Go look for a firmware update for your CD-RW from the Plextor website, and then install the 1.9 upgrade for Plextor Manager 2000. That should fix the software problem.
It is better to use more advanced burning software than what comes with the Plexwriter. Nero 5 is the best if you want real control over the process. All I ever use the Plexwriter software for is to listen to MP3's and audio CD's. It just sounds better than using Winamp or something like that.
There should be no reason for the Plexwriter Manager 2000 software to be unable to identify your CD-ROM after the upgrade(s). Plextor has no marketing strategy that forces you to use only their hardware. (It sees my Pioneer DVD just fine.) The real problem is between the keyboard and the computer chair. Always look for updates for software and firmware updates for a new component after installation. That's just a basic computer skills "rule-of-thumb" that will save you hours of grief.
**Note: Most Plextor CD-RW's come with a disk that has a version of Easy CD Creator 3.5 or 4 on it. This is the same disk that has the installation files for the Plextor Manager 2000 software already installed on your system. It's just not obvious that it is on there, until you look closely. It's not as good as Nero, but it's better than what you've got.
Don't uninstall the Plexwriter software ... the 1.9 software is an upgrade, and will overwrite the older version. It is not a complete, stand-alone version of the software.
**Note 2: Be sure that the Plexwriter is the Secondary Master, and the other Sony DVD/CD-ROM is the Secondary Slave on the internal IDE cable ... and listed as such in the BIOS, or it might not work correctly. Check your manual for the correct jumper settings, or go to both the Plexwriter and Sony websites and look at the technical specifications for the drives.
Live and learn.
Toejam31
<font color=purple>If there was a reason for everything, having faith would be redundant.</font color=purple>