HP CD-WRITER Plus User manual

HP CD-Writer Plus
user’s guide

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Copyright 2000. Hewlett-Packard Company. All rights reserved.
Hewlett-Packard is a registered trademark of the Hewlett-Packard Company. Microsoft and Windows are U.S. registered
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1
Table of Contents
Contents of the Electronic User’s Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Installation Notes
Read the Installation Poster. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
How to Set the CD-Writer Plus as Master or Slave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
How to Find the IDE Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
How to Connect the IDE Data Cable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
How to Connect an Audio Cable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
About Making CDs
When Should I Use CD-R (Recordable or Write-Once) Discs? . . . . . . . .13
When Should I Use CD-RW (ReWritable) Discs? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
How do I Make CDs That Can be Read on Other Computers?. . . . . . . .14
When is the DirectCD Software Useful? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
How do I Make Audio CDs?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Can I Avoid Swapping Audio CDs In and Out of the Drive? . . . . . . . . .15
Can I Use the New 80 Minute Audio CDs? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Solving Installation Problems
Things to Try First . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Installation Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Warranty Information
Hewlett-Packard Limited Warranty Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Customer Support
HP Customer Care Online www.hpcdwriter.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Your Local Reseller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
HP Customer Care by Phone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Before You Contact HP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Telephone Numbers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Returning a Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

2Contents of the Electronic User’s Guide
Contents of the Electronic User’s Guide
Additional information is available in the electronic User’s Guide that
was installed you your CD-Writer’s program group. The electronic User’s
Guide provides hardware and software information that is not included
in this manual. The guide is provided in HTML format and uses your web
browser to display its contents.
The User’s Guide provides information about:
■Starting and using CD-Writer software
■Sharing CDs
■CD care
■Troubleshooting
■Product specifications
■Warranty
■Software license agreements
■Regulatory information
■How to contact HP

3
Installation Notes
Read the Installation Poster
The Quick-Start installation poster describes how to install your CD-
Writer Plus drive. Follow the instructions on the poster and refer to this
chapter of the User’s Guide if you need additional information about:
■How to set the CD-Writer Plus as Master or Slave
■How to find the IDE connectors on your computer
■How to connect the IDE data cable
■How to connect an audio cable
How to Set the CD-Writer Plus as Master
or Slave
When you place Software Disc 1 in your CD-ROM and click Install CD-
Writer Plus the software analyzes your computer and makes a
recommendation about connecting the CD-Writer Plus hardware.
The Install Recommendation tells you whether the jumper on the CD-
Writer Plus should be set as Master or Slave for your computer.
Find the pairs of pins labeled Master, Slave, and Cable Select on the back
of the CD-Writer Plus. Notice that one pair of pins has a small plastic cap
or jumper. This jumper can be pulled off using your fingers, tweezers, or
needlenose pliers, and placed on a different pair of pins to change the
setting.

4How to Set the CD-Writer Plus as Master or Slave
NOTE: The appearance of the back of your drive may vary slightly from the
illustrations. All installation steps are valid for your drive.
or Master
Check the back of the new drive and
make sure the jumper is on the right-
hand location (Master).
Don’t use
Cable Select
This is a jumper. You can pull
it off and place it on another
pair of pins to change the setting.
Slave
Check the back of the new drive and
make sure the jumper is on the center
location (Slave).

How to Find the IDE Connectors 5
How to Find the IDE Connectors
When you place Software Disc 1 in your CD-ROM and click Install CD-
Writer Plus the software analyzes your computer and makes a
recommendation about connecting the CD-Writer Plus hardware.
The Install Recommendation tells you whether the CD-Writer Plus
should be connected to the primary or secondary controller in your
computer.
If the Install Recommendation states that your CD-Writer Plus drive will share
the data cable with another device (such as a CD-ROM drive), follow the cable
already attached to the other device down to the circuit board in order to locate
the IDE controller that you need. If you find an extra connector along that
cable, simply attach that connector to the CD-Writer Plus drive.
Locate the recommended 40-pin IDE controller’s connector (primary or
secondary) on your computer’s motherboard.
The IDE connectors are on the motherboard, which is the largest circuit
board in your computer, taking up most of the bottom of a desktop
computer or the side of a tower computer.
IDE connectors are usually found in pairs and may look like any of the
following:
manual if you need
See your computer’s
IDE connectors
help finding the
IDE connector

6How to Find the IDE Connectors
The IDE connectors may be hidden by some of the computer’s cables or
may be behind a drive.
Many computers have an IDE hard drive or CD-ROM that connects to
the motherboard through an IDE controller. The data cables on these
drives have the same width as the data cable included with your CD-
Writer Plus. If your computer has an IDE hard drive or CD-ROM drive,
you can follow the data cable from the back of one of those drives to find
the IDE controller.
Computer manufacturers use a wide variety of labels for IDE connectors.
Look on your computer’s circuit boards for printing identifying the
primary and secondary connectors, such as:
- PRI and SEC
- IDE-0 and IDE-1
- IDE-1 and IDE-2
- HD and CD-ROM (most common devices to be attached)
- PCI-IDE and ISA-IDE
You will see a variety of connectors
inside your computer that look similar
to the 40-pin connector, but have
more or fewer pins. Find the
connectors that are the correct size to
fit the cable that came in the box with
your drive.

