Plextor PX-760, PX-760A, PX-760SA Installation And User Manual

Download

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DVD±R DL (DOUBLE LAYER/DUAL LAYER),

DVD±R/RW, CD-R/RW DRIVE

INSTALLATION AND USERS MANUAL

March 2006

Model PX-760A Internal ATAPI Drive

Model PX-760SA Internal SATA Drive

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Plextor reserves the right to make improvements in the products

described in this manual at any time without prior notice.

Plextor makes no representation or warranties with respect to the

contents hereof and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Further, Plextor Corp. reserves the right to revise this manual and to make changes in

its content without obligation to notify any person or organization of

such revision or change.

photocopied, translated, or reduced to any electronic medium or

machine-readable form without Plextor’s prior permission.

First edition, March 2006.

Licenses and Trademarks

Plextor, PlexTools, and the Plextor logo are registered trademarks of Plextor Corp. All other licenses and trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Record Your Serial Number

For future reference, record the serial number and the TLA code (found on your drive’s label) in the space provided below.

TLA/Firmware Revision Number

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PX-760 Installation and Users Manual iii

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION STATEMENT

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

CAUTION: Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.

CANADIAN DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS STATEMENT

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications.

This class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003. Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme a la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

LASER INFORMATION

These products have been designed and manufactured according to IEC 60825-1 on the Safety of Laser products. This product comes under “Class 1 Laser Products.”

CAUTION: Use of controls or adjustments or performance of procedures other than those specified herein may result in hazardous radiation exposure.

A Laser Caution Label is attached on the top of the internal drive model. The laser beam emitted from the optical pickup is visible and invisible. Accordingly:

• Do not open the optical pickup housing.

• Obtain service only from Plextor-authorized personnel.

CAUTION: To disconnect the internal DVD/CD drive from an electrical current, pull out the computer’s power plug.

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iv PX-760 Installation and Users Manual

Top View of Internal Drive, Showing Caution Label Location

Detail of PX-760A and PX-760SA Laser Caution Labels

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PX-760 Installation and Users Manual v

Table of Contents

1. Getting Started ..............................................................................1

About this Manual...........................................................................1

Printing the Manual.....................................................................1

Meet Your PX-760..........................................................................2

What the PX-760 Does................................................................2

Features of the PX-760................................................................3

Minimum Configuration to Use the PX-760...............................7

What You Can Do with the PX-760............................................7

About Plextools Professional ..........................................................8

Precautions......................................................................................8

Where to Go From Here..................................................................9

2. Installing the PX-760A Internal ATAPI Drive.........................11

PX-760A Drive Features and Controls..........................................11

Front Panel—PX-760A Internal Drive......................................11

Rear Panel—PX-760A Internal Drive.......................................12

What Else Is In the PX-760A Box ................................................13

Save Your Box!.........................................................................14

PX-760A QuickStart Installation ..............................................15

Install the Bezel.............................................................................16

Mount the PX-760A Drive............................................................16

Open the Computer and Prepare for Installation...........................16

Determine Your Existing IDE Configuration................................17

Inspect Your Computer’s Cables...................................................18

Confirm That You Have an 80-Conductor IDE Cable..............19

Do You Have Cable Select?......................................................20

Do You Need a Power Cable?...................................................21

Set the Drive’s Mode Jumper........................................................21

Changing the Mode Jumper on Your PX-760A Drive..............22

Select an IDE Configuration .........................................................24

About Cable Select........................................................................29

Set the PX-760A for Multiword DMA (If Needed) ......................30

Mount the PX-760A Drive............................................................31

Record the Serial Number.........................................................31

Mount the Drive in the Computer .............................................31

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vi PX-760 Installation and Users Manual

3. Installing the PX-760SA Internal SATA Drive ........................37

PX-760SA Drive Features and Controls.......................................37

Front Panel—PX-760SA Internal Drive...................................38

Rear Panel—PX-760SA Internal SATA Drive......................... 39

What Else Is In the PX-760SA Box.............................................. 40

Save Your Box!.........................................................................40

Set the PX-760SA DMA Jumper (If Needed)...............................41

Mount the PX-760SA Drive .........................................................42

Record the Serial Number......................................................... 42

Mount the Drive in the Computer.............................................42

4. Using Your PX-760..................................................................... 47

What Media to Use .......................................................................47

DVD Media...............................................................................47

CD-ROM Media .......................................................................48

Tray Loading and Operation.........................................................49

Handling DVD and CD Media..................................................49

Cleaning Discs..........................................................................50

Mounting Position......................................................................... 51

Playing DVDs...............................................................................51

Writing to DVD Media................................................................. 51

Specifying +R/RW or -R/RW...................................................51

Writing to CD-R and CD-RW Media...........................................52

Using the LED Indicator............................................................... 52

Switching to SpeedRead for Video Playback ...............................53

5. Maintenance and Troubleshooting............................................55

Cleaning the PX-760 Drive........................................................... 55

Upgrading Firmware..................................................................... 56

Emergency Eject...........................................................................57

Changing the Front-Panel Color................................................... 58

Troubleshooting............................................................................ 62

Make Sure the Drive Is Recognized..........................................62

Using the PX-760A Self-Test Diagnostics................................64

Using the PX-760SA Self-Test Diagnostics.............................68

6. Frequently Asked Questions...................................................... 71

Appendix A: PX-760 Specifications...............................................75

Specifications for All PX-760 Drives........................................... 75

Specifications for the PX-760A Internal ATAPI Drive................ 84

Specifications for the PX-760SA Internal SAT A Drive...............87

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Appendix B: Technical Support.....................................................89

How to Contact Plextor Technical Support...................................90

Before You E-mail or Call for Support.........................................90

Returns ..........................................................................................91

Contacting Plextor’s RMA Department....................................91

Packing Your Drive...................................................................91

Shipping Your Drive to Plextor.................................................92

Appendix C: Warranty...................................................................93

If You’re Outside the U.S. or Canada ...........................................94

Index.................................................................................................95

Notes...............................................................................................103

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PX-760 Installation and Users Manual 1

1. Getting Started

Congratulations! Thank you for purchasing the Plextor® PX-760, a reliable, high-performance recordable DVD and CD writer, rewriter, and player. We appreciate the confidence you have shown in us. Our goal is to put you—and keep you—on the leading edge of DVD and CD technology.

About this Manual

Please read this manual carefully and keep it handy for easy reference. Use the manual for installation, operation and troubleshooting. If your drive needs service, see your dealer or call Plextor’s Technical Support Department.

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 B: Technical Support” for the different ways you can reach us.) You will be connected to our friendly, helpful band of tech support engineers. 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.

Printing the Manual

This manual has been sized for viewing on a computer monitor screen.

To print a hard copy of this manual:

1. In Acrobat, select File | Print. You see the Print dialog box.

2. In the Print dialog box, choose the printer.

3. If you want to print on standard 8-1/2 x 11 paper, you can check the

Expand small pages to paper size box. This expands the manual’s pages so they nearly fill up a standard-sized page.

4. When you have made your selections, click OK. The manual is

printed.

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Meet Your PX-760

The PX-760 is a DVD ReWritable/CD ReWritable drive that provides professional quality DVD and CD performance for writing, rewriting and reading.

What the PX-760 Does

For DVDs, the PX-760:

• Writes DVD+R (recordable DVD, “plus” format) media at

up to 18X speed.

• Writes DVD+R DL (double layer) media at up to 10X speed.

• Writes DVD-R (recordable DVD, “dash” format) media at up

to 18X speed.

• Writes DVD-R DL (dual layer) media at up to 6X speed.

• Writes DVD+RW (rewritable DVD, “plus” format) media

at up to 8X speed. (Requires 8X media for 8X writing.)

• Writes DVD-RW (rewritable DVD, “dash” form at) media

at up to 6X speed.

• Supports DVD+VR and DVD-VR for mat for read and write.

• Reads stamped DVD discs at up to 16X.

• Reads DVD-Video discs with CSS at up to 2X CLV.

• Supports DVD-RW DRT-DM (Distributed Real Time Defect

Management)

• Supports DVD+RW background format

For CDs, the PX-760:

• Writes to CD-R (recordable CD) media at up to 48X speed.

• Writes to CD-RW (rewritable CD) media at up to 24X speed.

• Reads all CD-ROM and CD-R data media at a max imum of 48X

speed.

• Reads CD-DA (audio), CD-RW data media, and CD-R audio media

at up to 40X speed.

• Reads CD-RW audio media at up to 32X speed.

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Features of the PX-760

• Choice of interfaces:

 ATAPI interface: The PX-760A easily installs in virtually any

PC with an E-IDE ATAPI interface.

 Serial ATA interface: The PX-760SA takes advantage of the

benefits of the Serial Advanced Technology Attachment interface, with its smaller, more flexible cables and faster interface speed.

• High speed transfers:

 The PX-760A supports data transfers via Ultra DMA66, DMA

Mode 2, and PIO Mode 4.

 The PX-760SA supports next-generation high speed transfers via

the Serial ATA 1.0 interface.

• AUTOSTRATEGY: Writing technology for unknown media. When a

writable disc isn’t listed in the drive’s internal media catalog, AUTOSTRATEGY automatically checks the disc and develops a write strategy for it.

• PoweRec for CD-R, DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD +R DL, and

DVD-R DL media: Plextor Optimized Writing Error Reduction

Control (PoweRec) adjusts laser power and writing speed so they’re at the optimum settings for that particular disc.

• Replaceable front panel: For mounting in any PC, you can change

the front-panel bezel and tray door from beige to black in a few moments.

• VariRec: Lets you change the write strategy to record at highest

quality on different types of discs. Also provides user adj ustment of the recording power above or below a default level. This adjustment lets you customize the optimum laser power to your own needs.

• Silent Mode: Unique technology that sets the drive for super-silent

operation. By controlling access speed, read/write speed, and tray opening and closing speed, you reduce drive noise to a whisper.

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• MMC compliance: Supports the MMC-4 command set.

• Flash memory: Allows upgrading the PX-760 to the latest firmware

revision (available from the Plextor web site) without opening the computer or physically accessing the drive.

• Black tray: Reduces the effect of optical distortion by absorbing

reflections from the laser beam, enhancing read quality.

• Plug and Play: Supports Windows Plug and Play.

• CPRM support: The PX-760 supports Content Protection for

Recordable Media, so you can play CPRM copy-controlled media.

• Self-test diagnostics: The PX-760 has a self-test diagnostic function

for easy troubleshooting.

• PlexEraser: This data destruction utility makes a recorded disc

(CD-R, DVD+R, DVD-R) unreadable by overwriting the disc’s leadin and user data sectors.

• Q-Check tests: The Plextor PX-760 achieves high-quality recording

on virtually any DVD or CD media. To see for yourself, use the QCheck features to check laser operation or measure and display characteristics of the media you’re using.

