NEC Versa LXi User manual

NEC VersaBay III CD-RW/DVD Drive 1
NEC Versa®LXi/SXi
NEC VersaBay III CD-RW/DVD Drive
Congratulations on purchasing the NEC VersaBay III CD-RW/DVD drive! The NEC
VersaBay III CD-RW/DVD drive features the latest in CD-ROM and DVD-ROM technology. It
is fully compatible with Kodak Multisession Photo CDs™ and standard audio CDs. You can use
your drive to load and start programs from compact discs and DVDs, or play audio CDs while
you work or relax. With Microsoft®Windows®, you can also play full-length CD-i movies.
Additionally, with the included application software, you can write information to a CD.
Contents NEC VersaBay III CD-RW/DVD Drive Features..................................................................2
Removing a Device from the NEC VersaBayIII...................................................................2
Installing the NEC VersaBay III CD-RW/DVD Drive...........................................................4
Installing the NEC CD-RW Software....................................................................................5
Installing Easy CD Creator............................................................................................5
Installing DirectCD ....................................................................................................... 6
BIOS and Driver Requirements............................................................................................6
Running under the Windows NT Operating System .............................................................. 6
Recommended Media...........................................................................................................7
Installing the MGI SoftDVD MAX Software........................................................................7
Uninstalling the MGI SoftDVD MAX Software............................................................. 8
Using the MGI SoftDVD MAX Software .............................................................................8
Starting the MGI SoftDVD MAX Software.................................................................... 8
Conditions Affecting DVD Performance........................................................................ 9
Configuring AC Power Management for Playing Movies...............................................9
Diagnosing Incorrect Power Management Settings....................................................... 10
Using the Password Feature......................................................................................... 10
Displaying Movies on a Television Set ........................................................................ 10
Using a Retail Version of the Windows 2000 Operating System.......................................... 11
Specifications..................................................................................................................... 11

2NEC VersaBay III CD-RW/DVD Drive
NEC VersaBay III CD-RW/DVD Drive Features
The NEC VersaBay III CD-RW/DVD drive offers the features shown in the following figure.
NEC VersaBay III CD-RW/DVD drive features
A- Emergency Eject Hole B- Release Button C- Status LED
These features offer the following functions:

Emergency Eject Hole —allows you to manually remove a CD or videodisc from the NEC
VersaBay III CD-RW/DVD drive if the eject function is disabled by software or a power
failure. To remove the disc, insert the end of a paper clip into the eject hole and push in
until you hear a click. Manually open the drawer and remove the CD.

Release Button —ejects the disc tray. Press this button when the power is on to insert a disc
into or remove a disc from the drive.

Status LED —lights during data read operations. Do not eject the disc or turn off the NEC
Versa when the indicator is lit.
Removing a Device from the NEC VersaBay III
Follow these steps to remove a device from the NEC VersaBay III.
1. Save your files.
2. Either shut down Windows and power off the NEC Versa, or use warm or hot swapping,
which is available with the NEC VersaBay III Swapping utility. The Swapping utility is
provided on the Application and Driver CD that ships with the system.
3. Close the LCD panel and locate the NEC VersaBay III on your system.

NEC VersaBay III CD-RW/DVD Drive 3
Locating the VersaBay III
NEC Versa LXi systems NEC Versa SXi systems
A– VersaBay III
4. Turn the NEC Versa upside down and locate the release lock (see the figure that follows).
Slide the release lock to the unlocked position.
5. Locate the release latch. Slide the release latch to the unlocked position.
NEC VersaBay III release lock and latch
A- Release Lock B- Release Latch
6. Slide the device out of the NEC VersaBay III.

4NEC VersaBay III CD-RW/DVD Drive
Sliding a device out of the NEC VersaBay III
NEC Versa LXi NEC Versa SXi
Installing the NEC VersaBay III CD-RW/DVD Drive
Follow these steps to install the NEC VersaBay III CD-RW/DVD drive in the
NEC VersaBay III.
1. Save your files.
2. Shut down Windows and power off the NEC Versa.
3. Close the LCD panel and locate the VersaBay III on your system. For NEC VersaBay III
locations, see the previous section, “Removing a Device from the NEC VersaBay III.”
4. If there is an NEC VersaBay III device in the NEC VersaBay III, refer to the instructions in
the previous section, “Removing a Device from the NEC VersaBay III.”
5. Turn the NEC Versa upside down and locate the release lock and the release latch (see the
figure on the previous page).
6. Slide the release lock to the unlocked position. Slide and hold the release latch in the
unlocked position.
7. Align and install the device into the NEC VersaBay III.

