CD Rewritable drive Question

Emibub

PFG, Picture Framing God
Joined
Nov 2, 2001
Posts
9,246
Loc
Centennial, CO, USA
I am just hoping my computer holds up til Christmas. I had a minor crash last week with my Frameready and apparently part of it is not recoverable so I need to clear my hard drive and start over. So the computer is being held together with luck and masking tape.

My question has to do with a new CD Rewritable Drive. A nice Grumbler suggested backing up on a CD was more sensible than the zip discs. Also since I need to save all my files before I reformat those zip discs are mighty expensive. I figure buying the CD drive is cheaper than buying many zip discs.

Okay now to the question(finally). I picked up an internal drive at Sam's Club. I then got to thinking I don't care how easy they say it is, I am computer illiterate so I went to Circuit City and bought an external drive. My sister was going to split the cost of the external because it was portable but then I realized I needed it for daily back ups. Which one should I keep? Is the internal one really that easy to install?

Internal Drive: Memorex 52xwrite speed 24xrewrite speed 52xread speed paid $60.00

External Drive: Iomega 40x12x48 after rebate paid $100.

I realize neither of these are state of the art. I need it mainly for backups. But I am also fairly thrilled that I can burn CD's with it too. Which leads to another question: Can you use the Memorex Cd's that say "music" on them for back ups and the like?

I'd love any ideas. I need to return one of them. I guess I'm leaning towards the external but what do I know?
 
I'd go with the internal, easy to install. Really if you are the slightest bit mechanically minded you wil be able to put four screws in and plug the two cables into the only place they fit. Being a framer often presents you with much more difficult situations.
I have two recommendations for you when you're copying your important files to a CD, write at single speed and verify all data. Maybe that is getting carried away but it's the most stable way, best to be sure. (I would also do it a second time to be sure that I had it right).
 
Kathy,

Return the Iomega external drive. Maybe you'll need someone to help you install the internal drive, but it will be worth it. Sometimes the worst part is getting the cover off the computer.

I have an Iomega external CD burner that I have used on my laptop. It drives me crazy. It only likes the high-priced CDs, and then it's hit-and-miss. I've been trying to help a friend with an HP external drive get it working reliably, and have about given up. I've never had any trouble with the four or five internal HP CD burners I've installed.

BTW, you can buy a lot of ZIP disks for $60-100.
 
Geez, I knew that was going to be the consensus. I guess I am intimidated by opening up the computer. I guess I'll bring the external one back. I should probably wait until after the holidays to open this thing up....

I know I can get many zip discs for that price but I guess my logic was I can buy the drive, the CD's are incredibly cheap, then I will have the advantage of burning some music also. Convoluded thinking ,no doubt. Must be because I'm a woman?
 
Kathy,

The short answer to your question is "Yes", a CD burner (internal) is easy to install. You need to get past some scary thoughts first though.

1. There are no aliens inside a computer tower that will harm or kidnap you.

2. It does NOT take a rocket scientist or even a computer scientist to install a piece of peripheral equipment in a computer.

3. You will NOT permanently ruin your computer the moment you slide the case off of the computer tower.

First, unplug all of the plugs in the rear of your computer. (That thingy is called a "tower") Now, if you look at the back of your computer tower where everything plugs into it, you will see some screws that hold the big cover onto the tower. If you remove these little screws you can slide the tower cover off of the tower. In the front of that tower you should see some short bays (your floppy disk drive is installed in one of them) and some larger drive bays above the floppy disk drive. (If you have a regular CD player or a DVD player, it will be installed in one of these bays). On the outside of the tower you will see some plastic facades that are snapped into the large bay openings that aren't being used for anything. These can be snapped out to open up an unused bay.

If you got directions with your drive, I would read them now. They will tell you how to set jumpers in the rear of the new CD burner (if they require setting) and will give you some basic schematics for installing the burner into one of the drive bays. Don't worry about whether the bay in the illustration is the top one or the second one or whatever. You can install any peripheral into any unused drive bay that will accomodate it.

Do you have a regular CD player installed now?? If you do, trace the flat grey wire loom that is plugged into the back of the player back to where the other end plugs into the flat board with all the little round thingys and copper tracks on it. (This is your motherboard.) There should be another plug-in receptacle just like it right beside the one for the CD player. That is where you are going to plug in your new burner's grey wire set. Check it carefully, as it should only go into the plug one way. At the CD burner, the grey wire should plug in with the red stripe (if it has one) to the right side of the plug receptacle. It may have a guide notch in the plug which should allow it to go in only one way.

OK, now there should be an illustration of a power plug on the directions or one plugged into a CD player if you have one. Find one of those power plugs hanging behind the bays somewhere. There should be one or 2 back there depending on how many bays you have and how many peripherals are already installed. It should be white or transluscent and have a notch on one side of it. That is a guide notch to make sure that you plug it in correctly. Once you have the power plugged into your CD burner and the grey flat wire loom plugged into the correct plugs, you should be in business to burn CD's. Some burners also have little plugs for LED lights and other bells and whistles but the power plug and the grey plug going to the motherboard are the key plugs.

Now, I skipped actually screwing the burner into the bay and grounding yourself prior to working on the computer because I figured that you would either know this already or read those parts in the directions I said to read.