• Q-Check TA (Time Analyzer): The PX-760 supports time interval

analysis that shows a histogram of a disc’s lands and pits, a valuable aid in assessing disc quality.

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DVD Features

• Lossless linking for DVD+R/RW and DVD+R DL: Allows

DVD+RW discs to be edited and still play on DVD-ROM players.

• Zero Link for DVD-R/RW, DVD-R DL: Has 0 byte gap bet ween

sessions so the discs are compatible with all players. This allows DVD-RW discs to be edited and still play on DVD-ROM players.

• Double layer and dual layer DVD discs: Reads and writes DVD+R

DL (double layer) and DVD-R DL (dual layer) discs, so you can burn up to 4 hours of high quality MPEG-2/DVD video on a single

8.5-gigabyte DVD disc.

• Wide DVD+R/RW and DVD-R/RW media compatibility: Compatible

with a wide range of DVD±R and DVD±RW media.

• Multiple DVD types: Supports DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, multi-

border, multi-session, DVD±VR, DRT-DM, for read and write.

• Versatile recording modes for DVD+R/RW: Including disc-at-once

(DAO), multi-session, and incremental write for DVD+R DL (double layer) discs; DAO, multi-session, and incremental write for DVD+R; and random access write and sequential write for DVD+RW.

• Recording versatility for DVD-R/RW, too: Including sequential write

for DVD-R DL (dual-layer); DAO, incremental recording, multiborder recording for DVD-R; and DAO, multi-border recording, incremental recording, restricted overwriting, and DRT-DM for DVD-RW.

• SpeedRead: For DVD-Video discs equipped with CSS copy

protection, you can enable fast playback (SpeedRead) or leave at the factory default for quiet video playback.

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CD-R and CD-RW Features

• Variety of recording modes: Supports track-at-once, disc-at-once,

session-at-once, multi-session, and variable and fixed packet writing.

• Buffer Underrun Proof Technology: Eliminates buffer underrun

errors, so you can safely use your computer for other tasks while you’re writing to a CD-R or CD-RW disc.

• Wide compatibility: Wide CD-R and CD-RW media compatibility.

• Orange Book compatibility: Compatible with Orange Book, Parts II

and III.

• OPC and ROPC: Optimum Power Control and Running Optimum

Power Control, which adjust the laser power for the optimum write strategy.

• CD-TEXT, CD+G: Supports CD-TEXT and CD+G writing.

• GigaRec: Variable capacity recording that lets you change CD-R

disc capacity over a range from 60 percent t o 13 0 percent of the rated value. You can get much more data onto a CD. Or decrease disc capacity while gaining improved audio quality.

• SecureRecording: Security protection that lets you make your CDs

readable only by persons wi t h the correct password.

• Overburn: Another way of bur ni n g m ore in fo rmation onto a CD—

audio up to 99 minutes 59 seconds in length, or a data disc up to 875 megabytes in capacity.

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Minimum Configuration to Use the PX-760

Here’s what you’ll need in order to install and use the PX-760 drive.

• Computer: Pentium 4, 1.4-GHz or faster CPU.

• Minimum RAM: 256 MB.

• Interface:

 Model PX-760A requires an IDE ATAPI interface.  Model PX-760SA requires a Serial ATA 1.0 interface that

supports the ATAPI command set.

• Hard disk size: To write to a CD in image mode (that is, to write an

image of a CD to your hard disk), you need 1 GB of free space. For a DVD, 10 GB of free space is recommended. (For more accurate guidelines, see the help files or documentation for the recording software you’re using.)

• Operating System:

 Model PX-760A requires Windows XP, Windows XP 64-bit, or

Windows 2000.

 Model PX-760SA requires Windows XP, Windows XP 64-bit, or

Windows 2000.

What You Can Do with the PX-760

Just look at some of the things you can do with your PX-760:

• Record slide shows or digital video onto DVD+R DL, DVD-R DL,

DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW and DVD-RW discs.

• Play DVD-ROM, DVD+R DL, DVD-R DL, DVD+R, DVD+RW,

DVD-R, and DVD-RW discs.

• Record data or audio onto writ abl e or rew ri t abl e CD m e di a.

• Play music CDs.

• Save photos and other images on rewritable or writable CDs.

• Create a CD or DVD “sneakernet” to share information with

colleagues—just use softwa re to drag and drop files onto DVD+R , DVD+RW, CD-R or CD-RW media, then continue adding files and sharing the same disc.

• Archive images and video to DVD or CD.

• Master new software programs on DVD or CD.

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About Plextools Professional

PlexTools® Professional is a powerful application software package that lets you take full advantage of the CD/DVD functions of th e PX-760 drive. When installed on your computer, this software lets yo u use your Plextor PX-760 to burn CD-R, CD-RW, and DVD discs. It also lets you take advantage of all the special features found in the Plextor PX-760 drive, including Q-Check tests, Secure Recording, GigaRec, and more. For PlexTools Professional det a i l s and downloads, see http://www.plextools.com/.

Precautions

Like the rest of your computer system, your PX-760 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 liquids, including water or cleaning fluids,

to touch the drive. Thinner, benzene, or alcohol-based solvents can mar your drive’s surface.

• Do not drop or jolt the drive.

• Do not move, carry or transport a disc in the drive because this can

cause damage.

• 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 experienced service personnel only.

• Keep your DVDs and CDs 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.

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• Do not clean discs using a circular motion. Instead, using a soft, dry

cloth, wipe gently in a radial motion; start at the center of the disc and proceed to the outer edge.

• Do not attempt to clean your drive using solvent-based cleaners or an

air compressor.

• Do not attempt to clean your drive using a CD cleaning disc. These

discs can damage your drive permanently.

Where to Go From Here

• If you have a PX-760A internal ATAPI drive, see Section 2,

beginning on page

11, to learn how to install your drive.

• If you have a PX-760SA internal drive with the Serial ATA

interface, see Section 3, beginning on page

37, to install it.

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PX-760 Installation and Users Manual 11

2. Installing the

PX-760A Internal ATAPI Drive

This section explains how to physically install your PX-76 0A internal ATAPI drive in your computer.

PX-760A Drive Features and Controls

Before proceeding, become familiar with the controls and features of your Plextor drive. Match the parts of your drive to the illustrations below.

Front Panel—PX-760A Internal Drive

Figure 1: Front panel of the PX-760A internal ATAPI drive

• LED indicator: Illuminated yellow for disc initializing, reading, and

ejecting. Illuminated amber for writing. (Blink rate indicates writing speed.) Illuminated green during standby and when Buffer Underrun Proof Technology is operational. Illuminated yellow, green and amber when AUTOSTR ATEGY is operational.

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• Emergency eject hole: If the automatic eject button does not work,

insert the emergency eject tool, paper clip, or other thin, rigid object in this hole to eject tray. Turn OFF power before using t his feat ure.

• Tray front door: Attached to tray drawer.

• Eject button: Push once to eject tray. Push again to insert the tray

back into the PX-760A. To prevent wear on the drive, always use the eject button to insert the tray.

Rear Panel—PX-760A Internal Drive

Also familiarize yourself with the drive’s rear panel.

Figure 2: Rear panel of the PX-760A internal ATAPI drive

• Digital audio output c onnec tor: Outputs a digital stereo signal. Use

this to connect to a sound board that supports Sony/Philip s Digital Interface (SPDIF) or Digital-In.

• Analog audio output connector: Not used.

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Section 2. Installing the PX-760A Internal ATAPI Drive

PX-760 Installation and Users Manual 13

• Mode jumper: Use the mode jumper to select operation as an IDE

master or slave, or for cable select. In general, leave this jumper at its factory setting, which is master; and ensure that any other device on the bus is jumpered as slave.

• IDE cable connector: Connects to your computer’s IDE (ATAPI)

interface using 80-conductor Ultra cable.

NOTE: Although the PX-760A will operate with a 40-wire IDE cable, it may not be able to write at 18X unless an 80-conductor IDE/ATA cable is used.

• Power connector: Connects to your co mputer’s power supply to

provide DC +5 volts and +12 volts to the PX-760A.

What Else Is In the PX-760A 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 Plex tor drive was in their possession. Plextor currently sells the PX-760A drive in this configuration:

• PX-760A DVD±R DL, DVD±R/RW and CD-R/RW drive

• Replacement front bezel (beige) and disc tray front panel

• 80-conductor IDE/ATA cable

• 1 piece of approved DVD+R media

• 4 mounting screws

• Emergency eject tool

• Spare jumper

• Plextor software disc with bundled PlexTools® Professional. Also

contains Roxio Easy Media Creator 7 Basic DVD Edition, and a PDF of the PX-760 Installation and Users Manual.

• PX-760 Quick Installation Guide

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Save Your Box!

Be sure to save the box after you have installed your drive. The box and its packaging material were designed and drop tested to ensure your drive can endure rough treatment and still arrive in working order. If you have to ship your drive back to Plextor, you’ll want to send it in the original box. (For more details about returning your drive to Plextor, see page 91.)

If the security sticker on top of your box is cut, there may be a good reason: for example, a dealer may have 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.

NOTE: This applies to the Plextor retail box. Your drive may have been shipped in a different box with other conte nts, depending on whom you purchased the drive from and what they included inside the bo x.

If your drive came pre-installed, some or all of the items above may have been installed and may not be separately available. See the Plextor web site for locations to purchase additional or replacement accessories.

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PX-760 Installation and Users Manual 15

PX-760A QuickStart Installation For Experienced PC Users Only

If you’ve installed computer peripherals before, use this QuickStart installation to get up and running quick ly.

IMPORTANT NOTE: To ensure maximum writing speed, you must connect the PX-760A to an 80-conductor IDE/ATA flat ribbon cable. (This newer 80-conductor ribbon cable is physically interchangeable with the 40-conductor cable found in older computers.) The Plextorsupplied cable is an 80-conductor cable.

Typical Scenario 1: You have a PC with an IDE interface installed, you have Windows 2000 or XP, and you have nothing installed on the secondary IDE port. What to do: Leave the PX-760A’s jumper set to Master, attach it to the secondary IDE port, and go. Windows will recognize the drive automatically.

Typical Scenario 2: You have a PC with an IDE interface installed, you have Windows 2000 or XP, the primary IDE port already has two devices connected and you have a CD-ROM installed on the secondary IDE port. What to do: Change the CD-ROM to Slave, leave the PX-760A’s jumper set to Master and attach the PX-760A to the secondary IDE port. Windows recognizes the new drive automatically.

If neither of these situations applies to you, or you’re not comfortable with IDE installation, read the rest of this section for more detailed installation instructions.