NEC VersaBay III CD-RW/DVD Drive 5
Sliding the CD RW/DVD drive into the NEC VersaBay III
NEC Versa LXi NEC Versa SXi
8. Slide the release lock to the locked position.
9. Turn the system over, open the LCD panel, and power on the system.
Installing the NEC CD-RW Software
The NEC CD-RW software CD contains two applications that must be installed after installing
the CD-RW/DVD drive into the NEC VersaBay III. The following sections provide the
installation instructions for the applications.
Installing Easy CD Creator
Easy CD Creator is an application that allows you to create data and audio CDs. Follow these
steps to install Easy CD Creator.
1. In Windows 98, double click on My Computer, then insert the NEC CD-RW software
CD into the drive.
In Windows 2000 and Windows NT, insert the NEC CD-RW software CD into the drive.
The Adaptec Master Setup screen appears. If the CD does not load automatically, do the
following.

Double click on My Computer on the Windows desktop.

Double click on the CD drive. The Adaptec Master Setup screen appears. Go to step 3.
2. In Windows 98, the Choose an Option dialog box appears. Select ‘Run Adaptec CD-R/RW
software installation program’and click OK. The Adaptec Master Setup screen appears.
3. Click Easy CD Creator.
4. The Adaptec Easy CD Creator Setup appears. Click Next.
5. The Software License Agreement appears. Click Yes.
6. The Choose Destination Location dialog box appears. Click Next.
7. Easy CD Creator is installed. When the installation completes, click Finish.
8. A dialog box appears asking if you want to install Adobe Acrobat Reader to access the
online help provided by Adobe. Click No if Acrobat Reader is installed. Click Yes to install
Acrobat Reader. If you click Yes, Acrobat Reader will be installed after you restart the
system. Follow the on-screen prompts to install Acrobat Reader.
9. The Adaptec Master Setup screen appears. Click Exit. Proceed to the next section.

6NEC VersaBay III CD-RW/DVD Drive
Installing DirectCD
DirectCD lets you write files directly to the CD in the CD-RW/DVD drive. Use the following
procedure to install DirectCD.
1. If necessary, insert the NEC CD-RW software CD, then click DirectCD on the Adaptec
Master Setup screen.
2. The DirectCD Note dialog box appears. Click Yes.
3. The DirectCD Welcome screen appears. Click Next.
4. The Software License Agreement appears. Click Yes.
5. The Choose Destination Location dialog box appears. Click Next.
6. The Select Program Folder dialog box appears. Click Next to install DirectCD.
7. When the installation completes, the Adaptec Master screen appears. Click Exit.
8. Click Finish to restart the system.
BIOS and Driver Requirements
It is likely that the necessary BIOS, audio drivers, and video drivers for the NEC VersaBay III
CD-RW/DVD drive are already installed on your system. Check the following table for the
minimum version required for each.
Minimum BIOS and Driver Requirements for
NEC VersaBay III CD-RW/DVD Drive
BIOS/Driver NEC Versa LXi NEC Versa SXi
BIOS BIOS 04 BIOS 13
Audio Drivers:
—Windows 98
—Windows 2000 ESS Sound Driver 5.12.01.2045 ESS Sound Driver 5.12.01.2037 ESS Sound Driver 5.12.01.2045 ESS Sound Driver 5.12.01.2037
Video Drivers:
—Windows 98
—Windows 2000 S3 Video Drivers 7.13.33 S3 Video Drivers 7.31.16 ATI Video Driver Build M6.11.31 ATI Video Driver Build M6.11.53
Running under the Windows NT Operating System
NEC Computers recommends that you disable the Save-to-File power management feature
before writing to a CD. The CD-RW software running under Windows NT does not support
ACPI functions, and the system may go into a Save-to-File state even though the drive is busy.
Note Disable the Save-to-File feature before creating CDs under Windows NT.
If the system goes into a Save-to-File state during CD creation, the resulting CD will have
errors, and will have to be created again.
While the CD creation does resume once the system comes out of the Save-to-File state, the
message, “Errors reported by output device”appears, and the resulting CD does not function
properly.
For information on disabling the Save-to-File setting in Windows NT systems, see the BIOS
Setup sections of your user’s guide.

