Corel CD Creator README Information     
===================================      
This document includes last minute product information about     
Corel CD Creator and its related modules.  This document also    
provides information about specific manufacturers' hardware. The    
information provided in this document isn't available in the    
printed or online documentation.     
   
    
Table of Contents     
=================     
A.  Setup and Configuration   
    1.  Supported Compact Disc Recorders     
    2.  About Digital Audio Extraction     
    3.  Setting Read and Write Buffer Sizes     
    4.  About the Windows MCI Sound Driver     
    5.  NCR's MINICAM.SYS     
    6.  Philips CDD521/Kodak PCD200 with v2.0x Firmware     
    7.  Philips CDD521/Kodak PCD200 with v1.xx Firmware     
    8.  Ricoh RS9200CD     
    9.  Installing Corel CD Creator   
   
B.  Disc Preparation and Recording   
    1.  Known Problems    
    2.  Using the File Manager for Drag-and-drop     
    3.  Testing Without Compact Disc Recorders     
    4.  Decreasing the Track Buffer Threshold     
    5.  Importing Sessions    
    6.  Using Mode 2 Data Discs with NEC CD-ROM Drives   
    7.  CD-R Discs and Quad Speed Recorders    
    8.  Philips CDD521/Kodak PCD200 with v1.xx Firmware     
   
C.  Supplemental CD-ROM Software    
    1.  Switching Tasks  
    2.  Creating multi-volume discs with PCD Creator  
   
D.  Supplemental CD-ROM Software    
    1.  Installing Host Adapters and ASPI Managers    
    2.  Corel's CD-ROM Device Driver    
    3.  CorelCDX    
    4.  Session Changer and CDSESN    
    5.  DOS Commands    
   
   
===================================     
A. Setup and Configuration     
===================================     
   
A-1. Supported Compact Disc Recorders     
-------------------------------------   
The following recorders have been tested by Corel and are     
supported by Corel CD Creator:     
     
*  Kodak PCD225, PCD200 and PCD200 Plus   
*  Microboards Playwrite 1000   
*  Philips CDD521 and CDD522     
*  Reflection Systems RF4000 and RF4100   
*  Ricoh RS9200CD     
*  Smart and Friendly CD-R2000     
*  Yamaha CDR100 and CDE100
     
     
A-2. About Digital Audio Extraction     
-----------------------------------   
If you plan to record audio information from existing compact     
discs, you require a CD-ROM drive that supports digital audio     
extraction. The device driver controlling the drive must also     
support digital audio extraction. For information about digital     
audio extraction and how to test your CD-ROM drives, see Chapter     
4, "Configuring Corel CD Creator" in the Users' Manual.     
     
Corel has tested the following CD-ROM drives with Corel's CD-ROM     
device driver (CUNI_ASP.SYS) to verify that the drives support     
digital audio extraction:     
     
* Apple CD300     
* IBM CD-ROM II   
* Panasonic CR503     
* Pioneer DRM-602X     
* Plextor PX43CH and PX45CH     
* Sony CDU561 (and OEM versions such as Compaq CDU561)     
* Toshiba XM3401, XM3501, and XM4101      
* Yamaha CDR100 and CDE100   
   
   
A-3. Setting Read and Write Buffer Sizes     
----------------------------------------     
The User's Manual indicates that this README file provides     
information about the read and write buffer sizes available with     
each compact disc recorder supported by Corel CD Creator.     
However, because the system tests set default values based on the     
test results, this information is not required in this README     
file.     
     
     
A-4.  About the Windows MCI Sound Driver     
----------------------------------------     
Corel CD Creator makes use of the services provided by the     
Windows MCI Sound driver to work with WAV files and to create     
audio discs. Therefore, if this driver isn't loaded, Corel CD     
Creator can't work with WAV files, create audio discs, or create     
mixed mode discs.      
     
You can load the MCI Sound driver via the Drivers icon in your     
Windows Control Panel. For information about the MCI drivers, see     
your Windows documentation.     
     
     
A-5. NCR's MINICAM.SYS     
----------------------     
NCR's MINICAM.SYS doesn't support multi-threaded input/output.     
Therefore, if you're using this driver, you must configure the     
system to load the DOSCAM.SYS driver rather than MINICAM.SYS.    
    
    
A-6. Philips CDD521/Kodak PCD200 with v2.0x Firmware     
----------------------------------------------------     
Some systems may hang during start-up when a Philips CDD521 or     
Kodak PCD200 is connected to certain host adapters. This may be     
the result of an anomaly in the drives' v2.0x firmware and isn't     
caused by Corel CD Creator or other Corel software.     
     
The following changes may resolve the problem:     
1.  If the host adapter isn't controlling a SCSI hard disk,     
disable the BIOS on the host adapter.     
2.  If possible, disable LUN scanning by the host adapter or ASPI     
manager.     
3.  Power off the compact disc recorder until after the system     
has booted.     
   
