Just wondering if there is anything I need to know about this drive and if there is anything I should do before actually using it. It is a retail version.

Thanks in advance

BenQ is great equipment...

What I would like to know is: What ChipSet is BenQ using in this drive to support 16X on USB2 ?????

how do I figure this out?

I am fairly new at this. The package did not include Nero it has Sonic RecordNow, Sonic DLA, WinDVD Creator, WinDVD Player, Qvideo, and Booktype Management.
I have nevered opened the computer before and don't plan on doing it soon. There is no longer any warrenty on the computer.

Get cd/dvd-speed here.
http://www.cdspeed2000.com/go.php3?link=download.html

Do I need Nero ASPI manager since the computer is WinXP?

I believe CD/DVD speed will run on its own. Download it and give it a try.

This was manufactured in Oct2004. Can you find out chipset through manufactured date?
Why is it that my winXP computer keeps detecting this drive, then doesn't, then does again?
And how do I connect this to a High Speed USB2 port. I have 6 available and I have 6USB ports but all of them is said to be unused. Is there something I have to do to activiate this port. The motherboard is Asus P4B533E which should have 6USB2 ports. http://usa.asus.com/prog/spec.asp?langs=09&m=P4B533-E
Also My Computer is saying that this drive is a CD-drive mostly but sometimes DVD-rewriter.

Is there something seriously wrong with this drive?

Gamesgirl,
When you have blank DVD media in the drive, it will showas a CD Drive.
No media in Drive= DVD drive.
Burned or pressed DVD media in drive = DVD drive with Disc Label

What version WIN XP are you using?
Upgrade to SP2 if not already done so.

When your drive is not being recognized, how are you connected to system?
When your drive is recognized, what does it say in Device manager under DVD drives?

You could do a ROM read of your Case firmware to see what chipset it is. If you have an incompatable chipset (made by another manufacturer), it simply will not read chip.

Thanks. How do I do a ROM read of my Case firmware? Using WinXP Pro SP2.
I connect using the USB cable provided to my computer's USB ports that are from the motherboard. When connected it shows under DVD/CD-ROM drives as BENQ DVD DD EW1621I USB Device. But windows keeps informing me that it would be better to connect to a USB2 port when, it should be only USB2 ports that the computer have. The problem is that the speakers would beep after some time for the Safely Remove Hardware icon in the taskbar, the icon would disappear than reappear.
Is it possible to run CDSpeed with a blank media to check burst rate?

Gamezgirl, 1st, from what you are reporting, it sounds like you need to update your motherboard Bios & chipset. Go to your motherboard manufacturer site & look for Bios & chipset update on your board. Follow update instructions exactly. Print them out beforehand if you are nervous. You will probably need to make a Dos boot disk, do a google or forum search on how to do.
If, after doing this or if you already have the latest Bios & drivres and you still have recognition problems, then connect the drive to another computer with USB 2 capability to see if the problem follows the drive. If so, RMA it.

Once you have the drive recognized properly we can concern ourselves with what chipset the case has.

What BenQ firmware do you have on the drive? Will be listed in CD Speed "DW1621 V4xxx" at top of window.

In order to do a burst rate test you must have a burned or pressed disc in drive.
Better still, put a blank disc in, start CD Speed, go to file/options and select Standard test. Check Burst Rate & Create Data Disc...choose good write speed for disk... do not overspeed to max. if your disc has 16X overspeed capabilities like TY T02, burn it at 12X. You could do a QScan to determine recommended burn speed on disc.
Then go to options/capture and set picture format as png.
Say hit OK, then hit start. When done, use scroll box at bottom of graph to display time of burn & burst rate, save file.
Go to Extra in file menu, then Disc Quality, set speed at 8X, hit start save when completed then post here.

Why does the drive keep malfunction and not be recogonized by winXP?

The firmware from CD Speed is DW1621 V47G9.

Gamezgirl,
I really don't think there is something wrong with your drive.
The recognition problem in Win XP, with the questionable USB 2 port, would lead me to look in the direction of proper Motherboard bios & proper motherboard chipset drivers.
I had to roll back my own Intel motherboard chipset drivers that I had updated because they caused me similar problems. The same could be true of older drivers.
You can go to your device manager in XP and see what your USB driver is.....
or you can download this free app (home edition).
http://www.lavalys.com/products/down...?pid=1&lang=en
Run it, click on devices, then Physical Devices and tell me if you see an "Enhanced USB2 controller" listed there.
This may be your problem.
Or take the drive to a friends computer and see if it has the same problem.

