Michelle, something is abnormal here. We're not sure what to try next. We sincerely appreciate your working with us to diagnose the problem. We appreciate Mike trying to help too!
Here's my offer:
We "expect" to release Microstudio 3.0 by the end of April that will not require the ASPI. I quote "expect" as this is a major upgrade and we might miss this date, or it might be earlier. We should start beta testing V3.0 next week. Because its a major upgrade, we prefer 4 weeks testing before we release to the public. We have tens of thousands of users who would love to see this new version. It should do all the Microstudio functions with CDG disc formats with almost any drive, including your Plextor.
If you want to wait for it, we will give you a free upgrade to see if it solves your problem.
I offer you the right to a refund now, or within 10 days after you receive V3.0 if it still doesn't work for you.
Post here what you want to do... refund now or wait and see if 3.0 will work, and still have the right to a refund if it doesn't work on your Dell.