|
How does Century CD work?
Century CD uses a rotating robotic mechanism similar to the Kodak
carousel technology for viewing color slides. It attaches to your
desktop or notebook PC via a USB or serial connection The self-installing
indexing software provides you with a directory listing from which
you may call up and access any of the stored CDs / DVDs. This software
controls the insertion, removal, and selection of all CD/DVD media
into the Century CD carousel. Basically, it functions as a gatekeeper.
Thus, Century CD allows you to select and retrieve a CD or DVD,
but it does not allow you to read the media without removing it
from the unit and inserting it into your local drive. In short,
it ejects the CD which you select via the software. Century CD does
not contain a CD-ROM or CD-RW drive.
By
making notes in one of the database fields, you can also track the
location of ejected or "borrowed" CD's. The enclosed chassis
prevents manual removal of the media, and multi-level password protection
safeguards it against unwanted access. No off-line access to Century
CD is allowed, thereby protecting the integrity of your software
database.
The
current DDS software which comes with Century CD supports Mac OS
8 and 9, and most Windows versions. It does not work in a Linux
environment.
Linux
Compatibility
The
DDS database software which comes with the Century CD unit does
not support Linux, and there are no planned development efforts
in this regard as of yet.
Mac Compatibility
The current DDS software supports Mac OS 8 and 9 native only. It
does not support 8 or 9 emulation mode from OS X. We apologize for
the confusion in the literature which stated Mac 9.1 or higher.
This claim meant 9.2, not OS X.
Windows
Compatibility
With the exception of Windows '95, Century CD supports all other
non-networked Windows programs. However, there have been more problems
reported with Windows XP than any of the other Windows operating
systems.
Can
a Century CD unit be accessed by more than one user at the same
time?
No. In its current state, Century CD is not a sharable or networkable
device. It can be accessed only by the PC or notebook to which it
is attached. It can be moved from one PC to another, however. You
simply need to back up the database before moving it, and then restore
the database on the next PC.
Can
I still purchase a Century CD unit?
In all likelyhood there will continue to be some from time to
time if you keep watch on the internet and eBay. The last
company to carry them enmasse was TigerDirect.com.
How
do I remove a CD from my unit if it isn't working properly?
You
can manually remove the CD's from your unit by prying off the circular
plastic insert on top of the enclosure with the tip of a screwdriver
or knife, and remove the hex nut (8mm I think) about 1 1/2 inches
down with the appropriate tool. Once this nut is removed, carefully
lift off the smoked grey plastic cover, which will give you access
to your CD's.
It is possible to remove a CD by gently holding it between your
fingers and flexing it slightly such as not to break it. Although
the CD encounters some slight resistance when removing it in this
fashion, it is not enough to damage the CD or its contents.
Can
I sort the titles in my database alphabetically?
One
of the features of the software which is not discussed in the manual
is that you can arrange your titles alphabetically by simply clicking
on the "Title" column header.
Can
I print a listing of the titles in my DDS database?
The current DDS software which comes with Century CD does not allow
you to print out the contents of the database. Some users have found
a workaround for this by first importing their DDS database into
Excel, and printing it from there. One user did this with Excel
2000, but thinks it should work with any version. In Excel, use
File Open, and in the dialog box for the file type, change it from
"All Microsoft Excel Files" to "dBase files .dbf
". It will then take you into the import wizard & you should
be fine.
Can
I export the DDS database to another program?
Some
users have been able to successfully import their DDS database into
Excel. One user did this with Excel 2000, but thinks it should work
with any version of Excel. In Excel, use File Open, and in the dialog
box for the file type, change it from "All Microsoft Excel
Files" to "dBase files .dbf ". It will then take
you into the import wizard & you should be fine.
How
do I set up a password so that I can backup my database?
To set up your Super Password in the DDS Windows program:
1) Select the Tools menu at the top of the display
2) Click on the Super Password option at the bottom of the list
3) Enter the requested information
How
do I register the warranty for my Century CD units which I just
purchased? I can no longer access the Century CD technical support
website which is listed on the warranty registration card which
came with my unit.
Currently no registration is necessary for this product. The manufacturer
is no longer supporting the product or website.
What
is the most current version of the DDS software?
Windows 1.01 is the version of the software that has been sold
in the US since April 2003. There had been a version 1.03 available
at the www.projectlab.net website. It is unclear, or undocumented,
what enhancements were made to this version versus 1.01. They may
have been related to the HID attribute for Windows XP users.
When
will new software updates be available?
As
this is an end-of-life product, there are no software updates currently
available, nor will there be any in the future.
My
PC does not recognize the CCD unit. What should I do?
There may be something going on in your environment relative to
the USB setup. Check or try the following:
1) Has anything changed with your PC environment recently, such
as new software programs or new peripheral devices?
