Re: DVD drive installation

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Just follow the pictures and directions from Dell.
I have an old Dimension 4300 with the same style case and had no problem.
I installed an old dvd-rw from a cast-off HP.
Windows recognized and worked just fine.
So just try it, if unsuccessful, then have the shop install.
Your local shop price seems reasonable.
I put my first CD drive in old Windows 3.

I can use the EasyCD Creator 5 for the Data disk.
To make a video disk to play on DVD players,
you would need DVD authoring software, which will probably come with the
drive.

mae

"Jo-Anne Naples" <naples@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:OxHaw0LyIHA.3968@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
| Thank you, Doug! You make it sound much simpler. If I do it myself, is
there
| anything in particular I should look for in a DVD burner? Any brand that
has
| a particularly good reputation? Any online store that specializes in these
| drives? (I saw a few of them on Amazon, but the prices were wildly
divergent
| and I had no idea where to start.)
|
| Also, you said I'd need software to burn the DVDs. Two questions:
|
| Does this mean that you can't use drag and drop for DVDs under Windows XP?
| Or just that there's nothing more sophisticated than that in the OS?
|
| The software that came with my Dell is the free Easy CD Creator 5 by
Roxio.
| When I click on "make a data CD," one of the options is "data DVD
| project--use your DVD recordable drive to store up to 4.7GB of data." I
| assume this software should be sufficient--right?
|
| Thank you again!
|
| Jo-Anne
|
| "Doug" <datapod@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
| news:OEvL6PJyIHA.2208@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
| >
| > "Jo-Anne Naples" <naples@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
| > news:en3N6H1xIHA.2208@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
| > | I've decided to replace my nonwritable DVD drive with a writable one
in
| > my
| > | 5-year-old Dell Dimension 8250 desktop computer (running Windows XP
Home
| > and
| > | SP3). Is this something a complete novice can tackle, or should it be
| > done
| > | in a shop? My local shop says it would cost $49 for the drive and $75
to
| > | install it--and it would come with software for burning discs. (I
didn't
| > | know burning discs required extra software. For my CD drive I use
either
| > | drag and drop or the ancient Easy CD Creator that came with my
| > computer.)
| > |
| > | Thanks much for your help!
| > |
| > | Jo-Anne
| > |
| >
| > I think you've been way over intimidated for this job.
| >
| > I have several Dells with this style case and changing optical drives is
| > very simple. The case swings open with two buttons and has ample room
for
| > working.
| >
| > The drives aren't screwed into the case. They are on green plastic rails
| > that slide out with no tools.
| >
| > Pull off the data cable and the power cable. (the power cable can be a
| > tight
| > fit, a little gentle rocking back and forth may be required) Pinch the
| > green
| > plastic rails toward each other and the drive slides right out.
| >
| > The rails are fastened to the drive with four screws. Remove them from
the
| > old drive and place them in the same position on the new drive. The
holes
| > and screw size are standard.
| >
| > Dells all come with their drives jumpered as "cable select" (which BTW
| > requires the correct type of data cable so don't change the cable there
is
| > no reason to) Place the jumper on the new drive in the cable select
| > position. The new drive will have instructions for this. Here's a
picture
| > of
| > what one looks like
| >
http://www.windowsdevcenter.com/pub/a/windows/2005/02/23/Build_Perfect_BudgetPC.html?page=4
| > It's a simple matter of moving that little plastic piece (yours will
| > probably be black not green) from one set of pins to the pair marked
"CS."
| >
| > Slide the new drive into the same spot the old one came out of and plug
| > the
| > power and data cable back in. They are keyed and can't be plugged in the
| > wrong way.
| >
| > Windows will see and configure the drive at next boot.
| >
| > In order to write to DVDs you will need extra software. XP doesn't have
| > any
| > native DVD writing capabilities. Virtually all name brand retail drives
| > will
| > come with software.
| >
| > If not Nero is a good commercial product to consider.
| >
| > There are several very capable freeware DVD writing packages available.
| > http://www.deepburner.com/?r=products (has both free and paid versions)
| > http://www.cdburnerxp.se/
| > for example.
| >
| > Review;
| > 1.) Open case.
| > 2.) Remove two cables and slide drive out.
| > 3.) Move rails from one drive to another (four screws) Move jumper to
"CS"
| > position.
| > 4.) Slide new drive in and replace two cables.
| >
| > Boot up and install the software for DVD writing.
| >
| > Having done a few the physical exchange takes me about 5 minutes once
the
| > computer is on the bench. Might take you half an hour.
| >
| >
|
|

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