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Install the Bezel

If the PX-760A drive’s current front-panel color is suitable for your computer, you can proceed to “

Mount the PX-760A Drive” below. But if you want to change the bezel color, first install the ivory or the black bezel and disc tray front panel as outlined under “

Changing the Front-

Panel Color” on page

58.

Mount the PX-760A Drive

Here’s an overview of what you’ll do to mount the drive:

1. Turn OFF your computer system.

2. Set the jumpers for your new PX-760A drive, if necessary.

3. Mount the drive into an available drive bay inside the computer

system.

4. Make all necessary cabling connections: IDE cable, power cable, and

audio cable.

5. Turn your computer system ON.

The following pages give more details for this procedure.

Open the Computer and Prepare for Installation

To determine whether your PX-760A will be a Master or a Slave, open your computer and examine the IDE connections to the motherboard.

To open the computer:

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.

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PX-760 Installation and Users Manual 17

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. See

Figure 3 for an example.

Figure 3: Removing a typical computer's cover

Determine Your Existing IDE Configuration

With your computer open, determine the existing IDE config uration. You can do this by looking at the IDE ribbon cable (or cables—there may be two) and seeing what is connected to them.

One end of the IDE cable connects to the IDE por t on your computer’s motherboard; and there are usually two other connectors for attaching peripheral devices such as a hard disk, DVD or CD-ROM drive, or your PX-760A drive. If there are two devices, one is configured as Master and the other the Slave, as indicated by the position of jumpers on the back of the drive.

If your computer is set up for Cable Select, or CSEL, both devices will be jumpered as Cable Select. In older computer, this configuration required a special Cable Select cable.

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18 PX-760 Installation and Users Manual

If there are two IDE cables, one is for the primary IDE bus and the other is for the secondary bus.

Before you install your PX-760A, your computer’s IDE configuration is usually one of the following:

• Configuration A: Hard disks connected as Master and Slave devices

on primary IDE port; DVD or CD-ROM drive connected as the Master device on secondary IDE port.

• Configuration B: Hard disk connected as Master device and DVD

or CD-ROM drive connected as Slave on the primary IDE port; nothing connected to secondary IDE port.

• Configuration C: Hard disk connected as Master device on primary

IDE port; nothing connected to secondary IDE port.

• Configuration D: System uses special “Cable Select” cables; all

devices are jumpered for Cable Select.

Inspect Your Computer’s Cables

To ensure that it can write at maximum rated speed (18X), you should make sure the PX-760A is connected to an 80-conductor IDE/ATA flat ribbon cable. If you have an older computer, it may still be equipped with a 40-conductor cable.

NOTE: Although the newer IDE/ATA cable has 80 conductors (wires), its connectors have only 40 pins, so it’s physicall y interc hangeable with the older cable. And in fact, your PX-760A drive may work fine with a 40conductor cable. But to ensure writing at maximum speed, it’s best to use the newer 80-conductor cable, such as the one provided by Plextor. The 80-conductor cable cancels interference much better than the older model, allowing faster data transfers.

CAUTION: The length of any IDE cable cannot exceed 18 inches.

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Section 2. Installing the PX-760A Internal ATAPI Drive

PX-760 Installation and Users Manual 19

Confirm That You Have an 80-Conductor IDE Cable

How can you tell? The 80-conductor cable is slightly wider than the older 40-conductor version. The wires in the 80-conductor version are narrower, too.

Figure 4: Comparing the older 40-conductor cable (top) to the new 80-

conductor type (bottom). Be sure to use the 80-conductor cable.

The extra IDE/ATA cable shipped with your PX-760A is the new 80conductor version. So if you have an older 40-conductor cable, replace it with the 80-conductor cable that came with your Plextor drive. (Or purchase an 80-conductor IDE/ATA cable at an electronics supply store.)

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20 PX-760 Installation and Users Manual

Do You Have Cable Select?

Many computers from major manufacturers use special Cable Select cables. The Cable Select cable typically has markings that identify the connectors for Master, Slave, and Motherboard.

Figure 5: If you have an older 40-conductor Cable Select cable (top),

replace it with the new 80-conductor cable (bottom).

If you have one of these older Cable Select cables, replace it with the 80-conductor IDE/ATA cable from Plextor. (All 80-conductor cables that meet the ATA specifications also support Cable Select.) The connector color identifies master and slave.

With the 80-conductor cable:

• The blue connector attaches to the computer motherboard or

controller.

• The gray connector is in the middle of the cable, and goes to any

slave (device 1) drive, if present.

• The black connector is at the opposite end from the host connector

and goes to the master drive (device 0), or to a single drive if only one is used.

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PX-760 Installation and Users Manual 21

If you are unsure whether or not your system has a Cable Select cable installed, either look at the cable or look at the jumpers on the existing DVD-ROM or CD-ROM drive. If any device is jumpered as Cable Select, then both devices on that cable must be jumpered that way.

Do You Need a Power Cable?

In most computers, you will find extra power connectors in the computer ready for your use. When you open the computer, check the cable running from your power supply to your hard disk drive 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 PX-760A.

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 retail and mail-order computer stores.

Set the Drive’s Mode Jumper

You specify your drive's Master, Slave, or Cable Select setting before installing it. You do this by changing the position of a jumper on the mode jumper block at the rear of the drive.

Your drive ships from our factory with its mode jumper set to operate the PX-760A as a Master. This will work in most custom system configurations. If your computer is from a large OEM system manufacturer such as IBM, Hewlett Packard/Compaq, Dell, or Gateway, you will need to pay particular attention to whether the co mpu ter uses the Cable Select scheme.

NOTE: The jumper configuration on the drive has priority over Cable Select. So if the jumper of one device on a cable is set to Master, the jumper of the other device must be set for Slave. In this case, location of the devices on the cable is not important.

If you have only one device, it must be set to Master or Cable Select, and it must be at the end of the cable.

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Changing the Mode Jumper on Your PX-760A Drive

The drive arrives from the factory with its mode jumper set to Master. (A function is ON if the jumper is installed and OFF if the jumper is removed.)

Figure 6: Factory settings for mode jumper at the rear

of the PX-760A drive

Changing to a Master, Slave, or Cable Select

The Master/Slave/Cable Select setting for the drive is determined by the mode jumper. The jumper is placed over one of the sets of mode pins. To change the drive from Master to Slave or to Cable Select, you must move the jumper.

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For example, to change the drive to be a Slave, move the jumper to the middle set of mode pins, leaving the other pins uncovered. To change the drive for Cable Select, move the jumper to the left set of mode pins.

Note that if any device is jumpered as Cable Select, then both devices connected to that cable must be jumpered as Cable Select. (And if you’re not using the newer 80-conductor IDE/ATA cable, the cable you use must be a special Cable Select cable.)

Changing Jumper Settings

• To remove a jumper, pull it off with your fingers or a pair of needle-

nose pliers.

• To install a jumper, push it onto the jumper pins.

CAUTION: Ensure power to the drive is OFF before installing or removing a jumper.

Figure 7: Install the mode jumper across vertical pairs of pins

CAUTION: Install the mode jumper across the pins as shown (vertically). Do not connect one pin switch to another by installing the jumper lengthwise (horizontally). Doing so could resu lt in damage to the drive.

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Select an IDE Configuration

Set the PX-760A’s jumper and cable it according to the desired configuration. Keep these rules in mind:

• For best DVD±RW and CD-RW performance, try to connect the

PX-760A to the IDE port that is not connected to the hard disk drive or to a DVD or CD-ROM drive. In most cases, this will be the secondary IDE port.

• For best results, set the PX-760A to be the Master, if possible.

• If you have only one device on a cable, always set its jumper as the

Master, never as the Slave.

Before PX-760A

Installation

How to Install the

PX-760A

Hard disks connected as Master and Slave devices on primary IDE port; DVD-ROM or CD-ROM drive connected as Master device on secondary IDE port.

Remove the DVD-ROM or CD-ROM drive, change it to Slave, and re-connect it to the secondary IDE port.

Set the mode jumper to Master, and connect the PX-760A as Master device to the secondary IDE port.

Figure 8. How to install the PX-760A if your computer is originally

set up in configuration A

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NOTE: The configuration shown in Figure 8 can make it very difficult to write from the DVD or CD drive to the PX-760A at maximum rated speed using “on-the-fly” copying.

System configuration and performance will make a big difference. Depending on how fast the DVD or CD-ROM drive can stream data to the PX-760A, it may not be fast enough to keep the buffer full. In this case, the buffer may become empty and a buffer underrun error may occur. However, because it is equipped with Buffer Underrun Proof Technology, your PX-760A can still make successful copies if you use software that supports this feature. (All software shipped with PX-760A drive retail kits supports Buffer Underrun Proof Technology.)

If you still have problems writing with this configuration, use the image writing method (that is, write an image to your hard drive, then write that image onto the DVD±R/RW or CD-R/RW media), or record at a lower speed. We also recommend that DMA be enabled on your computer, if your system supports it.

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26 PX-760 Installation and Users Manual

Before PX-760A

Installation

How to Install the

PX-760A

Hard disk connected as Master device, and CD-ROM or DVDROM drive connected as Slave on the primary IDE port; nothing connected to secondary IDE port.

Set the mode jumper to Master, and connect the PX-760A as Master to secondary IDE port.

Figure 9. How to install the PX-760A if your computer is originally

set up in configuration B

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PX-760 Installation and Users Manual 27

Before PX-760A

Installation

How to Install the

PX-760A

Hard disk connected as Master device on primary IDE port; nothing connected to secondary IDE port.

Set the mode jumper to Master, and connect the PX-760A as Master to secondary IDE port.

Figure 10. How to install the PX-760A if your computer is originally

set up in configuration C

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28 PX-760 Installation and Users Manual

Before PX-760A

Installation

How to Install the

PX-760A

System uses special Cable Select cables; all devices are jumpered for Cable Select.

Set the PX-760A’s mode jumper to CSEL, and connect the drive to the end of the cable from the computer’s IDE interface connector.

Figure 11: How to install the PX-760A if your computer is originally

set up in configuration D

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About Cable Select

The Cable Select jumper position sets the PX-760A drive to use the CSEL signal from the IDE interface for configuration purposes. This signal automatically selects the correct Master/Slave setting for the drive.

Figure 12: Configuring the PX-760A drive for Cable Select

To use CSEL, you must have:

• A computer that supports CSEL.

• An IDE cable that supports CSEL (Cable Select). The 80-conductor

IDE/ATA cable from Plextor supports CSEL.

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30 PX-760 Installation and Users Manual

Set the PX-760A for Multiword DMA (If Needed)

Your PX-760A ships from the factory with the drive set to Ultra DMA. This setting should work in most cases, so you don’t have to do anything more.

With some personal computers (usually older ones) that do not have an Ultra DMA IDE chipset, the computer may “hang” or crash with the PX-760A set to the default Ultra DMA setting.