Don't set the size of the write buffer to 21168 (9 blocks) when     
using either a Kodak PCD200 or Philips CDD521 recorder. This     
value appears to conflict with the drive's internal buffer     
management logic and causes the drive to report a buffer under     
run error shortly after beginning to write a track. Changing the     
write buffer size to 18816 (8 blocks) appears to resolve this     
problem.     
   
   
A-7. Philips CDD521/Kodak PCD200 with v1.xx Firmware     
----------------------------------------------------     
These compact disc recorders don't disconnect from the SCSI bus     
while writing to CD-R discs. If they're used on a system with     
a SCSI hard disk, the recorders must be controlled by a different     
SCSI host adapter than the adapter controlling the hard disk.     
     
Don't set the size of the write buffer size to 21168 (9 blocks)     
when using either a Kodak PCD200 or Philips CDD521 compact disc     
recorder. This value appears to conflict with the drives'    
internal buffer management logic and causes the drive to report    
a buffer under run error shortly after beginning to write a    
track.  Changing the write buffer size to 18816 (8 blocks)appears    
to  resolve this problem.     
   
   
A-8. Ricoh RS9200CD     
-------------------     
Drives with firmware version 0159 (or earlier) require a    
significantly larger write buffer than drives with firmware    
version 0167 (or later).     
   
   
A-9. Installing Corel CD Creator   
---------------------------------     
After installing or reinstalling Corel CD Creator, you must start    
Corel CD Creator and run its system tests before running PCD    
Creator.   
   
   
=================================     
B. Disc Preparation and Recording     
=================================     
   
B-1. Known Problems     
-------------------     
1. Problems occur when jewel case layouts are copied to     
CorelDRAW! 4 and 5. The rotated text for the "foldover" portions     
of the back cover don't import properly.     
     
2. If your system is low on memory and you try to add a WAV file,     
Corel CD Creator may display an error that indicates the file is     
invalid. Make more memory available and then try to add the WAV     
file again.      
     
3. The Print Setup doesn't show jewel case inserts in landscape     
mode.    
   
4. When recording a disc layout, Corel CD Creator may access    
files in its installation directory, temporary files directory,    
music database directory, and music cache directory. Therefore,    
problems may occur during the recording if you include files from    
these directories in the disc layout.   

5.  The results of the system tests set the size of the read and 
write buffers. In rare cases, you may need to adjust these 
default sizes if problems occur while recording disc layouts.

6.  If a CD Audio disc layout includes very short tracks of a few 
seconds, the Disc Info bar may not show accurate status 
information. 

7.  Corel CD Creator should not be installed in a subdirectory that 
uses an extension (C:\CDCREATR.V10). Executing Corel CD Creator after 
being installed in such a subdirectory may result in the error 
message 'Internal Database Error'. 
   
   
B-2. Using the File Manager for Drag-and-drop     
---------------------------------------------     
Corel CD Creator supports drag-and-drop from desktop management     
applications such as the File Manager. The File Manager prevents     
you from dragging directories and files from its left panel. You     
can only drag from the right panel.      
     
     
B-3. Testing Without Compact Disc Recorders     
-------------------------------------------     
You can test a recording without connecting a recorder to your     
system. Corel CD Creator supports a "NULL" device that disregards     
all write commands. After you've configured the NULL device, it's     
listed as a recorder that you can select, just as you select any     
other recorder.     
     
To configure the NULL device, remove the semi-colon (;) from the   
beginning of the following entry in the [Devices] section   
of CDCREATR.INI file:
   nullDevice=NULL    
     
     
B-4. Decreasing the Track Buffer Threshold     
------------------------------------------     
When creating data or mixed mode discs, Corel CD Creator copies     
all files smaller than or equal to a specific size to a temporary     
file on your hard disk. The use of this "track buffer" reduces     
the risk of buffer under run errors while recording disc layouts     
that include many small files. Although the use of the track     
buffer significantly improves the reliability of Corel CD     
Creator, the buffer also lengthens the setup and preparation time     
required to create a disc.     
     
The point at which files are no longer copied to the track buffer     
is known as the track buffer threshold. By default, Corel CD     
Creator uses a track buffer threshold of 100 KB.     
     
Note: The Users' Manual incorrectly indicates that the default     
track buffer threshold is 0.5 MB.     
     
The value of 100 KB was chosen to increase reliability on lower-    
end systems, but may be fairly conservative for higher-end     
systems. Corel has found that many 486-33 (or faster) systems are     
capable of working with a track buffer threshold of 50 KB or     
less.     
     
Therefore, you may want to experiment with varying the track     
buffer threshold. You must restart Corel CD Creator for the new     
value to take effect. You should always perform at least one     
simulated recording with a typical layout after changing the     
track buffer threshold. If the threshold is set too low, you may     
experience buffer under run errors while data is being written to     
the disc.     
     
To change the threshold value     
1.  From the Notepad, open the CDCREATR.INI file, which is     
located in your Windows directory.     
2.  Change the value assigned to the 'TrackBufferThresholdInKB='     
entry in the [Advanced] section. The value is specified in     
kilobytes and may be any value from 0 to 65535.      
     
