Philips CD RW 400 Series tech help needed!

Factual Questions
1

Here’s the story in as much detail as I can possibly give. I bought a Philips CDRW400, it is external and works by USB.

I cannot get it installed to save my life.

The instructions say to get the drive hooked up, then

1.- The driver database is loaded automatically after you have connected the USB cable to the PC

(Um, no it didn’t. It doesn’t do anything, even with a restart)

2.- Insert the Philips installation diskette into the floppy drive.
(This is a Compaq Evo150 and I don’t have a floppy drive. Instead I copied the files into a folder on the harddrive)

3.- The “Hardware assistant” window appears on the screen. Click on next.
(Nothing appears on the screen. Are they saying that when you insert the disk into the drive that the wizard will appear? I’ve NEVER heard of that happening with a floppy disk. I take it they mean that the hardware assistant appears when it detects the USB device)

4.- Select the item “Search for the best driver”
(The helpful diagram doesn’t show WHAT KIND OF DRIVER IT IS!)

5.- Select your floppy drive for driver installation, blah, blah.
(If I ever got so far as to install, I would just point it at the folder on the harddrive)

All Done!

BS!

The only clue the manual gives is that you are installing a “Philips USB Cable”. Nowhere in Windows hardware installation can I find that device. Is there a category that contains this that I can try so that I can just use the drivers on the disk? (harddrive)

In Windows System, I have (under USB)
Universal Serial BUS controllers:
USB Root Hub
VIA Tech 3038 USB Controller PCI to USB Universal Host Controller

Should I remove one of these and see if it detects the drive? I also have two USB ports on this laptop, and I’ve tried both to no avail. Is it possible that you REALLY need a floppy drive to install this thing?

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. This thing is driving me batshit.

Zette

2

Oh, and I plugged a USB tracball into the port and it did detect that automatically. So I know the port works. The CD is plugged into power and into the PC.

Zette

3

Why yes, I AM talking to myself!

I have a less detailed question here for anyone who has an external USB device (preferably a CD writer)

Should Win 98 just detect this device upon startup? That seems to be the sticking point for me. If so, and it doesnt’ work, is there a way to install this “Philips USB cable” (that’s what the disk says)

Thanks in advance. I promise I won’t post again to this thread unless it gets some responses.

Zette

4

First off, Generally with USB devices they recommend that you install the drivers first, and then connect the device.
Try removing everything, then reinstalling the drivers, then plugging the device in.

What happens when you do plug the drive in? It should flash some manner of window at you the first time that says installing device, and subsequent times notify that it is connecting the device.

Have you tried a different physical cable? Sometimes the cables get twisted and what not and become unusable.

What about a Hub? Are you using a hub or plugging the USB drive directly into your machine?

Does The manufacturer have any listings of known driver problems or updated available? (Of the PC or the drive?)

If the drive is plugged in at start up then yes, it should automatically be there. If you aren’t sure leave the drive unplugged until after the machine has completed booting.

Have you tried contacting the manufacturer’s technical support? What about the store you purchased it at?

5

Some USB things are not supposed to be plugged in before you turn on the computer. You’re then supposed to install the driver with it not plugged in. Then turn it off & then on again with the thing plugged into the computer & it should detect it. Some USB things are the other way around. What do you think?

6

Thanks for the replies, guys. I appreciate it!

I tried 80 different things, but I have a few strikes against me.

The driver disk is only meant to work once the “hardware wizard” comes up. There is no executable file to click on to make anything run, so I’m stuck there. There is no device in device manager to even pick and install the device. Argh!

My USB port DOES detect a USB mouse, so I’m inclined to believe it’s not my port or drivers.

Philips sucks ass totally and has ZERO support on their website and I could not get anyone on the phone either.

I did try plugging it all in, then restarting, to no avail.

Bottom line:
This bad boy is going back! I’m going to buy the Iomega drive I wanted originally, which I know comes with easy to use drivers and will install well. I called Circuit City and chatted with the manager and he said I could return it with no re-stock fee.

Thanks for your help, all, and hopefully I won’t have to be back tonight asking the same damned questions! :slight_smile:

Zette

7

Yes it should detect it automatically.

Look in your system list and see if there are any unknown devices detected that are tagged with x’s or !'s. If this is the case and your CDRW is ID’d as one of these (or some mystery device) it has already ID’d and locked out your CDRW and will not re-detect it until you remove/delete the device from the system list and re-boot and let the system detect re-initalize it at which point you can point it the folder with the files. You may have tell what sub-dir of the folder to look it if there are multiple language install files (typical with Philips).

Make sure there is power to the drive and that any power switches on the drive are “on”. Make sure power cable is snug to drive.

Get a different USB cable or try a different USB port on the machine. SAMS club (if in your area) usually has the best deals on USB cables @ 25% of retail electronics store prices.

Make sure DOS or legacy USB option is turned on the BIOS.

8

Well dear, I suggust you pay a little more for a HP or a Sony. They aren’t cheap, but at least they work for ya.