ASPI Layer problem

[fredjb]

I have a problem with my CD-RW drive (Plexwriter 12/10/32A) which I
have had for just over a year. I was trying to do a full erase on a
CD-RW disk (using the Plextools facility) when I got an error message:

'ASPI Error:

Dear User
This software has detected that no ASPI layer was installed or is not
working. For more information, please use the print button and follow the instructions on the print-out.'

There are 'Print' and 'Exit' buttons, and when I pressed the 'Print', I got a Plextools fault report form, which I completed and sent to Plextor Europe.
They replied saying I should download the ASPI drivers version 4.70
(file aspi_v470.exe) from the Adaptec site. This I did, installed it as
instructed (in C:\adaptec\aspi), and re-booted.
Unfortunately, it made no difference. Every time I boot up I still get the same 'ASPI Error' message.

If I go to the C:\adaptec\aspi folder and double-click the 'Aspichk.exe' icon I get the ASPI Installation Verification window, which says : 'ASPI is properly installed and fully operational.'

So I contacted Plextor again and they told me to download a PXINFO
Fault Report which I should fax or email to them. They say this will
give them details of my PC, system, etc. So I downloaded this item but,
when I tried to open it, I got an error message:

PXINFO:
ASPI for WIN32 is not initialized! Unable to load 'WNASPI32.DLL'

I told Plextor of this and (unbelievably!) they sent me an email
yesterday telling me to download the aspi_v470.exe file from the
Adaptec site! This is the same instruction that they sent me over a
week ago and which I told them I had tried without success!
Who are these jerks?

So I should be most grateful if anyone out there can help me as I cannot use my CD-RW drive at all and cannot get any sense out of Plextor tech support..

My PC is nearly five years old. It has a 200 MHz Pentium CPU and
64 MB RAM. I am using Windows 98SE. I have recently successfully
installed a second hard disk drive (20 GB) and the CD-RW drive
appeared to be working OK after that.

Where do I go from here? (I've no idea what an ASPI layer is!)

Fred

[gwallen4]

The following web site explains about aspi drivers:

http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/~aa571/aspi.htm

[mjc]

It is quite probable that you will have to uninstall and then reinstall the program you are using to burn the CDs.

I would uninstall it, then run ASPIcheck, install the ASPI layer if needed, then reinstall the software, rebooting between each step......

[fredjb]

Thanks gwallen 4 and mjc for your inputs.

mjc: I uninstalled Plextools and my CD burning s/w (WinOnCD, BackMeUp and PacketCD), rebooted and - hey presto, there is no 'ASPI Error' error message. So I reinstalled Plextools (only) from the Plextor CD-ROM (supplied with the CD-RW drive) and rebooted. The 'ASPI Error' msg is back. In both conditions (uninstalled and installed) I checked the ASPIchk (in C:\adaptec\aspi) and it says: 'ASPI is properly installed and fully operational'.

Does this indicate that the Plextor CD-ROM is corrupt? Or is there some other reason?

Fred

[mjc]

Sounds more like a problem with Plextools....have you checked for an updated version?

[gwallen4]

Check the version number of the following file:

'C:\windows/system/iosubsys/scsi1hlp.vxd'

Locate the file, right click on the file, click on properties, click on version.

If its not the earlier version 4.00.950 then there could be a problem with some programs seeing the MSCDEX interface.

Download the 4.00.950 version at:

ftp://ftp.sony.com/ccpg/pc

Go to the ftp site then double click on scsi1hlp.exe to download the file. Remember where you download it to on your computer. After the download, double click on the file to extract scsi1hlp.vxd. The file will be extracted to the same folder. Then copy the vxd file to C:\windows/system/iosubsys.

This worked for me once. I don't think it can do any harm, and you can always get back to the newer version, if you save that file under a different name like: scsi1hlp.new.

If you have trouble downloading the file, E-mail me and I'll send it to you.

[fredjb]

Thanks again Gwallen4 and mjc. I've now solved my problem. I followed the advice of someone who suggested that I should install Plextools first, followed by WinOnCD and - hey presto! - it worked. I now have no 'ASPI Error' msg.

I must say that, while perhaps not exactly mumbo-jumbo, it does smack of art rather than science. It reminds me of my doctor who, when I accused him of being non-scientific, said: 'Fred, medicine is 60 per cent art, and 40 per cent science!'

Thanks again, guys.

Best

Fred