Plextor Cdrw Problems

[pmaddock]

Forum,

I just started setting up my new Plextor IDE 40/12/40 CDRW yesterday in my new computer build. I installed the Roxio software (Direct CD and Easy CD Creator) that came with the CDRW (version 5.1). I tried to format for data storage the Plextor CDRW disk that came with the package; it gets through the format and gives me an error message (something like "an illegal command was entered and the CDRW can not be accessed through Direct CD"). It then locks my system up, requiring me to reboot to remove the CDRW from the drive. Otherwise, the Plextor CDRW seems to behave like a normal CD rom drive. I can play music and I can even access an old CDRW which I Direct CD formatted through my Yamaha drive on my other computer. I was able to create a test folder on my new computer (where the Plextor is attached) and drag and drop it on to the Yamaha created CDRW, no problems. I am running Win XP PRO on both systems, although the old CDRW disk was created win I was still using WIN 98SE. I updated the Plextor firmware, but to no avail. I keep getting the same error message every time I try to format the Plextor CDRW that came with the drive. Could I have a bad disk? I am going to call Plextor when I get home tonight. Does anyone on this forum have any ideas or any experience with this problem?


PMAD

[Toaster]

Howdy,
Try burning at a slower setting.
To burn at the highest settings, the drive should be alone on an IDE channel or at least not be using 1 device to read and the Plextor to write on the same channel.
Check you BIOS settings for proper setting of UDMA and other settings.
The CD/RW should not be used on the RAID channels.

[pmaddock]

Toaster,

I'm between a rock and a hard place. I am putting an additional 7200 8mb cache 120 Gb hard drive on IDE channel #1 all by itself, since a DVD or CDRW device would slow its speed down. I currently have the CDRW set as master on IDE channel #2, with a DVD rom as slave on the same channel (hence the problem that you mention). Should I go ahead and put the CDRW as master all by itself on #2, thus saving channel #1 for the hard drive and DVD rom (thus taking a performance hit on the hard drive). My raid channels 3 & 4 are being used exclusively for hard drives. Do you have any other suggestions or ideas? Sounds like that I need to bite the bullet and take the performance hit. A 120 GB 7200 rpm 8 mb cache hard drive should still be pretty quick. What do you think?


PMAD

[mike breck]

Hi,

I remember there was an shutdown issue with XP and Version 5 of the Roxio software. Then Roxio released a patch to remedy this. This might be related to the problem your having. Might be a good idea to check out the Roxio website for patches.

If you already have four Hds on the Raid controller then will obviously just have to comprise and share on the mobo IDE channels.

However, you if you copy data to the HD first on IDE 1 and then from the HD to the burner on IDE 2, you should be able to acheive the full potential of the HD (mobo permitting).

Most members who copy from CD-Rom to Burner compromise by having the one on IDE1 and the other on IDE 2.

I'm sure Toaster said something before about exactly how much of a hit you can expect in a situation like this - but I can't find the post.

If you read this Toaster, can you just reiterate what you said before (or point me to the post) about the effects of sharing ATA33 and ATA 66/100 on the one channel.

HTH

[pmaddock]

Actually, I only have my Raid channels 3, 4 linked up with only 1 hard drive on each channel. I kind of wanted to run an additional hard drive on a non-raid channel (1 or 2), just in case there were problems down the line associated with the Raid setup. I wanted to stay away from the Raid channels for additional hard drive installations. Perhaps, I should put another hard drive on one of the raid channels, in view of my burner issue. What affect (if any) do you think that would have on my Raid mirroring array? I also wanted to put a hard drive on my channel #1, just in case I need to make it bootable some time in the future. Also, I was just thinking - I'm having problems with formatting a CDRW disk with my Plextor all by itself, not in copying any cd's. Why would this be affected by me running a CDRW and DVD on the same channel? Maybe a patch from Roxio is all that I need. As usual, thanks everyone for the input.

PMAD

[mike breck]

Sorry, didn't pick up the fact you had two drives in RAID mirroring. I don't think you can add an extra HD that is not part of the array but I may be wrong. I'll let someone with more RAID experience answer that one.

The point I was making about the Roxio software was that as you had problems formatting the CD-R or CD-RW then the software may be to blame. As I said, there was a shutdown problem reported with Version 5 of the Direct CD and XP. That is not your problem - but it does make me suspicious about the Roxio software.

Anyway, it does no harm to check it out.

HTH

[Toaster]

Howdy,
As a test, disconnect the DVD drive and try burning an image to the CD/RW with the drive alone on the IDE channel.
DVD drives move data quite slower then CDROM/R/RW drives.

To burn at the fastest rates, the drive will need ample and continuous data.
Try any configuration where the CR/R R/W is alone on the IDE port.
You drive may or may not like to use an ATA100 cable, try a standard cable or other cable type.

The IDE interface can "burst" data quite well but the "sustained" data rates can be MUCH lower.
Only devices included in the RAID array should be on the RAID channels. Mixing R/W removable drives on an IDE RAID is asking for trouble.

Keep in mind that IDE devices are non-intelligent and require CPU time to function. As the CPU time is used, other devices and applications will slow.
If you plan on doing a great deal of burning, your best shot is where the CD R/W is alone on a channel or slaved/mastered to a faster device that you will not be "burning from".
The IDE bus cannot execute both a read and write at the same time on the same channel. If you ask to read and write at the same time on the same channel, the devices will "take turns" and your performance could be halved.

The IDE bus is fast and cheap, it ain't flexible however.

[pmaddock]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try some different configurations tonight. One thing that I wouldn't even think of doing is putting a CDRW or DVD on a RAID channel; I should be able to put another hard drive on a RAID channel (and not RAID configure it)?

[glc]

I personally would completely uninstall Roxio and put Nero or NTI on it. Roxio 5 has been nothing but headaches for me and my customers.

[pmaddock]

I may try the Nero route very soon. Can it do everything that EASY CD CREATOR or Direct CD can do?

[RJ]

EZ CD Creator might be crap, but I don't think so about DirectCD. DirectCD came bundled with my WinOnCD and works well with my Plexwriter 12/10/32A.
There is an update for DirectCD available, though, so I'd try it.

Anyway, Nero comes with its own packet writing software. Nero itself offers you more than EZ CD Creator, but when comparing InCD to DirectCD. . I never had problems with my DirectCD, and neither did my friend with InCD.

RJ

[akmsr]

completely agree with glc about nero. it can burn anything except your computer. it comes with incd packet writer thats good enough for me.
you can keep cdrw and dvd rom in the same channel. but when copying cd just deselect 'on the fly' option.
in my 2nd ide channel i have 16x cdrw master and an old 5x dvd as slave. whenever i'm copying cd my dvd rom takes around 8 minutes to read and extract a 700MB cd and 5minutes to burn. with your fast dvd rom which does 48x(mine 32 or 24) and 40x cdrw you are looking at 6-7 minute tops per 700MB cd IF you want to keep them in the same ide channel.

[pmaddock]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and info. Sounds like I need to give Nero a try.

[jca08]

if you've got winXP, i'd give the regular XP burner software a try. i tried all the roxio stuff that came with my plextor cd-rw and it was just a pain compared to the ease of use, clean interface, and efficiency of the stuff that comes with XP. just my thoughts...

josh

[pmaddock]

Thanks. I'll give that a try.