possible cause • “import previous session” or a similar feature was not enabled when the multisession disc was created. Solution • use cd-r o...

  • Page 39: Possible Cause #2

    Section 5. Maintenance and troubleshooting plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 35 possible cause #2 • low levels from audio mixer. Solution #2 • check the master, cd and line levels of all audio mixers. Troubleshooting: writing discs symptoms cannot write to cd-r or cd-rw disc. Possible cause #1 • yo...

  • Page 40: Possible Cause #2

    Section 5. Maintenance and troubleshooting 36 plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual • when the computer’s power is turned on, confirm that the plexwriter’s indicator led is illuminated briefly, then is extinguished. • try connecting another power cable to the plexwriter. Possible cause #2 • ide cable i...

  • Page 41: Possible Causes #2

    Section 5. Maintenance and troubleshooting plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 37 possible causes #2 • network is being used. • mouse was moved or windows screensaver activated while writing. • other applications are running. • power save mode is active. Solution #2 • if problems occur when writing, ...

  • Page 42: Possible Cause #7

    Section 5. Maintenance and troubleshooting 38 plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual possible cause #7 • defective cd-r or cd-rw media. Cd-r or cd-rw media may be dirty, scratched, or damaged. Solution #7 • rewrite using another cd-r or cd-rw disc. Symptom cannot add information to cd-r or cd-rw disc. P...

  • Page 43: Possible Cause #3

    Section 5. Maintenance and troubleshooting plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 39 possible cause #3 • using cd-rw media. This drive does not support 8x speed with cd-rw media. Solution #3 • use cd-r media. Possible cause #4 • defective cd-r media. Solution #4 • cd-r media may be dirty, scratched or d...

  • Page 44

    Section 5. Maintenance and troubleshooting 40 plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual this page intentionally left blank..

  • Page 45: When Can I Use Cd-Rw Media?

    Plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 41 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...

  • Page 46

    Section 6. Frequently asked questions about recording 42 plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual this page intentionally left blank..

  • Page 47: Disc Specifications

    Plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 43 appendix a: plexwriter specifications disc specifications useable formats: read cd-da; cd-rom (mode 1); cd-rom xa (mode 2: form 1 or form 2); cd-rom (mixed mode); photo cd; videocd; cd-i (mpeg movies); cd-extra; cd-g; cd text useable formats: write iso 9660-hfs;...

  • Page 48: Front Panel

    Appendix a: plexwriter specifications 44 plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual front panel eject eject button; manual emergency eject; software eject lights power on/disc access disc loading auto headphone jack stereo mini-jack, 0.8v at 32 ohms volume control wheel knob cd-audio controls stop/eject rea...

  • Page 49: How to Contact Us

    Plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 45 appendix b: 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 plexwri...

  • Page 50: Returns

    Appendix b: technical support 46 plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual before you e-mail/log on/fax/call please gather as much of the following information as possible before contacting us. • the serial number and tla number of your plexwriter. Your serial number can be found both on the warranty card ...

  • Page 51: Appendix C: Helpful Contacts

    Plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 47 appendix c: helpful contacts use the contacts below for cd-r and cd-rw software and components, and for pc vendors. Contacts for cd-r and cd-rw components company phone fax product web address adaptec 408-945-8600 408-262-2533 cd-r software www.Adaptec. Com amc ...

  • Page 52: Contacts For Pc Vendors

    Appendix c: helpful contacts 48 plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual contacts for pc vendors company web address ibm http://ibm.Com dell http://dell.Com gateway http://www.Gw2k.Com compaq http://compaq.Com hewlett packard http://www.Hp.Com/ intel http://intel.Com asustek computer http://www.Asus.Com.T...

  • Page 53: Index

    Plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 49 index a applications software · 22 audio cable · 17 audio cd playing · 27 audio output connector · 5 audio, troubleshooting · 34 b bay cover panel · 14 box contents of · 3 shipping · 3 c cable audio · 17 ide · 13 power for drive · 13 cable connections · 16 cable...

  • Page 54

    Index 50 plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual ide configuration determining · 8 examples · 11 selecting · 10 ide interface connector · 5 ide ribbon cable connecting · 15 installation · 7, 12 quickstart · 7 j jumpers · 5 setting · 9 m macintosh playing cd on · 28 troubleshooting · 39 maintenance · 29 m...

  • Page 55

    Index plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 51 v volume control · 4, 27 w weight · 44 writing frequently asked questions · 41 writing a cd · 1 writing discs troubleshooting · 35 writing to cd-r and cd-rw · 28.

  • Page 56: Notes

    Plexwriter 8/4/32 operation manual 52 notes.