2) Attach your Century CD directly to your PC, not to a USB hub
or server
3) Try a serial connection instead of the USB
Windows
XP Issues
Occasionally,
some unpredictable things have come up with XP and the DDS program
which runs Century CD. A variety of issues have been reported, and
they have mostly been regarding the USB connection timing out, the
PC not recognizing the Century CD unit, HID drivers, or trying to
load the DDS program.
A
few recommendations:
1)
Before changing OS, select the "Permanently Remove CCD Unit"
option on the TOOLS menu
2)
Remove the existing DDS software program via the Control Panel before
reloading it
3)
Directly attach the Century CD unit to your PC, rather than going
through a hub or server
4)
Try a serial connection instead of the USB.
E-MAIL
EXCHANGES
Below is a trail of recent e-mail exchanges with a user in Australia
who was experiencing an issue with his USB hub connection with Windows
XP. He came up with a creative solution.
"Thanks
for this feedback. Although I have received 3-4 calls about the
HID problem with Windows XP where users could not install the DDS
software or recognize their unit, yours is the first reported incidence
of solving the problem by mixing a USB and serial connection. Thanks
again for sharing your solution with me."
__________________________________________________________________________________________
"As
a follow up to my earlier e-mail, I connected a USB to Serial connecter
that uses the serial port on the CCD and a USB on the PC. This works
fine and detects the CCD unit."
__________________________________________________________________________________________
"Thanks
for getting back to me so promptly. I started by connecting the
CCD unit through a USB Hub and experienced some problems with this,
so I connected it directly to a USB on the PC. This was more promising
as the CCD appeared be recognised by the computer. However, when
the DDS software application is run/opened, it will not recognise
the CCD unit."
__________________________________________________________________________________________
"My
unit has gone down. I removed the DDS program, then tried to reload
it. It will not
reload. I now have Windows XP on my system, could that be the problem?
What is happening? My unit was working fine. I was able to load
the DDS software when I had Win 2K Pro, then I updated to XP Pro,
but this morning I could not access my CDs and then I noticed upon
reboot that the pop up window with Project Lab was not there. Need
help soon."
__________________________________________________________________________________________
"Just want to let you know that I finally got it to work. I
was about ready to pack it up when I decided to try it out on our
other computer and it worked. After watching the install process
on the 2nd computer, I realized that the 1st computer wasn't recognizing
a new USB device. I hooked the unit back up to the 1st computer
and went into the device manager and there was a "?" on
"Other Devices." I decided to reinstall the driver, and
that's when I found that Windows was looking for the "hidclass.sys"
file. I directed it to the file, which enabled the system to find
what it needed to recognize the unit. Now all is well and it's working
just fine."
The
carousel of my Century CD will not rotate
This could be one of several things: a simple alignment problem,
a motor sensor problem, a defective power adapter, a bad USB or
serial cable, or a jam.
First, try jarring your Century CD gently on a hard surface or shaking
it. If this does fix the problem, it is possible that there are
2 CD's in the same slot and that the carousel is jammed. To alleviate
the jam, you will need to remove the cover to the Century CD. Pry
off the circular plastic insert on top of the enclosure with the
tip of a screwdriver or knife, and remove the hex nut (8mm) about
1 1/2 inches down with the appropriate tool. Once this nut is removed,
carefully lift off the smoked grey plastic cover, which will give
you access to your CD's.
It is possible to remove a CD by gently holding it between your
fingers and flexing it slightly such as not to break it. Although
the CD encounters some slight resistance when removing it in this
fashion, it is not enough to damage the CD or its contents.
When I try to eject a CD, the carousel rotates and lines up the
correct CD in the slot. The unit then makes a clicking sound like
it is trying to push out the CD, however the CD does not eject.
The ejector arm in your Century CD may have become detached. Try
jarring your unit gently on a hard surface or shaking it.
Error
While Unit Moving
This
may be a simple alignment problem with the carousel. Try jarring
your Century CD gently on a hard surface or shaking it.
My
Century CD unit won't stop spinning when it first turns on
This is either a simple alignment problem with the carousel,
or a motor sensor problem. Try jarring your Century CD gently on
a hard surface or shaking it.
Line
Through Title Name
A Century CD user found a temporary solution to this problem.
When you first open the DDS program, adjust the size of the window
by dragging the bottom of the window until only about 1/2 of a listed
CD name shows. From that point on, the lines should not show again.
This works only until you reboot the machine.
File
Level Search
The DDS software enables only a title level (name) search for
data CDs. When setting up a CD, you have the option of defining
the format as either data or audio, whichever you desire. The
basic difference in designating a CD as audio versus data is that
when you set up a CD as audio, you have the option of sorting
the contents at the track level. However, the track information
must be manually input.
|