Using that software it shows: Field Value Bus 0, Device 29, Function 7 Intel 82801DB(M) ICH4(-M) - Enhanced USB2 Controller [A-1].
Could I just update the Intel Chipset, Intel(R) Chipset Software Installation Utility V5.02.1003.?

Gamezgirl,
Are you sure you have your mother board model number right?
go to this page:
http://www.asus.com/support/english/...del/index.aspx
Click on "how to find Model name"
Follow top instructions referring to "ReBoot your system" What is your model number? What is your Bios version?
The bios number you provided does not match any that Asus has.

Look up the same web page again, then current bios & drivers for this mother board. Download & install according to instructions.
dishinit

dishinit,
I never provided a bios number. Not that I know of anyways.
BIOS Version: Asus P4B533-E ACPI BiOS Revision 1008
BIOS Model: P4B533-E

Also since I am using WinXP Pro SP2 w/NTFS format how do I create a boot disk? Is it possible to go into DOS mode?

With the Everest software there are 3USB controller and 1USB2 controller.
Field Value
Bus 0, Device 29, Function 7 Intel 82801DB(M) ICH4(-M) - Enhanced USB2 Controller [A-1]
Field Value
Bus 0, Device 29, Function 0 Intel 82801DB(M) ICH4(-M) - USB Controller [A-1]
Field Value
Bus 0, Device 29, Function 1 Intel 82801DB(M) ICH4(-M) - USB Controller [A-1]
Field Value
Bus 0, Device 29, Function 2 Intel 82801DB(M) ICH4(-M) - USB Controller [A-1]

How do I do a ROM read?

The Intel Chipset thing was found on the download site for the motherboard,
http://www.asus.com/support/download...-E&Type=Latest

Gamez_girl

Gamezgirl,
I believe you can run your downloaded Chipset Utiltiy from windows, unless it states otherwise.
You probably do not need a bootable floppy.
The Bios update usually has a read me file with it. Open the directory/file you saved it in and read the readme. These usually say, save the file to formated floppy disk, set computer to boot from floppy and follow update instructions.

Before you do a ROM read, lets get the EW1621 to be recognized consistantly and for your USB2 burst test on your drive to be 21MB/s to 22MB/s or more if possible.

I tried burning a Benq 8x DVD-R but I can't seem to get a Burst rate, get this error:
---------------------------
Nero CD-DVD Speed
---------------------------
Error!
INVALID FIELD IN CDB (052400)
---------------------------
OK
---------------------------

Also a tried burning a Benq 8x DVD+R before editing options, CD Speed froze, now when I put that disk into the drive, the drive does not recogonized the disc.

Can't run the Disc Quality test.
---------------------------
Nero CD-DVD Speed
---------------------------
Error initializing test.
---------------------------
OK
---------------------------

Gamezgirl,
You did not say what you have done in the interim?
Bios update? Motherboard chipset update?

Do you have pressed DVD? (Movie you would purchase)
Use that to do burst rate test.

Sorry, I updated the Motherboard chipset but not the Bios because I am not sure about that.
The Burst Rate was 20MB/s.
Also what is this error which I get from the DVD movies and from the movie which I got the Burst Rate:
---------------------------
Nero CD-DVD Speed
---------------------------
Error!
READ OF SCRAMBLED SECTOR WITHOUT AUTHENTICATION (056F03)
---------------------------
OK
---------------------------

Good you did not try to update Bios if unsure. Chipset is straight forward.

Has this solved drive recognition problem?

You got the error on the pressed disc as it is copywrite protected. Run Burst rate only test.
From your burst rate, I assume you are connected via USB, is this correct?

Does your external case have 1394/FireWire connection capability?
If so, reconnect via firewire and run burst rate. What do you get?

What version of Nero are you using? OEM or Full?
What other burning software do you have on your computer.
When you run Nero info tool, what does it say about your system ASPI?

It's possible that you should check with Windows Device manager to determine that USB 2.0 functions on your motherboard. You can also remove all of the USB controllers from device managers and then restart windows to automatically reinstall the USB system (hopefully an improvement).

USB 2.0 functionality is gained through installing a driver provided by the mainboard manufacturer. This is usually a seperate driver install that you perform after the chipset support software is installed. And this USB 2.0 support file should be on the disc provided with the mainboard. Personally, I would use the USB 2.0 support file from the mainboard manufacturer's website.

USB 2.0 functionality can be enabled/disabled from bios of mainboard (press del when starting and read, read, read through the menus), so make sure it is actually enabled.

That's an old firmware in your BenQ (and quite normal). Go to www.benq.com and click on "global" from the site map. Follow through the logical course to download firmware L9 (very fast) or newer for your external drive. Newer firmware will increase compatibilities with both discs and USB issues. Perform this step last.