If this happens, change the PX-760A to multiword DMA mode by adding the spare jumper to the mode jumper pins. Add it this way:

• If your drive is set to be Master, add the second jumper to the CSEL

pins.

• If your drive is set to be a Slave, add the second jumper to the CSEL

pins.

• If your drive is set for Cable Select, add the second jumper to either

Master or Slave pins.

Figure 13: Add a second jumper if you need to

change to multiword DMA

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PX-760 Installation and Users Manual 31

Mount the PX-760A Drive

Before proceeding to install the PX-760A drive in your personal computer, double-check your jumper setting.

Record the Serial Number

Record the serial number and TLA number of your drive before you install it.

Mount the Drive in the Computer

You can mount your internal drive in any available bay. You must remove the small panel that covers the bay that you want to use.

NOTE: The drive can be mounted horizontally or vertically

If you don’t have an empty bay, remove the existing IDE DVD-ROM or CD-ROM drive and install the PX-760A.

You must make a minimum of two cable connections to your PX-760A. The two cable connections that you must make are:

• IDE cable

• Power cable

There is also an optional digital audio cable connection. Make this connection if the sound board is equipped with SPDIF or Digital-In and you wish to use the digital audio output from your PX-760A.

To mount the PX-760A drive:

1. Make sure the power to your computer and any external peripherals

is turned OFF and your computer is UNPLUGGED from its power source.

2. If you haven't already removed the cover from your computer,

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 3 for details.

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32 PX-760 Installation and Users Manual

3. Remove the cover panel from the bay that will hold the 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.)

Figure 14: 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.

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 lower pair of

holes as shown in

Figure 15. (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.

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PX-760 Installation and Users Manual 33

CAUTION: 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 15: Installing mounting rails (if needed)

6. Plug one connector of the 80-conductor IDE/ATA cable into the IDE

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 and back toward the motherboard. The drive should slide smoothly into the bay. If it does not, check for obstructions in the bay and ensure the side rails are attached properly.

7. If not already connected, attach the other end of the IDE ribbon cable

to the connector on the motherboard.

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Figure 16: Connect one end of the IDE cable to the motherboard and

the other end to the drive. If your Plextor drive is the only device on

the cable, attach it at the end of the cable, leaving the

center connector free.

CAUTION: With some IDE ribbon cables, it is easy to accidentally plug your IDE 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 the drive. (Pin 1 on the drive is closest to the power connector.) Note that each connector on most ribbon cables also has a “key” in the middle. This key should fit into a slot in the middle of each connector of the motherboard, your PX-760A drive, and any other internal IDE peripherals.

8. Double-check your work. You must ensure the side of the IDE cable

with the red stripe is matched to Pin 1 on the interface board and on the drive.

CAUTION: In the case of only one IDE device, you must make certain that one end of the cable is always connected to the IDE connector on the motherboard. The other end of the connector must be connected to a device. The end connector of the cable should never be left unconnected.

9. Connect a power cable from the computer to the power connector

(DC INPUT) of the drive. In most computers, you will find free power connectors that are ready for your use.

CAUTION: The power connector on the cable and the receptacle on the drive are keyed. Do not force the power connector into the drive, or the drive and/or the computer may be damaged.

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PX-760 Installation and Users Manual 35

Figure 17: Cable connections for an internal IDE drive

10. Connect a digital audio cable if your sound board is equipped with

the Sony/Philips Digital Interface (SPDIF) or Digital-In, and you wish to use the digital audio output from your PX-760A. This cable runs from the digital audio output connector pins on the PX-760A back panel to the sound board. (This cable is not supplied by Plextor.)

11. Mount the PX-760A 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 or the wrong thread type.

This completes the installation procedure. Go to “Section

4. Using Your

PX-760” on page

47 to see how to use your PX-760A drive.

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PX-760 Installation and Users Manual 37

3. Installing the

PX-760SA Internal SATA Drive

This section explains how to physically install your PX-76 0SA internal Serial ATA drive in your computer. The steps are as follows:

1. Turn OFF your computer system.

2. Mount the drive into an available drive bay inside the computer

system.

3. Make the cabling connections: Serial ATA cable and power cable.

4. Turn your computer system ON.

The following pages give more details for this procedure.

NOTE: Your computer’s SATA connection must support the ATAPI command set. Some computer motherboards have SATA RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Discs) chipsets that do not support the ATAPI command set used by optical disc drives, or that do not have BIOS settings to enable IDE/ATAPI functions. If you are unsure, consult your motherboard manual or vendor web site for compatibility, BIOS versions, and BIOS settings. And check the Plextor PX-760SA motherboard compatibility listing at http://www.plextor.com/english/support/support_compatability.html

PX-760SA Drive Features and Controls

Before proceeding, become familiar with the controls and features of your Plextor drive. Match the parts of your drive to the illustrations below.

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38 PX-760 Installation and Users Manual

Front Panel—PX-760SA Internal Drive

Figure 18: Front panel of the PX-760SA internal SATA drive

• LED indicator: Illuminated yellow for disc initializing, reading, and

• Emergency eject hole: If the automatic eject button does not work,

insert the emergency eject tool, paper clip, or other thin, rigid object in this hole to eject tray. Turn OFF power before using t his feat ure.

• Tray front door: Attached to tray drawer.

• Eject button: Push once to eject tray. Push again to insert the tray

back into the PX-760SA. To prevent wear on the driv e, always use the eject button to insert the tray.

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Section 3. Installing the PX-760SA Internal SATA Drive

PX-760 Installation and Users Manual 39

Rear Panel—PX-760SA Internal SATA Drive

Also familiarize yourself with the drive’s rear panel.

Figure 19: Rear panel of the PX-760SA internal SATA drive

• SATA cable connector: Connects to your computer’s SATA

interface using a 7-pin SATA interface cable.

• Power connector: Connects to your co mputer’s 15-pin SATA

power cable to provide DC +5 volts and +12 volts to the PX-760SA.

NOTE: If your computer has only 4-pin power connectors, use the SATA power cable adapter to connect to the 15-pin power connector on the PX-760SA.

• Self-test/DMA jumper: Leave this jumper o ff f or normal operation.

 When the jumper is installed, the PX-760SA drive runs in

PIO/multiword DMA mode.

 When the jumper is installed and you hold down the eject button

during computer startup, the drive’s self-test diagnostic routine is initiated.

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Section 3. Installing the PX-760SA Internal SATA Drive

40 PX-760 Installation and Users Manual

What Else Is In the PX-760SA Box

• PX-760SA DVD±R DL, DVD±R/RW and CD-R/RW drive

• Replacement front bezel (beige) and disc tray front panel

• 7-pin SATA interface cable

• 4-pin-to-15-pin SATA power cable adapter

• 1 piece of approved DVD+R media

• 4 mounting screws

• Spare jumper

• Emergency eject tool

• Plextor software disc with bundled PlexTools® Professional. Also

contains Roxio Easy Media Creator 7 Basic DVD Edition and a PDF of the PX-760 Installation and Users Manual.

• PX-760 Quick Installation Guide

Save Your Box!

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Section 3. Installing the PX-760SA Internal SATA Drive

PX-760 Installation and Users Manual 41

Set the PX-760SA DMA Jumper (If Needed)

Your PX-760SA ships from the factory with no DMA jumper installed. (The pins are empty.) The empty pins mean the drive is set to Ultra DMA. This setting should work in most cases, so you don’t have to do anything more.

With some personal computers that do not have an embedded non-RAID Serial ATA chipset, the computer may “hang” or crash with the PX760SA installed. If this happens, change the PX-760SA to multiword DMA mode by installing the spare jumper across the two DMA jumper pins.

Figure 20: Add the PX-760SA DMA jumper if you need to change

from Ultra DMA (default) to multiword DMA

Adding the jumper also configures the PX-760SA for self-test. See “

Using the PX-760SA Self-Test Diagnostics” on page 68 for more

details.

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42 PX-760 Installation and Users Manual

Mount the PX-760SA Drive

Before proceeding to install the PX-760SA drive in your personal computer, make sure you have all the cables you’ll need.

Record the Serial Number

Note the serial number and TLA number of your drive, and record those numbers.

Mount the Drive in the Computer

You can mount your internal drive in any available bay. You must remove the small panel that covers the bay that you want to use.

NOTE: The drive can be mounted horizontally or vertically

If you don’t have an empty bay, remove the existing DVD-ROM or CDROM drive and install the PX-760SA.

You must make two cable connections to your PX-760SA. The two cable connections that you must make are:

• SATA cable

• Power cable

To mount the PX-760SA drive:

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.

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. See the illustration below for an example.

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PX-760 Installation and Users Manual 43

Figure 21: Removing a typical computer's cover

3. Remove the cover panel from the bay that will hold the 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.)

Figure 22: Removing the cover panel from a bay

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4. Determine if you must install mounting rails on the sides of your

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 lower pair of

holes as shown in the illustration below. (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.

CAUTION: 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 23: Installing mounting rails (if needed)

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PX-760 Installation and Users Manual 45

6. Plug one connector of the 7-pin SATA interface cable into the SATA

connector (the right-hand 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 and back toward the motherboard. The drive should slide smoothly into the bay. If it does not, check for obstructions in the bay and ensure the side rails are attached properly.

Figure 24: Cable connections for an internal SATA drive

NOTE: Your computer’s SATA connection must support the ATAPI command set. Some computer motherboards have SATA RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Discs) chipsets that do not support the command set used by optical disc drives, or that do not have BIOS settings to enable IDE/ATAPI functions. If you are unsure, consult your motherboard manual or vendor web site for compatibility, BIOS versions, and BIOS settings. And check the Plextor PX-760SA motherboard compatibility listing at http://www.plextor.com/english/support/support_compatability.html

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46 PX-760 Installation and Users Manual

7. If not already connected, attach the other end of the 7-pin SATA

interface cable to the Serial ATA connector on the computer motherboard (or on a PCI board, if that is how the Serial ATA interface is provided in your computer). When connecting the Serial ATA cable, note that cable connectors are keyed, and will fit only one way. For example, the initials “SATA” on the cable connector should be up.

8. Connect a power cable from the computer to the power connector of

the drive. In most computers, you will find free power connectors that are ready for your use.

 If your computer is equipped with 15-pin SATA power cables,

you can connect a power cable directly to the PX-760SA drive.

 If your computer’s power cables have only 4-pin power

connectors, use the 4-pin SATA power cable adapter that came with your PX-760SA drive.

CAUTION: The power connector on the cable and the receptacle on the drive are keyed. Do not force the power connector into the drive, or the drive and/or the computer could be damaged.

9. Mount the PX-760SA 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 or the wrong thread type.

This completes the installation procedure. Go on to the next section to see how to use your PX-760SA drive.