How to Connect the IDE Data Cable 7
How to Connect the IDE Data Cable
When you place Software Disc 1 in your CD-ROM and click Install CD-
Writer Plus the software analyzes your computer and makes a
recommendation about connecting the CD-Writer Plus hardware.
The Install Recommendation tells you whether there will be one or two
devices connected to the IDE data cable.
CAUTION: Do not attach the CD-Writer Plus drive to a sound board’s IDE
controller.
Most data cable connectors are keyed to fit only one way. If your
connector is not keyed to fit only one way make sure the cable’s colored
edge is aligned with PIN-1 where it connects to the CD-Writer Plus drive
and where it connects to the IDE controller on the motherboard. Among
the labels you may find that identify PIN-1 on the motherboard are PIN1,
1 or a small triangle pointing to the pin.
CAUTION: Make sure that you are attaching the cable correctly! You must
locate PIN-1 on each connector and attach the cable so that the edge with the
color stripe is aligned with PIN-1. If the cable is attached incorrectly, your
computer may not boot up.

8How to Connect the IDE Data Cable
PIN-1
Look for a label identifying PIN-1 next
to the IDE connector. The data cable’s
colored edge is aligned with PIN-1 of
the IDE connector. This illustration
shows a specific computer. Yours may
look different. PIN-1 could be on
either side of the IDE connector.
colored stripe on
the data cable
PIN-1
The cable’s colored edge is aligned
with PIN-1 on the CD-Writer Plus
drive.
Colored stripe on
the data cable

How to Connect the IDE Data Cable 9
One Device
The OPTIONAL data cable that came withthe
CD-Writer Plus drive is only used if there is no
cable already attached to the recommended
IDE controller in your computer system or
the cable supplied with your computer is not
long enough.
Use the connectors at the two ends of the
cable.
Two Devices
Attach the CD-Writer Plus to whichever
connector is not in use (center or end) on the
data cable already installed in your computer
(DO NOT swap connectors).
The OPTIONAL data cable that came with the
CD-Writer Plus is only used if there is no spare
connector for the CD-Writer Plus on your
cable or your cable is not long enough.
CD-Writer Plus
Colored stripe
aligned with
CD-Writer Plus
IDE controller
Colored stripe
aligns with
Follow the
data cable
already
attached to the
in your
each PIN-1
PIN-1
PIN-1
computer to
locate the IDE
controller.
PIN-1
PIN-1
each PIN-1
located inside
your computer
IDE controller
located inside
your computer
PIN-1
other IDE device
Unused connector
drive (on end connector) drive (either location
not in use)
Motherboard
Motherboard
Drive
DriveDrive

10 How to Connect an Audio Cable
How to Connect an Audio Cable
You do not need an audio cable to record music.
The audio cable is used only for listening to music
CDs through your computer’s sound system.
When the CD-Writer Plus drive records music or
data, it uses the data cable, not the audio cable.
Using an existing audio cable
If your sound board already has a spare audio cable with an MPC-2
connector (shown above), plug the MPC-2 connector into the Audio
opening on the back of the CD-Writer Plus drive.
Adding an audio cable
When using a different audio cable, make sure the cable has the proper
connectors that fit both your sound card and the CD-Writer’s Audio
connector. The CD-Writer Plus requires an MPC-2 connector. Attach the
connector to the drive as shown.
MPC-2 connector
Audio cable

How to Connect an Audio Cable 11
Next, connect the other end of the audio cable to the sound board inside
your computer.
Tips for connecting the audio cable to the sound board
■Identify the sound board.
To identify the sound board look for microphone connectors on the back
of your computer. The circuit board inside the computer attached to the
microphone connectors is the sound board.
■Identify the audio connectors on the sound board.
The audio connectors have four prongs and are often on the outer edge
of the sound board. On many sound boards the connectors for the audio
cable are labeled CD IN.
The audio cable may connect horizontally or vertically to the sound
board. The connectors only fit one way. If a connector doesn’t fit, try
turning it around.
■Some sound boards have more than one audio cable connector. If when
you turn your computer back on you get no sound, try using a different
connector on your sound board.

12 How to Connect an Audio Cable

13
About Making CDs
When Should I Use CD-R (Recordable or
Write-Once) Discs?
Files copied to a CD-R disc are permanently recorded on the disc. The
space the files occupy on the disc cannot be used for anything else.
Use CD-R discs to:
■Share your CDs with users that have standard CD-ROM drives
■Make audio CDs
■Permanently save files
When Should I Use CD-RW (ReWritable)
Discs?
With CD-RW discs you can write, erase, and rewrite files easily from your
software applications or from the Windows Explorer. Since not all CD-
ROM drives can read CD-RW discs, these discs are better suited for use on
your own computer.
Use CD-RW discs to:
■Save work in progress such as presentations and documents
■Make weekly archives of files on your hard drive
■Transport files between the office and home if you have a CD-Writer
Plus at each location, or have an external CD-Writer Plus to use on
your computers

