Plextor 708A Problem

[kerpal]

I cant get my Burner to work with Nvidia IDE controller drivers, so I have loaded the Microsoft EIDE drivers (Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE controller) to run my Plextor. The problem is, when it is in DMA mode, putting any CD or DVD into my drive will lock my computer up until I eject the Disk. I cannot burn or read anything in this mode. Once I change it to PIO mode, the drive works fine, can burn, but is very slow. I have done 3 formats of my computer, have tried every nvidia nforce driver package, I have gone through Plextor support with no luck. I have tried this burner in two other computers that are not running the Nvidia Chipset and all works fine. Does anyone have any ideas?

[Dr_Layne]

I used to run a MB with Nforce2 chipset. Plextor 708A ran fine with both the MS drivers and the Nvidia IDE drivers. Not sure why you are having a problem. Is the drive on an IDE channel by itself? Is it a slave drive to a master drive?

Steve

[budz]

http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?threadid=83096
read the above link regarding NFORCE CHIPSET problems.

you can download modified drivers from this site:

http://www.mwarhead.com/news.php

[kerpal]

Thanks for the reply, I have used my Plextor for 8 months with no problems until now. I will give those drivers a look and see if it works, but my drive just doesnt have problems burning, its having problems just reading a CD. Thanks

[budz]

I will give those drivers a look and see if it works, but my drive just doesnt have problems burning, its having problems just reading a CD. Thanks

What firmware are you using? There are some people who have had problems with the 708A after using the latest firmware. I still use firmware 1.04. In my opinion if it ain't broke I don't upgrade to the latest firmware. Good Luck!

[kerpal]

I tried 1.07 and 1.06. Both of these did work before, I tried a firmware update back to 1.04, but gave me an error. Right now the drive is Secondary master with nothing else on the ribbon with it.

[budz]

try doing the self diagnostic test. the instructions on how it's done is in the manual or check out the plextor website for info.

[kerpal]

Tried those modified drivers, and those didnt work. It did help though, now my computer doesnt lock up when I put a cd in, and now I can restart my computer with a cd in the drive without it hanging at a black screen.

[kerpal]

I tried an IDE controller as well to see if that would fix the problem, and that didnt as well, I think this problem is unsolvable.

[budz]

pci ide controllers don't work well with dvd burners. did you try using a 80 pin ide cable? i would suggest you do the self diagnostic test on the drive. if it fails the test then RMA it back to Plextor. in order to RMA the drive they'll ask if you've done the self diagnostic test. as i've mentioned others have had the same problem as you. you can check out the Plextor forum at cdfreaks.com

[kerpal]

I will try the diagonostic right now. But the drive should be fine, considering it works fine in other computers with SIS chipset.

[kerpal]

I ran the Diagnostic, and the drive works fine.

[budz]

did you try using a different ide cable like a 80 pin? you may want to post your problem at the Plextor forum site at cdfreaks.com

[kerpal]

Yes I posted at cdfreaks.com, and ive tried 3 other ide cables. Tried the ide cables that worked perfectly fine on it before, but same problem. Im still waiting for cdfreaks to help me out.

[chicola]

Thanks for the reply, I have used my Plextor for 8 months with no problems until now. I will give those drivers a look and see if it works, but my drive just doesnt have problems burning, its having problems just reading a CD. Thanks

I've got a similar setup like yours.

The drive always worked until one day it stopped recognizing CDs. I had to RMA it.

The substitute has been working fine with the Nforce2 chipset - both with the MS drivers and the Nvidia IDE drivers.

My old drive had TLA#002 Sep 03. The new is a TLA#0103 Nov 03.

Check your TLA, doing the Plextor test.

[kerpal]

Ive been talking to "jack" from plextor support and Im trying to get my product rma'd because it seems that solved this problem for many people. But he wants me to wait for Nvidia to release working drivers. To my knowledge, if people were having problems back in 2003 and still now, the new driver isnt going to help. I really think I have to get a new drive to fix this issue.

[budz]

Last resort could be to reinstall your operating system. Some have done that and it's worked. If you wait for the new drivers to come out your warranty by that time with Plextor could run out. I would as a last resort reinstall your operating system. If you're using XP isn't there a restore option?