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PX-760 Installation and Users Manual 47

4. Using Your PX-760

This section explains how to use your PX-760 drive and how to load, handle and care for your DVDs and CDs.

What Media to Use

Use the right media! Your PX-760 drive's capabilities change depending on which type of compact disc you use.

DVD Media

DVD recordable media is available in two different, non-compatible formats:

• DVD+R, DVD+R DL (double layer) and DVD+RW

• DVD-R, DVD-R DL (dual layer) and DVD-RW

Your PX-760 can read and write either media format, in single layer or double layer media. It supports all these types of DVD media:

• Digital Video Discs: You can immediately play pre-recorded DVD

discs, including movies and other DVDs.

• DVD+R DL, DVD-R DL, DVD+R, DVD-R: Recordable DVD.

You can record on these discs, but only once. You can also read them.

• DVD+RW, DVD-RW: ReWritable DVD. You can record and re-

record (up to 1,000 times) on these discs. You can also read them.

Figure 25: The logo identifies the type of DVD media

With double layer media, you don’t need to turn the disc over to record on side 2.

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48 PX-760 Installation and Users Manual

CD-ROM Media

In addition, you can use these types of CD media:

• CD-ROM: You can immediately play or read prerecorded compact

discs, such as audio CDs and data discs.

• CD-R: Recordable CD. You can record on these discs, but only

once. You can also read them.

• CD-RW: Normal Speed, High Speed, and Ultra Speed ReWritable

CD. These discs support recording and re-recording (up to 1,000 times). You can also read them.

To achieve a certain writing speed, you must use the appropriate media. To achieve 48X CD-R writing speed you must use certified 48X media; and to achieve 24X CD-RW writing speed you must use Ultra Speed CD-RW media.

Remember:

• Using Normal Speed CD-RW discs (that is, NS-RW media) you can

rewrite at 4X.

• Using High Speed CD-RW discs (HS-RW media), you can rewrite at

10X.

• Using Ultra Speed CD-RW discs (US-RW media) in this drive, you

can rewrite at up to 24X.

You can write to Ultra Speed CD-RW discs only on drives that support this media. Drives that are capable of writing to Ultra Speed ReWritable media, such as the Plextor PX-760, are identified by a “Compact Disc ReWritable Ultra Speed” logo.

Figure 26: The logo also identifies the type of CD-RW media

See the Plextor web site at

www.plextor.com for the latest list of

recommended media for the PX-760.

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Section 4. Using Your PX-760

PX-760 Installation and Users Manual 49

Tray Loading and Operation

To load and unload the tray:

1. While the drive is powered up, push the eject button on the front

panel. The tray drawer slides out in 3–4 seconds.

Figure 27: Loading the tray

2. Lay a CD or DVD disc in the depression in the tray, label side up.

3. Press the eject button again and the tray will slide shut within

seconds.

NOTE: Always use the eject button to close the tray in a smooth and secure manner. Closing the tray by pressing the front of the drawer using your hand is not recommended and risks damage or premature wearing of the mechanism.

Handling DVD and CD Media

Take care when handling blank CD and DVD media. Dust, scratches, and fingerprints on either side of the disc can cause write er rors 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.

CAUTION: We recommend using a “non-toxic” marker, such as a Sharpie® pen, that conforms to the ASTM D-4236 standard. Some

permanent markers will damage the media. Also, do not press too hard when writing on the disc.

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50 PX-760 Installation and Users Manual

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. Also, attempting to remove the label may permanently damage the disc.

Cleaning Discs

For proper read and write performance, your 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.

Figure 28: 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.

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Mounting Position

You can operate your PX-760 drive in either a horizontal or a vertical position.

Playing DVDs

To play a digital video disc, insert the DVD as you would any other disc. The drive plays both single layer and double layer discs.

The first time: A code on each DVD allows it to be played only on players designed for a certain regional area, such as North America, Europe, etc. When the drive ships from the factory there is no region code set. The first time a DVD that has a region setting is inserted into the drive, the drive is automatically set to that region code.

If you later insert a DVD with a different region code, you are prompted to either accept changing the new region code or not. If you don’t accept the change, then that DVD will not play. If you do accept the change, then the region code setting is changed. But remember: you can chang e the drive’s region code only 5 times. After that, you can’t change it any more.

Writing to DVD Media

You need special software that supports writing to DVD+R, DVD+R DL, and DVD+RW discs; or to DVD -R DL, DVD-R and DVD-RW discs.

Specifying +R/RW or -R/RW

You don’t need to specify whether to write to +R/RW or -R/RW. The selection is automatically made for you, based on the media you insert in the drive.

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Writing to CD-R and CD-RW Media

In conjunction with your drive, mastering and packet writing software allows you to write audio, video, data, or other information to writable (CD-R) or rewritable (CD-RW) media. The PX-760 writes to all types of CD-RW media.

Using the LED Indicator

The color and blink rate of the front-panel LED indicator give you information about the drive’s operation.

When you are writing to a CD-R or CD-RW disc, the color and blink rate of the front-panel LED indicator indicate the speed of writing, as follows:

Operation

LED color

On/Off/Blink

Blinking

interval

No disc – Off – Eject Yellow On – Loading – Off – Initialize Yellow On – Standby Green On – Read Yellow On – DVD write,

8X and higher

Amber Blink 40ms

DVD write, 4-7X

Amber Blink 80ms

DVD write, less than 4X

Amber Blink 150ms

CD-R write, 32X and higher

Amber Blink 40ms

CD-R write, 16-31X

Amber Blink 80ms

CD-R write, less than 16X

Amber Blink 150ms

CD-RW write, 24X

Amber Blink 40ms

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Operation

LED color

On/Off/Blink

Blinking

interval

CD-RW write, 10-23X; 10X CLV

Amber Blink 80ms

CD-RW write, 4X

Amber Blink 150ms

Buffer Underrun Proof / DVD linking active

Green On –

Write setting created by AUTOSTRATEGY

Yellow-greenamber

Blink 200ms

Switching to SpeedRead for Video Playback

When you are playing a DVD-V ide o disc that has CSS (copy protection via the Content Scrambling System), the PX-760 normally plays at a slow speed with a maximum of 2X CLV speed to reduce drive noise. You can speed up DVD playback by turning on SpeedRead with PlexTools Professional software. In PlexTools Professional, go to Drive Settings | Advanced and enable or disable SpeedRead with the check box.

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5. Maintenance and Tr oubleshooting

This section explains maintenance and troubleshooting procedures for your PX-760 drive.

With proper maintenance, you can prevent problems. If trouble arises, you can often solve many simple problems on your own, rather than wait for assistance from a Plextor representative.

Cleaning the PX-760 Drive

Plextor drives are sealed against external contamination, so in a normal computer environment and with normal use, your drive should not require internal cleaning. However, if your drive has been in use for some time and has just recently started to exhibit read/write problems, it is possible that dust has accumulated on the laser lens. In this case:

• If your drive is still in warranty and you are experiencing problems,

send the drive to Plextor. (See “

Returns” on page 91.)

• If your drive is out of warranty, before returning the drive for repair

you may want to try a short blast of canned air aimed at the center of the drive. Use only electronics-grade canned air: sterile, filtered, and moisture-free. If you notice no improvements after this step, you will need to return the drive for repair.

CAUTION: Do not attempt to clean your drive using any solvent-based cleaners. Also, do not use an air compressor, because the high-pressure blast can damage the drive.

ANOTHER CAUTION: Do not use a CD cleaning disc. Cleaning discs that use a felt pad can scratch the laser lens surface and render the drive inoperable. Cleaning discs with brushes may also scratch the lens. Moreover, these cleaning discs are often out of balance, making their operation very noisy.

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Upgrading Firmware

Plextor creates firmware revisions to meet the particular needs of large computer manufacturers. It is rare that these revisions will impact the performance or operation of your drive. However, we advise that you always update your drive with the latest available firmware. Among other benefits, updating firmware ensures that your drive has the latest media catalog. Before troubleshooting a possible problem with your PX760 drive please visit our web site at

8www.plextor.com to check if you

have the latest firmware.

To obtain new firmware for your drive:

1. Go to the Plextor web site at

www.plextor.com.

2. Look for firmware upgrades in the Support area, 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 in your drive’s flash memory:

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.

3. Restart your system.

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Emergency Eject

If the computer power is turned off or the automatic eject button at the front of the drive does not work , use this procedure to open the drive.

To use the emergency eject tool to open the drive:

1. Make sure power to the drive is OFF. (That is, turn off your

computer.)

2. At the front of the drive, insert the emergency eject tool, or a paper

clip or other thin, rigid object, into the emergency eject hole.

Figure 29: Emergency eject

3. Push the tool or other object straight in, until the disc tray clicks

open.

4. Carefully continue to slide the disc tray open.

5. Remove the CD from the disc tray.

6. Carefully push the disc tray shut.

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Changing the Front-Panel Color

By using the replacement bezel and disc tray face plate you can change the PX-760’s front-panel color in a few moments.

CAUTION: Avoid creating static electricity. Be sure to wear a grounding strap when performing this procedure.

To install a different bezel and disc tray face plate:

1. If the PX-760 is already installed in a computer, turn the computer

power OFF and open the computer case.

2. If necessary, remove cables from the rear of the PX-760 and remove

the drive. (You may be able to gain access to the necessary parts of the drive by sliding it forward without removing any cables.)

3. Use the emergency eject tool or a paper clip to open the tray drawer

as illustrated in

Figure 29 above.

4. Turn the drive upside down (or work from the bottom) and locate the

two hooks at the bottom of the disc tray face plate. The hooks are toward the left and right edges of the tray mask.

Figure 30: Locate the two disc tray face plate hooks

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5. Hold the disc tray securely and gently push the tray face plate

slightly to release it from the hooks. Pry a hook away from the tray and press down. When both hooks are released, remove the mask by pressing it off the disc tray.

Figure 31: Unhook the tray mask an d push to release it

6. Locate the four bezel hooks. Two are on the bottom of the drive, and

one is on each side.

Figure 32: Locate the four bezel hooks

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7. Turn the drive right side up and locate the catch at the center of the

top of the drive.

Figure 33: Also locate the catch at the top front of the drive.

8. With the drive right side up, release the two side bezel hooks. To

release the hooks, press inward using the angled portion of the eject tool. Do this only for the two bezel hooks on the sides. (You don’t have to do this for the hooks on the bottom.)

Figure 34: Press in with the angled portion of the eject tool to

release the two side bezel hooks

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9. With the two side bezel hooks released, tilt the top of the bezel

slightly forward to release the top catch, then slide the bezel forward to remove it.

Figure 35: Pull forward gently to remove the front bezel

CAUTION: Do not touch any of the internal components that are visible.

10. Position the new bezel in front of the drive and slide it gently in

place. Ensure that the top clip and all four bezel hooks lock into place.

