Advance warning: there is a lot of unnecessary background below. If you’re impatient and just want my recipe for ripping with an old PowerFile, you can safely skip to the “What worked for me” section below.
Olde Timey Storage
Back in the days before Windows XP, optical storage was the way to go for inexpensive storage of read-only data. The PowerFile DVD changers provided LAN access to 200 DVDs of data, or, when paired with Windows Media Center, as a great way to have all your DVDs at your fingertips.
Storage prices have dropped significantly since the PowerFile was introduced and the product is no longer offered or supported. If you find yourself in possession of a PowerFile today you either need to run down a copy of Windows ME (and a PC which can run it), or go through a bunch of trial and error to find tools which work on a modern operating system. It boils down to this: you are left with the choice of either the ease of changer setup with an old OS or modern ripping tools on a modern OS.
A glutton for punishment
Here is the progression I went through:
- I started trying to use Windows 7, but couldn’t get the changer to work.
- Several years ago I had successfully used the PowerFile to rip some DVDs using Windows XP, so I tried that route and was able to get the changer recognized, but not working.
- I then looked through my collection of installer media and found I have a copy of Windows Server NT 4.0, so I tried installing that… but it had no interest in running on my hardware.
- I then decided to take another run at Windows XP, this time running it on a VM. I quickly hit a major roadblock: no access to my FireWire card from the VM (not to mention XP is well past end of life).
- After finding a different driver I tried Windows 7 again and was able to get the changer limping along.
- I also learned the Windows-provided driver could do the job, so I decided to try Windows 10 (which I have running on my main, fastest hardware), but found that it only seems to work on 32-bit operating systems.
- And that brings me back to Windows 7, 32-bit, of course.
As you may gather from my willingness to install version after version of an OS, I can be irrationally dogged when it comes to making technology work. The changer is old and slow, but I was convinced it would be the most efficient way for me to rip my collection of 700+ CDs.
What worked for me
After several weeks of trial and error I finally landed on a configuration that is reasonably stable and effective for ripping music. Below is a list of tools I used to make the changer work for my needs. This probably isn’t the best method, so if you have any tips, please share them in the comments.
The changer
I have a PowerFile 200S that was bequeathed to me by a coworker. He had managed to rip all of his CDs and was done with the changer and it was just sitting in his office. I offered to rent or buy it, but he was nice enough to just tell me to take it.
System
I finally landed on using Windows 7. The drivers need to be 32-bit in order to work, so running on my 64-bit Windows 10 machine wasn’t going to do it. I could have elected to upgrade from 7 to 10, but getting it working at all had been so painful that I really didn’t want to tempt fate.
Software
I used to rip music using Windows Media Player, but it appears the software no longer is able to look up CD information, so it’s not especially useful for ripping. I’ve used iTunes a bit, but there didn’t seem to be a good way to automate extracting the disc ID and looking up the album.
I settled on using dbPowerAmp. Powerful, scriptable and reasonably priced.
I first experimented with a batch file to trigger disc load and unload. Details here: PowerFile-Batch-File on GitHub
I then used pre- and post-rip hooks in dbPowerAmp’s Batch Ripper. It comes with dbPowerAmp and can control a bulk process and most changers. It has hooks to configure shell scripts to run after specific actions. See: the dbPowerAmp Batch Ripper page.
Drivers
Drivers are a scavenger hunt if you don’t have the original install CD. I was fortunate to have the CD. If you don’t, you’ll want to find the PowerFile 5.4 software. Just make sure the site isn’t too sketchy and you virus scan the download.
Basic flow
- Set Batch Ripper to rip on disc insert.
- Set up a pre-batch action to load the first disc in dbPowerAmp (a batch file that sets the slot number and moves the disc into the drive).
- Set up a post-rip action to unload the disc, advance the carousel, and load the next disc (batch file again).
- Give dbPowerAmp a number of discs to rip and let it go. It will stop ripping after going through the requested number of slots.
It’s still slow… but now it’s slow without me standing next to it.
