User Guide

14 High-Speed CD-ROM Drive User’s Manual
IV. Troubleshooting
IV. TROUBLESHOOTING
PROBLEM Cannot achieve the maximum data transfer rate performance specified for the
CD-ROM Drive.
CAUSES 1. If you are using a benchmarking utility, it may be old.
2. The disc is not full.
3. Given the signal quality issues with PIO Mode 4 transfer rates in some
systems and such variables as error correction, caching, processor overhead,
and rotational speed, higher transfer rates may not be achievable with the
default transfer mode. Thus transfer rates may be lower.
4. The disc you are playing may not be in a CD-ROM or CD-ROM format.
SOLUTIONS 1. Upgrade your benchmarking utility to one that supports tests on the outer
tracks of your drive. Your CD-ROM Drive uses Constant Angular Velocity
(CAV) technology, wherein the spindle motor is running at the same velocity,
while the drive is accessing data at the inner or outer tracks. In this way, the
drive will achieve lower data transfer rates at the inner tracks and higher
transfer rates at the outer tracks. Thus using some or older benchmarking
utilities, such as WinBench 96, will give lower data transfer rates because
these utilities use the drive’s inner tracks for its performance tests.
2. A disc will occupy only the inner tracks when it is not full. Thus, because of
the way your CD-ROM Drive accesses data (see preceding explanation on
CAV technology), the drive will achieve lower data transfer rates. Use a full
disc if possible to get the maximum transfer rate from your drive.
3. Change the transfer mode of your CD-ROM Drive to Multi-word or Ultra
DMA Mode to maximize its capability.
• For DOS, see Transfer Mode under II. Software Installation for more
information.
• For Windows 95 or Windows NT, Bus Master driver must be installed.
Unless your computer dealer installed the driver when you bought it or
your motherboard supports Bus Master mode, Windows will not use bus
mastering for your CD-ROM Drive.
– Double-click My Computer | Control Panel | System | Device Manager
| CD-ROM controllers. If you are using bus master, PCI Bus Master
will be displayed. If not and your motherboard has the new PCI controller
chipsets from Intel, for example, the 440BX, but does not have a CMOS
setting for Bus Master mode, you may have to get the driver from Intel.
Check with your dealer for more information.
• If you do not have Bus Master driver under Windows 9x, double-click
My Computer | Control Panel | System | Device Manager | CD-ROM,
right-click ASUS CD-Sxxx and then click Properties | Settings. Under
Options of the Settings tab, click DMA to enable DMA Mode.
4. Your CD-ROM drive reads data at different speeds depending on the disc format.
Your CD-ROM drive performs at its best when it is reading a CD-ROM or CD-
ROM format disc. With other formats, such as Audio CD or Video CD, data
transfer rate performance may be slower than the maximum rate performance
specified.
PROBLEM Cannot display the directory on an audio CD disc with the DIR command.
CAUSE The DIR command does not work with audio CD discs while in DOS. You can
use the command, however, to display the directory on a data CD.
NOTE: You can use the DIR command to display the directory on an audio disc while in
Windows using the command prompt or MS-DOS Prompt. Refer to your Windows manual
on how to find the command prompt.