NEC VersaBay III CD-RW/DVD Drive 7
Recommended Media
NEC Computers recommends the following media branding for best read and write
performance:

Read: 3M Corporation
Hitachi
IMATION
Kao
Memorex
Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation
Panasonic
Phillips
Ricoh Co. Ltd.
SONY
Taiyo Yuden Co., Ltd.
TDK Corporation
Teijin
Yamaha

Read/Write:
Kao
Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation
Ricoh Co. Ltd.
Memorex
With other media, the sensitivity settings are not configurable so only default settings can be
used during CD creation. As a result, the CD being created maynot be readable.
Installing the MGI SoftDVD MAX Software
Once you have installed the NEC VersaBay III CD-RW/DVD drive, and (if necessary) checked
your BIOS, audio driver, and video driver versions, install the MGI SoftDVD MAX software.
Note This document is provided with option kit # OP-260-69004, and applies to the following
systems:

NEC Versa LXi systems with 16-MB video RAM

any NEC Versa SXi system
The NEC Versa LXi system with 8-MB video RAM does not support the MGI SoftDVD MAX
software. Use the NEC SoftDVD solution with the NEC Versa LXi with 8-MB video RAM.
The MGI SoftDVD MAX software allows you to play DVD movies and is provided on the
“MGI SoftDVD MAX for NEC Versa Notebook Computers”CD included with your
CD-RW/DVD drive.
Install the MGI SoftDVD MAX software according to the following steps.
1. Insert the MGI SoftDVD MAX CD in the CD-RW/DVD drive.
2. If you have auto-insert notification enabled, the installation program launches
automatically.
If you do not have auto-insert notification enabled, click the Start button and select Run.
Browse for the drive letter representing the drive containing the CD, and double click Setup.
3. Several MGI SoftDVD MAX screens appear, followed by a License Agreement window.

8NEC VersaBay III CD-RW/DVD Drive
4. Click Yes to accept the conditions in the license agreement. The Welcome window appears.
5. Click Next. The Choose Destination Location window appears.
6. Click Next. The installation begins and a status bar appears on the screen showing the
progress of the installation.
7. The MGI Registration window appears.

To register by email, click the Send button.

To register from the MGI web site, click Register Now.

To skip registration for now, click Register Later.
8. If you clicked either Send or Register Now you’ll be prompted for information. Follow the
on-screen prompts to complete the registration.
9. An Information window appears when the installation is complete. Click OK.
10. Remove the CD from the drive.
Uninstalling the MGI SoftDVD MAX Software
To uninstall the MGI SoftDVD MAX software from your system, click Start, Settings, and
Control Panel. Double click the Add/Remove Programs icon. Double click the MGI SoftDVD
MAX entry in the Add/Remove Programs window and follow the prompts.
Using the MGI SoftDVD MAX Software
The following sections describe how to launch the MGI SoftDVD MAX software, and how to
access online help. They also describe:

conditions that can affect playback

configuring power management settings for playing movies

diagnosing incorrect power management settings

the password feature

settings you should use when displaying movies on a television set connected to your
computer.
Note Power management must be turned off for the MGI SoftDVD MAX software to function
smoothly. Be sure to configure power management settings before playing movies.
Starting the MGI SoftDVD MAX Software
MGI SoftDVD MAX is easy to use, with self-explanatory buttons and detailed online help.

To start the DVD Player you can either:
—select Start, Programs, MGI SoftDVD MAX, and MGI SoftDVD MAX; or
—double click the MGI SoftDVD MAX icon on the Windows desktop.
Note You will be prompted with a Warning message if:

you try to launch MGI SoftDVD MAX if other applications are already running. Click OK to
clear the message, and then exit all other applications for optimal performance.

you try to launch MGI SoftDVD MAX if your system is configured for power management.
Click OK to clear the message, and then change your power management settings.

NEC VersaBay III CD-RW/DVD Drive 9
To change your system’s power management settings for playing DVD movies, see the
section, “Configuring AC Power Management for Playing Movies.”

To access the online help you can either:
—click the question mark just below the movie screen (located about an inch from the
right edge of the window); or
—Press F1.
NEC Computers does not recommend playing DVD movies with MGI
SoftDVD MAX while the system is running on battery power.
Conditions Affecting DVD Performance
The following conditions can affect DVD movie playback:

a damaged or dusty DVD

a processor that is too slow to support DVD movie playback

playing a DVD movie while the system is running on battery power

AC power management settings that are enabled.
Performing the following activities during playback can impede DVD playback:

changing screen resolution

changing the world region setting.
Some DVD movie titles are not configured to tap all the features of the CD-RW/DVD drive or
MGI SoftDVD MAX. Some DVD titles:

cannot be ejected during play (you must stop the movie, and then eject the DVD)

do not enforce their advertised parental control ratings

do not display chapter number information

do not display the current DVD time

do not allow audio track selection through the MGI SoftDVD MAX control panel (although
they do allow it from the MGI SoftDVD MAX menu)

do not allow navigation with the mouse (you must use the arrow keys instead).
Configuring AC Power Management for Playing Movies
You must turn off most of the power management settings in the Power Schemes window for
MGI SoftDVD MAX to play DVD movies properly. To access these settings open the Control
Panel, and double click the Power Management icon.
Set the following fields in the ‘Plugged in’column to ‘Never’:

System standby

Turn off monitor

Turn off hard disks

System hibernates (except Windows 98SE systems)

10 NEC VersaBay III CD-RW/DVD Drive
Note NEC Computers recommends that you not close the LCD panel while a DVD movie is
playing. If the LCD panel is lowered during movie play, systems may hibernate, recording system
state to RAM (Save-to-Ram) or a disk (Save-to-File).
If you alter these AC power management settings, be sure to change them back before playing a
movie with MGI SoftDVD MAX.
For complete information on configuring power management, see your NEC Versa user’s guide.
Diagnosing Incorrect Power Management Settings
If your system goes into a timeout during a movie, one of the following conditions may occur
when you bring the system out of the timeout:

if you are playing a movie on your television set, the system might go into ‘Simultaneous
mode’(in which the movie displays on the television set and your computer’s LCD panel)

the movie might restart from the beginning

the audio might cut out

the system might hang.
See “Configuring AC Power Management for Playing Movies”for instructions on configuring
AC power management correctly for playing DVD movies.
For detailed information on power management, see your NEC Versa user’s guide.
Using the Password Feature
The password feature allows you to set parental controls for playing rated videodiscs. You can
set protection levels according to Movie Industry standards, so you can control which videodiscs
can be played.
Protection levels are password-protected. Note that if the protection level is changed, that level
is maintained even after the system is rebooted, until the password is entered again and the level
is changed back.
For more information on setting and using passwords, see the MGI SoftDVD MAX online help.
Note Some DVD movies do not enforce the parental controls that are designated in their
advertised rating. This is not related to MGI SoftDVD MAX password protection.
Displaying Movies on a Television Set
If you connect a television set to your system so you can watch the movie on it instead of your
system’s LCD screen, set TV Out to Primary in the Display Properties window.
To configure the television set as the primary display do the following:
1. Connect the video cable from your television set to the TV Out connector on your
computer.
2. Right click the Windows desktop and click Properties. The Display Properties window
appears.
3. Click the Settings tab and click the Advanced button. Click the Displays tab.
4. Select the Television display field. Click the Primary button. Click OK twice.

NEC VersaBay III CD-RW/DVD Drive 11
Using a Retail Version of the Windows 2000 Operating
System
NEC Computers configures your computer at the factory with the correct IDE Controller mode
settings for optimal CD-RW/DVD drive audio and video performance. These settings are
preserved if you reinstall your operating system using the Product Recovery CD provided by
NEC Computers.
These settings are not the default in retail versions of the Windows 2000 operating system.
Should you install a retail version of Windows 2000 operating system instead of the version
provided byNEC Computers, the correct settings are overwritten. You can manually change
them back to optimize CD-RW/DVD drive performance by following these steps.
1. From the Windows Desktop, right click My Computer. Click Properties. In the System
Properties window, click the Hardware tab. In the Device Manager area, click the Device
Manager button.
2. In the Device Manager window, if necessary, double click the IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers
icon to display its sub-items.
3. Double click either Primary IDE Channel, or Secondary IDE Channel (according to which
one your DVD-ROM drive is on). The IDE Channel Properties dialog box opens.
4. Click the Advanced Settings tab. In the Device 0 area, change Transfer Mode: to “DMA if
available.”
5. In the Device 1 area, change Transfer Mode: to “DMA if available.”
6. Click OK. A dialog box appears indicating that your system settings are changed and
prompting you to restart your computer.
7. Click Yes to restart your computer to initiate the settings change.
Specifications
NEC VersaBay III CD-RW/DVD drive specifications follow and are standard unless stated
otherwise.

Power
Supply : +5 V, single source

Speed
Read: max 24X
Write: max 4X

Data Transfer Rate
DVD: 3,357-8,112 KB/s
DVD-VIDEO: 2,163-3,245 KB/s
CD: Mode 1: 1,552-3,600 KB/s, Mode 2: 1,769-4,104 KB/s

Operating and Storage Conditions
Shock: 1.5 G (14.7ms)/read, 1.5 G (14.7 ms)/write
Vibration: 0.25G/read, 0.25 G/write
Temperature:
41°–113°F (5°–45°C) operating
14°–140°F (-10°–60°C) storage
Humidity:
8 –80% RH operating
5 –90% RH storage

12 NEC VersaBay III CD-RW/DVD Drive
819-200738-000
02/2001
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