[kerpal]

Ive already formated 3 times, and have tried loading XP without SP, with SP1, and SP2, so formatted didnt resolve the issue.

[budz]

http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?threadid=60218

read that thread and try some of those suggestions.

[kerpal]

I ran that registry patch, that didnt make a difference. That is saying that the drive will get stuck in PIO because of erros that sets it back. I dont have a problem getting my drive into DMA mode at all. The problem is that when it is in DMA mode, it doesnt work. PIO mode is the only one that makes my drive work, but I purposely put it in PIO so that my drive will function.

[budz]

then RMA it back to Plextor. tell them it doesn't work in DMA mode. dunno what else to tell you if you've done just about everything possible. if you wait for the new drivers to come out your warranty will probably expire. if you're in the USA call Plextor support on Monday. don't waste time with emailing back and forth. you'll end up waiting forever.

[kerpal]

Thanks Budz you've been a huge help, I think that is exactly what im going to do, but im hoping they dont try to make me pay extra, because I ran the self Diagnostic, and the drive ended up being "ok" but im going to explain to them that DMA mode will just not work. Thanks again Budz and everyone else who helped me out. I'll post back here if I find out anything else.

[budz]

Your welx! Keep us posted with what happens with Plextor. One last thing if you do get it RMA, don't be surprised that the replacement drive will have a sticker that says, "REFURBISHED". According to the Pc world that is the normal standard when a drive is RMA.

[kerpal]

Well guys after going back and forth with Plextor support, arguing whether it was Nvidia or a Drive problem. I decided to test my drive in two more computers one more time to be sure. My brothers computer uses a SIS chipset, which I put the drive back into, and it only worked in PIO mode, this made me feel a little better knowing that its not a Nvidia problem, it is a drive problem. I put it in my friends external enclosure on his VIA 800 chipset (I believe that is what it is, hes running AMD 64-bit) and it would not read any disks. We couldnt even burn with it as we were able to do before. He normally uses his enclosure for his NEC 2500a dvd burner, so I knew my drive should have worked fine in it, as it has before.

So now I know that my drive does have a problem, and it is related to DMA. It seems to me that Plextor has an issue on their hands, their drives only last a certain amount of time before the Drives DMA just decides to give out. Thanks for all of the help, and im calling Plextor Monday morning to RMA my drive.

[budz]

So now I know that my drive does have a problem, and it is related to DMA. It seems to me that Plextor has an issue on their hands, their drives only last a certain amount of time before the Drives DMA just decides to give out. Thanks for all of the help, and im calling Plextor Monday morning to RMA my drive.

hmmms....crosses my fingers that my 708a doesn't die yet....it's 10 mos. old....guess if it should die now would be the time....good luck on your RMA...let us know what happens.

[Dr_Layne]

Had my 708a for almost a year and burned well over 200+ dvd+r's at 8x speed. Still works fine. I did have one problem where it wouldn't burn, but turned out to be a winxp problem that was solved by a complete reformat as a liteon burner I stuck in there did the same thing. Nforce2 IDE drivers worked fine with the 708a. I've now moved it to an amd64 with a k8v se deluxe MB and still going strong.

[kerpal]

RMA'd it back and it works like a charm, dang Plextor support, it was there drive and not the drivers like they told me.

[NiteLite]

kerpal...glad you are back up and burning.
Thanks for posting back. Being an owner on the 708A I was curious to see the result of this thread.

[budz]

kerpal do you have your 708a to do bitsetting? that's the latest for the 708a drive. you would need to download and install the latest 1.08 Plextor firmware, have the latest version of NERO BURN & have PLEXTOOLS installed. PM and I can help you out to enable the bitsetting.

[Rainey]

kerpal do you have your 708a to do bitsetting? that's the latest for the 708a drive. you would need to download and install the latest 1.08 Plextor firmware, have the latest version of NERO BURN & have PLEXTOOLS installed. PM and I can help you out to enable the bitsetting.

What is bit setting ?

I have had my 708A for about 2 years now and have had it drop to PIO mode a few time and it also would hang the PC a little when i insert a Disk when it was in that mode. I would just go into device manager and delete all pri and sec channels and the some time even the controllers, then reboot and plug and play the hardware and all was well again.