Figure 36: Slide the new bezel into position and make sure all four

bezel hooks snap into place

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11. Install the new tray face plate by pressing the L-shaped forms on

both sides of the face plate into the rib of the disc tray, and sliding the face plate downward until the two hooks are fixed.

Figure 37: Install the tray face plate

Close the disc tray gently, and reinstall the drive in the computer.

To install the drive in your computer, go to Section 2 on page 11 (for the PX-760A drive) or Section 3 on page

37 (for the PX-760SA drive).

Troubleshooting

If you have problems during or right after installation of your drive, first make sure the drive is recognized. If you still have problems, visit the Plextor web site for tips and troubleshooting help.

Make Sure the Drive Is Recognized

If you’re having trouble after installation, make sure the PX-760 drive is recognized by your computer. To check whether the drive is recognized:

To see if the drive is recognized in Windows:

1. Turn the computer ON. After the computer boots up, you should see

the Windows display.

2. Open Windows Explorer or My Computer and ensure there is an

icon for the Plextor drive, the hard disk, and another DVD or CDROM drive, if present. The Plextor icon may be D: or E: or another designator.

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3. If the PX-760 drive is not recognized in Windows, reboot the

computer and use your computer’s setup program to program the BIOS to recognize it.

NOTE: Refer to the computer’s documentation for information on how to run the motherboard BIOS setup program.

 For the PX-760A, use the motherboard BIOS setup program to

set up IDE Master and Slave designations, as needed for your configuration, on the primary or secondary IDE bus. If the IDE interface is disabled on your computer, you will need to enable it. If a Master or Slave device is set to “disable” or “none” or a similar designation, change it as appropriate to “enable” or “auto” (or something similar, depending on your setup program).

 For the 760SA, verify the SATA chipset supports the ATAPI

Command set. Use your computer’s motherboard BIOS setup program to enable SATA/IDE/ATAPI as needed for your configuration.

Note that if your computer’s SATA chipset is dedicated for SATA RAID, the connection may not support optical disc drives like the PX-760SA. Consult your motherboard manual or vendor website for assistance in configuration or for questions of compatibility.

4. Save and exit your CMOS setup to restart your computer with the

new settings.

5. In Windows 2000 or XP, right-click on the My Computer icon and

select Properties. Click on the Hardware tab, then click on the Device Manager button. Click the + sign next to the DVD/CD-ROM drives heading and look for the “PLEXTOR DVDR PX-76 0A” ent ry underneath.

If you do not see this drive listed as one of the devices, or if it has a yellow diamond with an exclamation point (!), contact Plextor Technical Support. (See “

Appendix B: Technical Support” for the different ways

you can contact us.)

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Using the PX-760A Self-Test Diagnostics

The PX-760A drive contains a set of self-test diagnostics that can help isolate trouble and determine if a problem is in the drive or elsewhere.

NOTE: Using the self-test diagnostics requires opening the computer and removing a cable from the drive, then replacing the cable at the end of the test. If you previously installed the PX-760A in your computer, you should have no fear of the simple procedures that are required. However, if you’re are not comfortable with opening your PC and disco nnecting cables, you may want to let someone with more experience handle this aspect of troubleshooting for you.

To perform the tests you’ll need:

• Tools to remove the computer’s cover

• An extra jumper (supplied)

• A blank piece of Plextor-recommended DVD+R, DVD-R, or CD-R

media. (See page

78 or visit our web site.) The self-test will write to

this media, so you won’t be able to use this disc again.

This tests three functions of the drive: writing at maximum speed, continuous playback at maximum speed, and random access.

To perform the self-test:

1. Turn the computer’s power OFF, unplug it from its power source,

and open the computer to gain access to the rear of the PX-760A drive. Typically, this involves loosening or removing several screws on the back panel of your computer and sliding off the cover. (See Figure 3 for an example.)

CAUTION: Before you attempt to open your computer be sure to properly ground yourself by wearing an anti-static wristband. This will help prevent static damage to your computer system.

2. You should be able to see the back of the PX-760A drive connected

to the ATAPI cable, power connector, and, optionally, a digital sound cable.

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NOTE: You may have to remove the drive from the computer to perform the next two steps.

3. Hold the ATAPI cable at or near the base of its connection to the

PX-760A drive. Carefully remove the ATAPI cable from the drive by pulling the cable gently rearward.

4. Note the position of the mode jumper at the rear of the PX-760A. A

jumper will be installed on either the Cable Select, Slave, or Master position. Write down this jumper position. (You’ll need to replace the jumper after the test.) Then:

 If the jumper is on the Master position, leave it in place.  If the jumper is on the Slave position, leave it in place.  If the jumper is on the Cable Select position, move it to the

Master position.

5. Install an extra jumper so that both the Master and Slave positions

are jumpered, as shown in

Figure 38.

6. If you removed the drive for access to the cable and mode jumpers,

slide it back into the computer and connect the power cable to the drive.

7. Replace the computer’s cover and re-connect the computer’s power

cord to the power source.

CAUTION: Turning on the computer power without first replacing the cover can be dangerous to the computer’s components and also to you. Be aware of the danger of electric shock and do not touch any components inside the computer.

8. Turn the computer power on. The L ED in di cat or bl inks green, then

amber, and the tray ejects.

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Figure 38: Place jumpers across both the Slave and Master pins to

perform the self-test diagnostics on the PX-760A.

9. Insert a blank Plextor-recommended DVD±R or CD-R disc. Be sure

to use only media of the type recommended by Plextor.

 If the LED indicator blinks amber three times, the loaded disc is

not a blank DVD±R or CD-R disc. Remove the disc and insert a blank, Plextor-recommended DVD±R or CD-R disc.

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10. The drive begins the diagnostic routine. Upon completion of the

diagnostic, you see the results:

 If there was no problem, the disc is ejected automatically.  If there was a problem, the disc is not ejected, and you see the

LED indicator blink green: One green blink indicates a write or read error. Two green blinks indicate an initialization erro r. Three green blinks indicate the disc is not blank or cannot be detected properly.

11. If the disc was not ejected automatically, press the eject button to

eject the disc.

12. Turn off the computer power.

13. Reset the mode jumper at the rear of the PX-760A to its original

setting as noted in Step 4 above. Also, remove the extra jumper you installed.

14. Reconnect the IDE cable to the PX-760A drive. If you rem oved the

drive to gain access to the cable or jumpers, replace the drive in the computer. Then replace the computer cover.

If you discover a problem with the PX-760A drive, do not attempt to service the drive yourself. Contact us to get an RMA number and take steps to return the drive to Plextor. See “

Returns” on page 91 for details.

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Using the PX-760SA Self-Test Diagnostics

The PX-760SA drive contains a set of self-test diagnostics that can help isolate trouble and determine if a problem is in the drive or elsewhere.

NOTE: Using the self-test diagnostics requires opening the computer and adding a jumper to the rear panel of the drive. If you’re are not comfortable with opening your PC and adding a jumper, you may want to let someone with more experience handle this aspect of troubles hooting for you.

To perform the tests you’ll need:

• Tools to remove the computer’s cover

• A jumper (supplied)

• A blank piece of Plextor-recommended DVD+R, DVD-R, or CD-R

media. (See page

78 or visit our web site.) The self-test will write to

this media, so you won’t be able to use this disc again.

This tests three functions of the drive: writing at maximum speed, continuous playback at maximum speed, and random access.

To perform the self-test:

1. Turn the computer’s power OFF, unplug it from its power source,

and open the computer to gain access to the rear of the PX-760SA drive. Typically, this involves loosening or removing several screws on the back panel of your computer and sliding off the cover. (See Figure 21 for an example.)

CAUTION: Before you attempt to open your computer be sure to properly ground yourself by wearing an anti-static wristband. This will help prevent static damage to your computer system.

You should be able to see the back of the PX-760SA driv e connected to the SATA cable and power connector. There are two cable connections to the drive: the left-hand connection is a 15-pin SATA power cable. The right-hand connection is a 7-pin SATA interface cable.

NOTE: You may have to remove the drive from the computer to perform the next two steps.

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2. Hold the SATA interface cable (the right-hand cable) at its

connection to the PX-760SA drive. Carefully remove the SATA cable from the drive by pulling the cable gently rearward. Leave the SATA power cable attached to the drive.

3. Note the self-test/DMA jumper at the rear of the PX-760SA. If no

jumper is installed, place a jumper across the two pins.

Figure 39: Add the PX-760SA self-test/DMA jumper to

enable the self-test diagnostics

4. If you removed the drive for access to the cable and self-test/DMA

jumper, slide it back into the computer and reconnect the power cable to the drive. (Do not connect the SATA interface cable.)

5. Replace the computer’s cover and re-connect the computer’s power

cord to the power source.

6. While pressing the PX-760SA’s eject button, turn the computer

power on. The drive’s LED indicator blinks green, then amber, and the tray ejects.

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7. Insert a blank Plextor-recommended DVD±R or CD-R disc. Be sure

to use only media of the type recommended by Plextor.

 If the LED indicator blinks amber three times, the loaded disc is

not a blank DVD±R or CD-R disc. Remove the disc and insert a blank, Plextor-recommended DVD±R or CD-R disc.

8. The drive begins the diagnostic routine. Upon completion of the

diagnostic, you see the results:

 If there was no problem, the disc is ejected automatically.  If there was a problem, the disc is not ejected, and you see the

9. If the disc was not ejected automatically, press the eject button to

eject the disc.

10. Turn off the computer power.

11. Reset the self-test/DMA jumper at the rear of the PX-760SA to its

original setting as noted in Step 3 above.

12. Reconnect the SATA interface cable to the PX-760SA drive. If you

removed the drive to gain access to the cable or jumpers, replace the drive in the computer. Then replace the computer cover.

If you discover a problem with the PX-760SA drive, do not attempt to service the drive yourself. Contact us to get an RMA number and take steps to return the drive to Plextor. See “

Returns” on page 91 for details.

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6. Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Which is better, DVD+R and DVD+RW? Or DVD-R and DVDRW?

A: Neither is “better” or “worse.” They’re just different standards, like English versus met ric measurement.

Different manufacturers support different standards. The DVD+R and DVD+RW formats are supported by Plextor, Philips, Sony, HewlettPackard, Dell, Ricoh, Yamaha and ot he r manufacturers. DVD-R, DVDRW and DVD-RAM are also supported by Plextor, as well as Panasonic, Toshiba, Apple Computer, Hitachi, NEC, Pioneer, Samsung and Sharp.

No matter which format a DVD disc is recorded in, it can be read by most commercial DVD-ROM players.

Q: What is “recommended media”?