     
B-5.  Importing Sessions    
------------------------     
If you import a session that has hidden directories into a    
layout, the directories won't appear as hidden items in the    
layout. These directories also won't be written to the    
CD-R disc as hidden items. You must manually set the Hidden    
option of the directories' item properties before Corel CD    
Creator will write the directories as hidden.    
    
This applies only to imported directories. Imported files retain    
hidden attributes.   
    
    
B-6.  Using Mode 2 Data Discs with NEC CD-ROM Drives    
----------------------------------------------------     
Mode 2 data discs created using the Ricoh RS9200CD compact disc    
recorder may not be usable on some NEC CD-ROM drives. The same    
discs are usable on other CD-ROM drives. Conversely, Mode 2 data    
discs created using other brands of compact disc recorders seem    
to work properly with NEC CD-ROM drives.   
   
   
B-7.  CD-R Discs and Quad Speed Recorders    
-----------------------------------------     
If you're  using a Yamaha recorder to write at quad (4X) speed,    
you should use CD-R discs marked 4xS (four times speed). Problems    
with the reliability of data may occur when recording at 4X    
speeds using other types of CD-R discs. For more information,    
contact the vendor of your CD-R media.   
   
   
B-8. Philips CDD521/Kodak PCD200 with v1.xx Firmware     
----------------------------------------------------     
The Philips CDD521 and Kodak PCD200 compact disc recorders with     
firmware version prior to 2.XX don't support simulated     
recordings. For more information about simulating recordings, see     
Chapter 4, "Configuring Corel CD Creator" in the Users' Manual.     
     
When playing back an audio disc recorded on early versions of the     
Philips CDD521 or Kodak PCD200, you may hear a "click" or "pop"     
at the beginning of each track. This noise is introduced by the     
recorders' firmware when discs are recorded. The noise isn't     
caused by Corel CD Creator.     
     
The firmware on early versions of the Philips CDD521 and Kodak     
PCD200 cause the left and right channels to be reversed when     
recording audio tracks. If this happens with your recorder, you     
must add the following entry to the CDCREATR.INI file:     
    swapChannels=1     
     
For the CDD521, add the entry to the [CDR-PHILIPS] section. For     
the PCD200, add the entry to the [CDR-KODAK] section.      
     
This entry forces Corel CD Creator to swap the digital     
information for the left and right channels before sending it to     
the recorder. The recorder's firmware then swaps the left and     
right channels back into their proper positions.     
   
   
===================================     
C. PCD Creator   
===================================     
   
C-1.  Switching Tasks   
----------------------------   
If you switch to another task from any of PCD Creator's dialog   
boxes, the only way to return to PCD Creator is using Alt+Tab.

C-2.  Creating multi-volume discs with PCD Creator
--------------------------------------------------             
When using PCD Creator to create custom photo discs, 
writing multiple times to a single disc creates a multi-volume 
disc, not an incremental multisession disc. Each time a new set 
of images is written to the disc, a new volume is created on 
the disc. This is unlike Kodak Photo CDs, where all images appear 
in the last session.
   
   
   
===================================     
D. Supplemental CD-ROM Software     
===================================     
   
D-1.  Installing Host Adapters and ASPI Managers    
------------------------------------------------     
Every SCSI host adapter requires an ASPI manager. The ASPI    
manager for your host adapter should have been provided with the    
host adapter. The ASPI manager must be installed and loaded    
before you can access the compact disc recorder.    
    
For your convenience, several ASPI managers have been included     
with Corel CD Creator. If necessary, you can install the ASPI    
manager for your host adapter during the Corel CD Creator    
installation.    
    
Information about some host adapters and ASPI managers has been    
included in the README_2 file. If you have problems with any ASPI    
manager, contact the manufacturer of your host adapter.    
    
    
D-2.  Corel's CD-ROM Device Driver    
----------------------------------     
If you're using a memory manager, you may need to uninstall it    
before installing Corel's CD-ROM driver and then reinstall the    
memory manager. In rare cases, systems may hang if Corel's CD-ROM    
device driver is installed while a memory manager is loaded.    
    
    
D-3.  CorelCDX    
--------------     
If you're using DOS 5.0, Norton Shell 6.0, and CDXCACHE,     
Windows may not run. Remove or upgrade any one of the three     
programs to resolve this problem.    
    
    
D-4.  Session Changer and CDSESN    
--------------------------------     
If you run Session Changer or CDSESN, CD-ROM caching software    
(CorelCDX/CDXCACHE) flushes any cached data for the specified    
drive, even if the current session isn't changed.    
    
    
D-5.  DOS Commands    
------------------     
Corel CD Creator includes two DOS commands that may provide    
useful information if you have difficulty accessing your CD-ROM    
devices.    
    
SS.EXE scans all host adapters, which have ASPI managers loaded,  
and lists the SCSI devices detected.    
    
CDXINFO.EXE provides summary information about CorelCDX. 

SCANCD displays summary information about the specified drive and
its media. The following syntax shows the format of the command: 
   SCANCD [drive:] 
