Section 2. Installation and Maintenance Hints
PlexWriter 8/8/24A Slimline Operations Manual
7
Upgrading Firmware
Plextor creates firmware revisions to meet the peculiar needs of large computer
manufacturers. It is rare that these will impact the performance or operation of your
PlexWriter drive. However, we advise that our customers always update drives with
the latest available firmware. Before troubleshooting a possible problem with your
drive please make sure to visit our web site at www.plextor.com to check if you have
the latest firmware.
To obtain new firmware for your PlexWriter 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:
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.
If You Need to Disable DMA
If the firmware upgrade does not complete successfully, you may need to disable
DMA. In this case, please follow the appropriate procedure below.
To disable DMA in Windows 95, 98 and ME:
1. Click the Start button, then Settings, then Control Panel, then double-click on
System icon, then select the Device Manager tab. You see a list of devices in
your system.
2. Double-click the CD-ROM icon and choose the PlexWriter 8/8/24A Slimline by
double-clicking on it. Then, click on the Settings tab. You now see the drive
properties for the PlexWriter.
3. Disable DMA by clicking the DMA checkbox OFF, then click OK.
4. Close the System Properties window by clicking on the Close button.
5. When prompted, reboot your system.
6. After the firmware upgrade is completed, use this same procedure (but check
DMA on) to enable DMA again before using the PlexWriter.