Oh, and the radiation suit and helmet are optional for this kind of work. I never wear mine unless there are storms in the area or Mercury is in full retrograde. ;)

Questions, problems, you know what to do.

Good luck, Mr. Phelps and please stand back from the computer now as this message will self destruct in 30 seconds. (Oops, got a bit sidetracked for a moment.)

Framerguy
 
Get ready to "Beam Me Up" Tom, I'm going in........later this afternoon, after the wine is chilled......I'll be relaxed......I can do it, I know I can. I think I can.
 
Originally posted by Ron_Eggers:

BTW, you can buy a lot of ZIP disks for $60-100.
At 8 dollars a piece for a 100meg zip disk that isn't a lot.

Use the internal it is faster and alot less hassle.
 
I agree with the internal CD drive.

The difference with the CD disks marked "MUSIC" is that a royality fund has been setablished by the "RRAA" (sp) AKA the record industry! They are the same as the others, except that they cost more. Music can be recorded on both types.
 
Alrighty, I read Tom's instructions, I have read the instructions that came with the thing. No chance in heck am I going to take the chance of disabling my computer before next week. Gonna have to chat up a friend......not sure which one. I'll let you guys know how it comes out. Thanks for the advice and the very unanimous agreement for the internal (thingy).
 
Hi Kathy,

I think everyones suggestion for the internal was great advice.

It should be as easy as taking the cover off, removing the old drive, replacing it with the new one, and putting the cover back on. (old drive will have an audio cable, power cable, and ribbon cable that should fit on new one)

The new drive probably came with a CD which contains drivers and some cd burning software. That will have to be loaded.

If you get stuck and need any sort of help, don't hestitate to give me a jingle. Will be glad to walk you through the process.
 
Kathy,BEFORE you open your computer, trot your little body by Radio Shack and tell the guy there that you are going to work on a computer and you need a grounding strap. He will sell you a little piece of elastic to go around your wrist with a wire attached and a clip on the end. When you take the cover off of the tower, clip the clip to the framework of the tower. That way your electric personality won't fry your mother board.
 
You guys are scaring the **** out of me now. I have to strap myself to this thing? Are you absolutely sure beyond any doubt that the internal "thingy" is better than the external? How can that be if I have to strap myself to it? Or am I just so tired I'm not thinking clearly right now?
 
And you must be particularly careful of the 2 brotherboards.

Yup, ...................that would be the Darrylboard and ...................the other Darrylboard!

Omar
 
Kathy,

I have been <strike>screwing up </strike> building computers for the past 11 years and have never had a single fatality from static electricity. I don't "strap" my self to anything but my driver's seat in the car. (Oh I guess it would make sense to "strap" on that bungee cord before taking the head first leap off the bridge!)

Now, it IS a good thing if you do NOT wear a 100% polyester outfit while working on a computer. And it probably isn't good to play with the cat with a hard rubber rod while changing out a CD player, but I don't think that you are going to "fry" yourself or your computer if you don't ground yourself first before <strike>tearing into the guts of</strike> dismantling the computer. You can do more damage more often by using a magnetized screw driver than you could by not grounding your body.

And if this sounds like hogwash and you DO decide to ground yourself, DON'T wire yourself to the COMPUTER!! I don't know who is giving Susan her advice but that is a sure way to fry the components! It is the same as hooking the wire from a lightning arrestor to the back of your TV set!! You never ground DIRECTLY TO the unit that you want to protect! The grounding can be done by hooking yourself to something that is earth grounded. (Clamp yourself to the plumbing in your bathroom, that usually is grounded properly.) You might want to tear off one of the cover plates on an electric outlet and hook yourself to the little green screw in there. That is the ground screw and theoretically should be grounded to the main breaker box which, in turn, is grounded to a solid copper ground rod driven into the ground outside your house. (Maybe)

(I am just kidding about tearing the cover plate off. You should NEVER fool around electric outlets without adult supervision.)


Kathy, just follow along with some simple directions from Mike or me or Jerry or whomever and you can easily put that CD burner into your computer and get it up and playing with no problems.

<center> :cool: :cool: Trust me. :cool: :cool: </center>

FGII
 
Kathy,

Don't let these guys scare you. It's easy ... honest!

Get everything laid (lied, lain?) out on a table before hand. Open the cover. Before you touch anything inside, touch something else that's metal to ground yourself. That's it.

I'll bet you'll be in and out within 15 minutes.

Editorial: don't bother with Re-writable CD's. When you buy them in boxes of 100, CD-Rs are less than 30 cents/each - almost disposible.
 
I agree. The regular cd's are fairly cheap, and less hassle.

I just picked up 100 Memorex 80 min/700mb for $7.99 after rebate. (8 cents each at officemax.com) They're often free after rebate and are on sale just about every week if you check the flyers. A good place to find cheap stuff/sales is www.thedailydeals.com or www.spoofee.com

Sadly, our daily backup fits on a single floppy diskette for now. (The shop is only 9 months old, with a couple hundred clients) Hopefully we will grow to have a huge database and will need a cd or dvd burner in the future to hold all the customers and orders.
 
It just continues to amaze me as to how helpful and friendly this forum is. You guys are the best, I do appreciate all the info and offers of help. I'm bringing back the external drive and will pursue installing the internal one after the holiday "rush". Thanks everybody. Happy Holidays!
 
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