A: Recommended media are recordable or rewritable CD and DVD media that have been tested by Plextor and found to operate well consistently, from one manufacturing lot to another. For each drive, Plextor engineers test media from many different manufacturers and manufacturing facilities, creating a recommended media list and determining the optimum write strategy for that particular media type. The results are listed as “recommended media,” and are also assembled into a media catalog and stored in firmware in Plextor drives. (See the Plextor web site at

www.plextor.com for the latest list of recommended

media for the PX-760.)

From time to time, the media catalog is updated with new manufacturers and part numbers as Plextor tests additional media. When this happens, Plextor makes new drive firmware available. You can download this new firmware and update your drive.

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Q: What is AUTOSTRATEGY?

AUTOSTRATEGY is a self-adjusting writing technology for unknown media. AUTOSTRATEGY enables high quality disc recording, even if the disc is not listed in the drive’s internal media catalog. You control AUTOSTRATEGY via PlexTools Professional or other recording software.

AUTOSTRATEGY works like this: When you insert a piece of DVD+R or DVD-R media—whether an unknown media type or even a type that is currently in the media catalog in the drive's firmware— AUTOSTRATEGY can create a write strategy for that new media and add it to a separate database. This non-volatile memory of the drive holds up to 31 write strategies. You can activate, deactivate, and delete entries in this separate AUTOSTRATEGY database. You can also view and save or print the list of database entries.

With PlexTools Professional , y ou have full control over AUTOSTRATEGY. You can allow AUTOSTRATEGY to pick the best write strategy, whether that strategy is in its own database or the drive’s media catalog. Or you can force AUTOSTRATEGY to always use its own database, or to always use the media catalog database. For PlexTools Professional detail s and dow nl oa d s, see http://www.plextools.com/.

Q: What's the difference between "double layer" and "dual layer"?

A: Nothing, really. It's simply a difference of opinion within the industry about how to label media and drive capabilities. DVD+R DL (as named by the DVD+RW Alliance) stands for DVD+R Double Layer. DVD-R DL (from the DVD Forum) stands for DVD-R Dual Layer. Whether your DL media is labeled "double layer" or "dual layer," the PX-760 can handle it.

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Q: In the list of Recommended Media, what’s the difference between “rated,” “compati ble,” and “recommended” speeds?

A: “Rated” is the manufacturer’s rated write speed for the media; it’s what you see on the box. “Compatible” is a looser term that indicates the maximum safe writing speed according to the manufacturer. “Recommended” is the Plextor-recommended speed for ensuring topquality writing using this media. Plextor tests media and enters the “compatible” and “recommended” speeds into the drive’s media catalog.

For example, 8X-rated media listed as “12X writing recommended” and “16X compatible” indicates the manufacturer believes this 8X-rated media can be written at 16X. Plextor factory testing has determined you will achieve the highest quality write at 12X. Plextor’s testing also indicates you can write this media at 16X and still achieve good quality, although perhaps not as high as at the recommended speed.

Just because the vendor rates a disc for a certain speed doesn't mean that the disc will give you a high-quality write at that speed. However, the PoweRec technology in your Plextor drive ensures you will write at the highest possible speed that still achieves high quality.

Q: Why do I need an 80-conductor IDE cable for the PX-760A?

Your PX-760A will operate with either the older 40-conductor cable or the newer 80-conductor IDE/ATA cable. However, the 80-conductor cable improves performance, and the PX-760A may not be able to write at maximum speed (18X) without it. Although the new cable has 80 conductors (wires), it still has only 40 connector pins, so it’s compatible with the connector on your PX-760A. (The extra wires are present to reduce interference that would slow high-speed transfers.)

Q: Where can I find out more information about the PX-760SA’s Serial ATA interface?

A: Go to

www.sata-io.org.

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Appendix A: PX-760 Specifications

This appendix shows specifications for all PX-760 drives, followed by unique specifications for the PX-760A and PX-760SA.

Specifications for All PX-760 Drives

Front Panel

Eject Eject button; manual emergency eject; software eject. LED Indicator  Yellow when initializing, reading, or ejecting disc.

 Green during standby and when Buffer Underrun

Proof Technology or Lossless Linking/Zero Link is active.

 Blinking amber when writing t o disc. Blink rate

indicates writing speed.

Disc Loading Auto

DVD Regional Setting

Compatibility

RPC phase-2-compatible

Changing regional setting

Max. 5 times

Other Features

Data Buffer 2 MB

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Usable Formats

Logical DVD Read/Write

DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, Multi-border, Multi-session, DVD+VR, DVD-VR, DRT-DM

Logical CD Read/Write

Sector layer: CD-DA (CD-DA/CD+G/CD-TEXT), CD-ROM (Mode 0/Mode 1/ Mode 2), CD-ROM XA (Mode 2 Form1/2) Application layer: Audio CD, Data CD, Photo-CD, Video-CD, CD-I, CD-I Ready, Mixed CD, CD-Extra, Multi-session CD, Packet Write CD, (Method 1, Method 2), Bootable CD

Write Methods, DVD+R/RW, DVD+R DL

 DVD+R: Disc-at-once (DAO), multi-session,

incremental recording

 DVD+RW: Random access write, sequential writ e  DVD+R DL: DAO, multi-session, incremental

recording

Write Methods, DVD-R/RW, DVD-R DL

 DVD-R: DAO, incremental recording, multi-border

recording

 DVD-RW: DAO, multi-border recording,

incremental recording, restricted overwriting, DRT-DM

 DVD-R DL: Sequential write

Write Methods, CD-R/RW

Track-at-once (TAO), DAO, packet write (variable and fixed), session-at-once (SAO)

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Supported Media

Supported Media, DVD

 Stamped DVDs: Single layer / Double layer  DVD-R: For General Part 1 Physical Specification

Version 2.1

 DVD-R DL: Part 1 Physical Specification 3.0  DVD-RW: Part 1 Physical Specification

Version 1.1/1.2

 DVD+R: Part 1 Volume 1 Basic Format Version 1.3  DVD+R DL: Part 2 Basic Format Specification

Version 1.0

 DVD+RW: Part 1 Volume 1 Basic Format

Specification Version 1.3; Part 1 Volume 2 Basic Format Specification Version 1.0

Supported Media, CD

 Stamped CDs: Discs compliant with

Red/Yellow/Green/White/Blue Book

 CD-R: Orange Book Pt II-compliant discs (Type 74,

Type 80)

 CD-RW: Orange Book Pt III-compliant discs

Supported Media Size

CD: 12 cm DVD: 12 cm, 8cm (DVD-R/RW)

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78 PX-760 Installation and Users Manual

Recommended Media

You can use virtually any media in your PX-760 and be assured of the best possible write quality. However, Plextor-recommended media are recordable or rewritable CD and DVD media that have been tested by Plextor and found to operate well consistently, from one manufacturing lot to another. For each drive, Plextor engineers test media from many different manufacturers and manufacturing facilities, creating a recommended media list and determining the optimum write strategy for that particular media type. The results are listed as “recommended media,” and are also assembled into a media catalog and stored in firmware in Plextor drives.

See the Plextor web site at

www.plextor.com for the latest list of

recommended media for the PX-760.

In the media lists:

• “Rated” is the manufacturer’s rated write speed for the media; it’s

what you see on the box.

• “Compatible” is a looser term that indicates the maximum safe

writing speed according to the manufacturer.

• “Recommended” is the Plextor-recommended speed for ensuring

top-quality writing using this media.

Plextor tests media and enters the “compatible” and “recommended” speeds into the drive’s media catalog.

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PX-760 Installation and Users Manual 79

Performance Specifications

Read Speed, DVD

Stamped DVD

Speed

SL DL

DVD ±R

DVD ±RW

DVD ±R DL

6-16X

CAV



– – – –

5-12X

CAV

   

–

3-8X

CAV

    

2-5X

CAV

    

2X CLV

    

NOTES: SL = Single layer disc, DL = Double layer disc. When a DVD-Video with CSS (copy protection via the Content Scrambling System) is loaded, the PX-760 slows its playback speed to reduce drive noise.

Read Speed, CD

Speed Mode-1

Discs

Mode-2 Discs

CD-DA Discs

20-48X

CAV

Stamp,R (48X with SpeedRead; default is 40X)

– –

17-40X

CAV

Stamp,R, RW

Stamp,R

14-32X

CAV

Stamp,R, RW

10X-24X

CAV

Stamp,R, RW

8X CLV Stamp,R,

Stamp,R, RW

4X CLV Stamp,R,

Stamp,R, RW

NOTE: “Stamp” indicates commercially pressed “silver” discs.

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80 PX-760 Installation and Users Manual

Performance Specifications (continued)

Write Speed, DVD ± R/RW

Speed +R +RW +R

–R DL

–R –RW

7-18X

CAV



– – –



–

6-16X

CAV



– – –



–

6-12X

PCAV



– – –



–

6-10X

PCAV

– –



–

6X-8X

CAV

  

–



–

6X CLV

     

4X CLV

     

2.4X CLV

  

– –

–

2X CLV – – –

  

1X CLV – – – – –



Write Speed, CD-R/RW

Speed CD-R Ultra

Speed CD-RW Media

High Speed CD-RW Media

Normal Speed CD-RW Media

48X CAV



– – –

32X

PCAV



– – –

24X

PCAV

–



– –

16X CLV



– – –

10X CLV – –



–

8X CLV



– – –

4X CLV



– –



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PX-760 Installation and Users Manual 81

Performance Specifications (continued)

DVD Transfer Rate

Speed Write (KB/s) Read (KB/s)

18X 9972-24930(CAV) – 16X 9280-22160 (CAV) 9280-22160 (CAV) 12X 8310-16620

(PCAV)

6925-16620 (CAV)

10X 8310-13850

(PCAV)

–

8X 8310-11080

(PCAV)

4709-11080 (CAV)

6X 8310 (CLV) – 5X – 2909-6925 (CAV) 4X 5540 (CLV) –

2.4X 3324 (CLV) – 2X 2770 (CLV) 2770 (CLV) 1X 1385 (CLV) –

CD Transfer Rate

Speed Write (KB/s) Read (KB/s)

48X 3150-7290(CAV) 3000-7200 (CAV) 40X – 2600-6000 (CAV) 32X 3150-4800 (PCAV) 2080-48 00 (CAV) 24X 3000-3600 (PCAV) 1600-36 00 (CAV) 16X 2400 (CLV) – 10X 1500 (CLV) – 8X 1200 (CLV) 1200 (CLV) 4X 600 (CLV 600 (CLV)

Initialization Time

Time measured from power on until disc is available to read:

 DVD: < 18 sec. (typical), < 20 sec. (max.)  CD: < 13 sec. (typical), < 15 sec. (max.)

Access Time Time measured from command phase until bus free

(no disconnect):

 DVD: < 150 msec. (typical), < 180 msec (max.)  CD: < 100 msec. (typical), < 130 msec (max.)