14 How do I Make CDs That Can be Read on Other Computers?
How do I Make CDs That Can be Read on
Other Computers?
Use the Easy CD Creator (Data) software and CD-R discs when you want
to create CDs you can share with other users, for example if you want to
send the CD to your co-workers.
Virtually all CD-ROM drives and operating systems (Windows 95,
Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 3.x, and DOS) can read CD-R discs
made with Easy CD Creator (Data).
See your electronic User’s Guide for instructions about starting and using
Easy CD Creator.
When is the DirectCD Software Useful?
With DirectCD you can simply drag and drop files onto the CD-Writer
Plus icon to make CDs. Use DirectCD when you want to create data CDs
(not audio) to use on your own computer.
When you save to a disc within a software application or Windows
Explorer, Direct CD copies the file directly to the disc.
DirectCD allows you to organize CD-R discs when you eject them so they
can be read by most CD-ROM drives under Windows 95, Windows 98,
and Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 3 or later.
See your electronic User’s Guide for instructions about starting and using
Easy CD Creator.
How do I Make Audio CDs?
Use Easy CD Creator (Audio) and CD-R discs to create audio CDs.
See your electronic User’s Guide for instructions about starting and using
Easy CD Creator.

Can I Avoid Swapping Audio CDs In and Out of the Drive? 15
Can I Avoid Swapping Audio CDs In and
Out of the Drive?
Making an audio CD may involve swapping CDs in and out of drives
many times. For example, if you make the CD using your CD-Writer Plus
as both the source and destination drive, you will need to swap CDs
every time a new track is copied to the CD-Writer Plus drive.
To minimize the number of times you swap CDs:
1. Copy the tracks to your hard drive using Easy CD Creator. This is
called pre-recording audio tracks to wave files.
Approximately 10 MB of space on the hard drive are required for each
minute of music.
2. Once all the tracks are on your hard drive, copy them to the CD using
Easy CD Creator.
The User’s Guide provides a step by step description of how to use Easy
CD Creator to copy the audio tracks to the hard drive and then on to a
CD. Select the electronic User’s Guide from the HP CD-Writer Plus
program group.
Can I Use the New 80 Minute Audio CDs?
HP does not currently support the new 80 minute audio CDs even
though the HP CD-Writer Plus and the included software are capable of
using them. The manufacturing process for creating 80 minute CD-R
discs is extremely difficult and the resulting discs do not consistently
meet HP’s standards for reliability at the time of this printing.

16 Can I Use the New 80 Minute Audio CDs?

17
Solving Installation
Problems
If you need further assistance after reviewing this chapter, contact HP
Customer Care directly by calling the appropriate telephone number
from the list beginning on page 28.
Things to Try First
Try the following suggestions if your CD-Writer Plus drive does not
appear under Windows Explorer once you have completed the
installation. If the problem persists, see the Installation Troubleshooting
section below.
■Make sure the computer is plugged in and that each device has power.
■Turn off the computer’s power, wait 20 seconds, then turn it on again.
■Run the HP CD-Writer Toolbox (only available in English) to get
troubleshooting help. Click the Start button on your taskbar, select
Programs, HP CD-Writer Plus, and click Troubleshooting.
Installation Troubleshooting
For any suggestions below that requires you to remove the computer’s
cover, first shut down and unplug your computer.
Touch something metallic (the edge of a metal desk, a file cabinet, or an
unpainted part of your computer’s case) to discharge static electricity before
touching anything inside your computer. Static electricity can damage your
computer’s internal parts.

18 Installation Troubleshooting
Ejecting a Stuck CD.
You can eject a stuck CD even when your drive’s power is off. Use this
procedure only if the normal eject functions do not work!
■Straighten a standard paper clip.
■Insert one end of the straightened paper clip into the emergency eject
pinhole on the front panel of the drive.
■Apply steady, gentle pressure until the drive door begins to open.
■Gently pull the drive door open and remove the CD.
■If you cannot open the tray, shut down your computer, restart it, and
repeat the steps above.
Make sure the CD-Writer Plus drive is receiving power.
■Press the eject button to open and close the CD-Writer Plus' tray. If
the tray opens and closes, the drive is receiving power.
■If the drive is not receiving power, check that a power cable is plugged
into the rear of the drive.
■Swap the power cable to the drive with a power cable going to
another device you know is working.
Make sure the IDE data cable is connected at both ends.
■Unplug the IDE data cable at both ends and then reconnect it.
■Double-check each connector along the data cable and straighten any
bent pins. The connectors are inserted properly when all pins are
covered and the colored stripe on the side of the data cable lines up
with PIN-1 of each connector.
■If you have another IDE data cable that you know is working, swap
cables to make sure you do not have a bad cable.
Make sure the jumper on the back of the CD-Writer Plus is set
correctly
■Check the Install Recommendation to see if the CD-Writer Plus
should be connected as Master or Slave.
If you do not have an Install Recommendation, place Software Disc 1
in the CD-ROM drive, click the Start button on the Windows
taskbar, select Run, type D:\ASSIST\ASSIST (where D: is your
CD-ROM’s drive letter) and click OK.