Like the other Plextor drives we've reviewed, the PX-760A was very easy to install. From start to finish, the entire process took only a few minutes. After taking the drive out of the box, I left the jumper set to master and installed it on the secondary IDE chain of our test computer by connecting the IDE cable and power connector. When I turned on the computer the BIOS detected it as a drive supporting UDMA 66. After making sure that the DMA was enabled in the Device Manager, I was ready to start installing the software.
Software Installation:
As I mentioned earlier, the PX-760A comes with a DVD full of software from Roxio, Sonic and Dantz. If you have autorun enabled on your computer, the menu shown below will appear when you insert the disc. From here you can access the manual, register your drive or install the bundled software. Simply click the name of the application you want to install, and its setup program will start up automatically.
If you have installed Roxio's Easy Media Creator before, you're probably already familiar with the installation process. All you need to do is choose what language you want and select your installation options.By default the setup program will install the entire suite onto your computer. If you don't want to install everything, select the custom installation. From here you can choose just the components you want.
Installing the rest of the bundled software is pretty straightforward. In most cases, it's as simple as choosing the location where you want to install the program, clicking next a few times and waiting for the setup program to copy the files over. After rebooting you'll be able to do things like play DVD's, control your drive's functions and backup the data on your computer.
Documentation:
The bulk of the PX-760A's documentation is located on the software CD in electronic format. Similar to the ones included with Plextor's other DVD writers, the manual starts out by getting the user familiarized with their new DVD writer. The first section goes over the PX-760A's capabilities, features and system requirements. Plextor has also provided some pretty good diagrams showing all of the different buttons and connectors located on the front and back of the drive. Everything is labeled clearly and the functions of each are easy to understand.
The next section of the manual jumps right into the physical installation of the PX-760A. It starts out by going over how to open up your computer and determine your existing IDE configuration. If you're not sure about how to configure your computer, Plextor has provided a few examples along with the corresponding jumper settings. For more experienced users, there are also a few recommended configurations that will get you up and running quickly. The rest of the installation section walks you through the process of mounting the drive in your computer and hooking up the cables.
The manual finishes up by going over the basic operation of the PX-760A. Along with information on how to use and maintain the drive, there is a short list of frequently asked questions. The manual also has a few sections on firmware updates and the drive's self test diagnostics. You can use these diagnostics to see if the problem you are having is with the drive or somewhere else. Last but not least, Plextor has provided a comprehensive list of specifications as well as a list of recommended media. Unfortunately, Plextor has included very little information on the PX-760A's more advanced technologies. This was a bit surprising as they've done a great job of this in the past.
The PX-760A also comes with a "Quick Installation Guide." This small, printed guide takes the user step by step through the installation process. It covers all the basics including how to set the jumpers, hook up the cables and physically install the drive in your computer. For most people, this guide is all they'll need to get the PX-760A up and running.
In the end, installing the PX-760A and the bundled software was pretty easy. If for some reason you do run into trouble, the documentation that comes with the drive is quite good. However, I would have liked to have seen a little more information on the drive's more advanced features. Even then, the PX-760A scores a 9 out of 10 for the installation portion of this review.