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82 PX-760 Installation and Users Manual

Performance Specifications (continued)

Sleep Mode Entered after 2 minutes of no access to drive (default

setting)

Wake Mode < 5 sec. (max.) to start drive after sleep

Environmental Conditions

Mounting Position

Horizontal or vertical orientation:

 Horizontal: ±15 degrees  Vertical: Front side up or down, ±15 degrees

Operating Temperature

5 to 40 degrees Celsius

Operating Humidity

20 to 80% (non-condensing)

Storage Temperature

–40 to 60 degrees Celsius

Storage Humidity

20 to 95% (non-condensing)

Acoustic Noise Playing balanced disc: Maximum 46dB

Playing unbalanced disc: Maximum 46dB 18X write: Maximum 52dB Tray ejecting: Maximum 50dB

Vibration, Operating

Sine sweep 5 minutes:  CD/DVD read: 0.15G

0-Pk

(5-300Hz)

 CD-R write: 0.15G

0-Pk

(5-300Hz

 CD-RW rewrite: 0.10G

0-Pk

(5-300Hz)

 DVD write: 0.10G

0-Pk

(5-300Hz)

Vibration, NonOperating

Sine sweep 5 minutes: 2.0G

0-Pk

(5-300Hz)

(Power off, without disc)

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PX-760 Installation and Users Manual 83

Environmental Conditions (continued)

Shock, Operating

11msec half sine, 10 sec interval:  CD read: 5.0G

0-Pk

(5-300Hz)

 DVD read: 5.0G

0-Pk

(5-300Hz)

 CD-R write: 1.5G

0-Pk

(5-300Hz)

 CD-RW rewrite: 0.5G

0-Pk

(5-300Hz)

 DVD write: 0.5G

0-Pk

(5-300Hz)

Shock, Nonoperating

Permissible acceleration range (cm/sec):

 Bottom: 594.0  Top: 420.0  Left: 507.9  Right: 507.9  Front: 462.5  Rear: 462.5

(Power off, without disc)

Electrostatic Discharge

±8KV aerial discharge ±4KV contact discharge Both with no hard errors, no damage

Reliability

MTBF 60,000 hours Tray Loading 50,000 load/unload cycles

Read Error Rate

CD-ROM Mode 1: 1 block/1012 bits CD-ROM Mode 2: 1 block/10

bits

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84 PX-760 Installation and Users Manual

Safety, Laser, and EMC Standards

Country/ Region

Type Agency Standard

USA Safety UL UL 60950 Laser FDA FDA 21 CFR 1040.10

and 1040.11 EMC FCC FCC Part15B Canada Safety UL (C-UL) CSA 22.2 No. 60950 Europe Safety CE EN60950-

1/IEC60950-1 Laser CE EN60825-1 EMC CE EN55024,

EN55022 Class B

Specifications for the PX-760A Internal ATAPI Drive

Minimum System Requirements—PX-760A Internal ATAPI Drive

Computer Pentium 4, 1.4-GHz or equivalent

NOTE: For real-time MPEG-2 capture and burning, Easy Media Creator 7 requires a 1.6-GHz Pentium 4

or equivalent. Minimum RAM 256 MB Hard Disk Size 1 GB of free space to write to a CD in image mode, or

10 GB of free space to create DVD images. (For more

accurate guidelines, see the help files or

documentation for the recording software you’re

using.) Interface IDE (ATAPI) supported Operating

System

Windows XP, XP 64-bit, or 2000

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PX-760 Installation and Users Manual 85

Rear Panel, PX-760A Internal ATAPI Drive

Power Supply DC +12V,

±10%

DC +5V, ±5%

Typical standby current 100 mA 230 mA

Typical DVD read

current (DVD 16X)

1.4 A 700 mA

Typical CD read current

(CD 48X)

1.4 A 750 mA

Typical DVD write

current (DVD+R 18X)

1.4 A 1.4 A

Typical write current

(CD-R 48X)

1.4 A 800 mA

Typical pause current 1.0 A 700 mA Peak current 2.3 A 1.7 A

Power Consumption

Average 22.2 W for DVD read/write

IDE Interface Connector

IDE bus, 40-pin flat ribbon type. Interface complies with ATA/ATAPI-5. Must use 80-conductor IDE/ATA cable.

NOTE: Although the PX-760A will operate with a 40conductor cable, it may not be able to write at 18X unless an 80-conductor IDE/ATA cable is used.

Maximum total cable length cannot exceed 18 in (45.7 cm).

Analog Audio Output Connector

Not used

Digital Audio Output Connector

Digital audio output for input to SPDIF or Digital-In input

Mode Jumper Master (default), slave, cable select (CSEL)

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Appendix A: PX-760 Specifications

86 PX-760 Installation and Users Manual

Dimensions and Weight, PX-760A Internal ATAPI Drive

Dimensions (W/H/D) (excluding front panel)

5.75" x 1.63" x 6.69"

146 mm x 41.3 mm x 170 mm

Weight < 2.2 lbs. (1.0 kg)

Host Interface, PX-760A Inte rnal ATAPI Drive

Type ATA/ATAPI-5-compliant PIO Transfers Modes 0-4 Multiword

DMA Transfers

Modes 0-2

Ultra DMA Transfers

Modes 0-4 (Ultra DMA66)

ATAPI Command Set

Refer to the Plextor ATAPI command manual.

Inquiry string PLEXTOR sp DVDR sp sp sp PX-760A sp sp

(where “sp” is one space)

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PX-760 Installation and Users Manual 87

Specifications for the PX-760SA Internal SATA Drive

Minimum System Requirements—PX-760SA Internal SATA Drive

Computer Pentium 4, 1.4-GHz CPU or equivalent

NOTE: For real-time MPEG-2 capture and burning, Roxio Easy Media Creator 7 requires a 1.6-GHz

Pentium 4 or equivalent. Minimum RAM 256 MB Hard Disk Size 1 GB of free space to write to a CD in image mode, or

10 GB of free space to create DVD images. (For more

accurate guidelines, see the help files or

documentation for the recording software you’re

using.) Interface Serial ATA 1.0. Must support ATAPI command set. Operating

System

Windows XP, XP 64-bit, or 2000

Rear Panel, PX-760SA Internal SATA Drive

Power Supply DC +12V,

±10%

DC +5V, ±5%

Typical standby current 100 mA 380 mA

Typical DVD read

current (DVD 16X)

1.4 A 900 mA

Typical CD read current

(CD 48X)

1.4 A 900 mA

Typical DVD write

current (DVD+R 18X)

1.2 A 1.0 A

Typical write current

(CD-R 48X)

1.2 A 1.0 A

Typical pause current 700 mA 650 mA Peak current 2.4 A 1.7 A

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88 PX-760 Installation and Users Manual

Rear Panel, PX-760SA Internal SATA Drive (continued)

Power Consumption

Average 20.4W for DVD read/write

Dimensions and Weight, PX-760SA Internal SATA Drive

Dimensions (W/H/D) (excluding front panel)

5.75" x 1.63" x 6.69" 146 mm x 41.3 mm x 170 mm

Weight < 2.2 lbs. (1.0 kg)

Host Interface, PX-760SA Internal SATA Drive

Type Serial ATA Generation 1 Data

Connector

Serial ATA: Power, 15 pins; signal, 7 pins

Serial ATA Transfers

1.5 Gbps (150MB/s)

ATAPI Command Set

Refer to the Plextor ATAPI command manual.

PIO Transfers Modes 0-4 Multiword

DMA Transfers

Modes 0-2

Ultra DMA Transfers

Modes 0-4 (Ultra DMA66)

Inquiry string PLEXTOR sp DVDR sp sp sp PX-760A sp sp

(where “sp” is one space)

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PX-760 Installation and Users Manual

Appendix B: Technical Support

Store Plextor’s e-mail, 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 drive, please refer first to the relevant sections of this manual regarding setup and installation (Sections 1–3). If you do not uncover the solution there, please refer next to the maintenance and troubleshooting section that begins on page

55. You may also wish to refer to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section of our web site to assist you in troublesho oting 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 i n the support area. Select PlexHelper for online troubleshooting or F AQs for answers to common questions.

If you have not been successful in y our quest, our Technical Support Department will help you solve problems that relate specifically to your PX-760 drive. In many cases, a problem that appears to be caused by your Plextor drive actually origin ates 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 assistance.

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Appendix B: Technical Support

90 PX-760 Installation and Users Manual

How to Contact Plextor Technical Support

There are several ways for you to contact Plextor’s Technical Support Department:

• Visit our web site (

www.plextor.com) for answers to Frequently

Asked Questions.

• Send us e-mail

(99techsupport@plextor.com). 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.

• Call 1-800-204-0332 or 937- 615-1610 and select the tech support

option.

Before You E-mail or Call for Support

Please gather as much of the following information as possible before contacting us.

• The serial number and TLA (top level assembly) number of your

PX-760 drive. Your serial number and TLA number appear both on the drive label and on a sticker at the rear of internal drives.

• The latest version of firmware you loaded onto the drive, if

applicable.

• The version of the Windows operating system you are using.

• The brand name and model number of your computer (e.g., Dell

466/NP, Hewlett-Packard Pa vi l i on 7 52 n, etc.).

• The type of VGA, Super VGA, or other graphics board you use.

• 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).

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PX-760 Installation and Users Manual 91

Returns

In the unlikely event that you need to return a drive to Plextor, you need an RMA (Returned Materials Authorization) number. You will need this number before any Plextor drive can be returned for replacement. Here’s how you get an RMA number and return your drive:

1. Contact Plextor Technical Support. You will receive assistance in

troubleshooting your system. If the drive is determined to be defective, you will receive an RMA number.

2. Plextor will e-mail you with the RMA number and shipping

information.

3. When you receive the RMA number, pack the Plextor drive securely

in a box, and include the RMA number with the drive.

4. Write the RMA number in large bold numbers on the outside of the

box, and ship it to Plextor.

Contacting Plextor’s RMA Department

You can contact our RMA Department and request RMA forms at:

•

rmasupport@plextor.com

• Or by calling us at 1-800-204-0332 or 937-615-1610.

Packing Your Drive

Check the drive to make sure there is no disc inside, and if possible, pack your drive 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.

CAUTION: Never ship the drive with a CD or DVD disc inside it.

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 The UPS Store) to ship your drive. If you don’t have a pack aging store in your area, ask for packaging point ers w hen y ou c o nt act us t o get an RMA number before returning any drive.

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92 PX-760 Installation and Users Manual

Shipping Your Drive to Plextor

Be sure to write the RMA number on the outside of the shipping box. Any drive sent to Plextor without an RMA number will not be accepted.

NOTE: The RMA number must be clearly visible on the outside of the shipping box.

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.