Iomega drives current modifications

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- Enable SubChannel Data reading in PLEXTOR/CREATIVE/TDK/IOMEGA 12/10/32 CDR-W drives:

If you facing problems when try to read SubChannel Data with your Plextor based recorder there might be a solution for you. All the above drives have 2 jumpers next to the digital audio out. If you jumper them then you drive would recognized as UDMA33 and probably it will start reading SubChannel data. We tried it in our TDK CyClone 121032, which refused previously to read SubChannel data, and worked fine with latest CloneCD (2.8.4.2).

This is the official Plextor answer about jumper the drive:

"...The "Reserved jumper" (2 horizontal pins next to the digital audio out) is used for testing during production. If these jumper pins are shortened, some PC motherboard will work at Ultra DMA-33. But we do not guarantee the working..."

So if you face SubChannel problems please try the above trick and report back results.

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- Rename your IOMEGA/TDK/.. 121032 CDR-W drive to Plextor one:

Our good friends over Round Sparrow have released interesting info about converting the ID of your Plextor based recorder to "Plextor". Why you would like to do that?

As the people over Round Sparrow say: "...if you have to ask, then you likely should not. Only people who have incompatible burning software programs should even consider it! 98% of users do NOT need to do this. Experienced computer "hackers" are the ones this information is intended for -- now new computer users. The Iomega CD recorder works fine for 98% of applications without the name being changed..."

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- Upgrade your Iomega 121032 to firmware v1.07!!

As you might know several companies (Creative,Iomega,TDK) sell CDR-W drives that based on other manufacturers drives (OEM). Plextor has recently released 1.07 firmware update version for PX-W1210A. However Iomega and other companies release much later the updated firmware in order to work with their models. Here is what one of our viewers has discovered:

"...I updated the firmware from 1.04 to 1.07 using a hacked version of the Plextor firmware updater (so that it would recognize the drive as a plextor)!! Works great. People have already reported that the DAE works better with the 1.07 firmware on the Iomega drive. CompUSA is selling it for $130 BEFORE the $30 rebate... $99. after rebate. And Best Buy does 110% price matching. I just picked mine up in Seattle for $90. The "hot deal" forums are all over this 12x rebadged Plextor for $100!!! Works great so far, I've had mine for a few hours. A plextor 12x burnproof burner for $90.... WHOO WHOO! Christmas again!.." You can get all the tools over here.

There is another way to do it. As a user emailed us:

"..You can also use the Plextor firmware with compatible recorders (Iomega 121032, TDK 121032) if you:

1) Download and unzip the firmware file
2) Open PlexFirm.ini. In the 3rd line there should be:
Inquiry=PLEXTOR CD-R PX-W1210A;

change it to: Inquiry=;

Then by running PXFirm.exe, you get a selection screen to select the drive, press update .. and you're done. I am using this firmware right now on my Iomega and it's 100% fully functional. I assume that it must also work for the Creative drive..."