Help..DVD writer.

[RadoVR6]

I have just bought a sony dw-d26a internal dvd writer.

I have plugged it into my dell optiplex gx60 machine and nothing happens.

I thought that the machine would just pick the new drive up and i would be able to use it.

Any suggestions?

Its quite an old machine if that helps.

[Scraggles]

maybe the old machine was not built when dvd burners were thought of and does not know what to do with it ?

[mcflurry]

Scraggles said:

maybe the old machine was not built when dvd burners were thought of and does not know what to do with it ?

Optiplex GX60s were P4s so I doubt it

I would check the IDE cables are fitted correctly at both ends, the jumper settings on the cd drive are correct and the power connector is fully in

[Road2Ruin]

RadoVR6 said:

I have just bought a sony dw-d26a internal dvd writer.

I have plugged it into my dell optiplex gx60 machine and nothing happens.

I thought that the machine would just pick the new drive up and i would be able to use it.

Any suggestions?

Its quite an old machine if that helps.

When you say 'nothig happens' does that mean you dont have any power to it, ie cant open and close disc drawer. Or is there power and you cant burn any discs? If there is no power to it then check the power cable is in properly, they can be stiff. If the power is on but Windows does not find the drive then check the jumper settings on the back are correct, ie master or slave (I am guessing you want slave). If windows does recognise it, look in my computer and see if there is an icon, then remember you need some sort of burning software, I dont believe windows has DVD burning software built in.

Pete

[RadoVR6]

Road2Ruin said:

RadoVR6 said:

I have just bought a sony dw-d26a internal dvd writer.

I have plugged it into my dell optiplex gx60 machine and nothing happens.

I thought that the machine would just pick the new drive up and i would be able to use it.

Any suggestions?

Its quite an old machine if that helps.

When you say 'nothig happens' does that mean you dont have any power to it, ie cant open and close disc drawer. Or is there power and you cant burn any discs? If there is no power to it then check the power cable is in properly, they can be stiff. If the power is on but Windows does not find the drive then check the jumper settings on the back are correct, ie master or slave (I am guessing you want slave). If windows does recognise it, look in my computer and see if there is an icon, then remember you need some sort of burning software, I dont believe windows has DVD burning software built in.

Pete

There is power going to it.

When I go to my computer there is no dvd drive there.

I am just going to use media player to burn things.

What are jumper settings?

[mcflurry]

RadoVR6 said:

What are jumper settings?

On the back of the dvd drive there will be 3 settings, master, slave and CS (cable select)

On each IDE channel you are allowed one slave and one master.
If the hard drive is set to master (this will be in your BIOS setup) then set the DVD to slave. If the DVD is on it's own stand alone cable set it to master.

If the HDD is set to CS (unlikely) then the DVD should have the same

[Road2Ruin]

mcflurry said:

RadoVR6 said:

What are jumper settings?

On the back of the dvd drive there will be 3 settings, master, slave and CS (cable select)

On each IDE channel you are allowed one slave and one master.
If the hard drive is set to master (this will be in your BIOS setup) then set the DVD to slave. If the DVD is on it's own stand alone cable set it to master.

If the HDD is set to CS (unlikely) then the DVD should have the same

Just to make what he said a bit clearer as I know what he is talking about and i'm confused. Each computer (older ones anyway) has up to two IDE conections (the ribbon cable you plug in the back). On each connection you can have two devices (most ribbon cables have two connectors) one Device (whether HDD or DVD) must be set to Master using the jumpers (basically a really small connector that shorts two pins) on the back of it, the other must be set to slave (ignore the CS option). If you already had one device connected to the ribbon cable then the DVD you connected will probably have to be set to slave. There is usually a diagram on top or at the back of the device to show you how to do this with the jumpers.

Pete

[Morningside]

Optiplex. They have two cables. One for the hard drive and one for CD/DVD drive.

Very fussy buggers they are. From the experience of the HDD they prefer the jumper to be Cable Select and looking at the GX270 on the floor here this is also the same for the DVD drive.

Select CS on the back of the DVD drive, enter the bios and check 'AUTO' is selected for IDE drive and it SHOULD! come up DVD drive...name...etc. IF it was select as 'OFF' or 'NONE' then reselect 'AUTO' reboot and enter the BIOS again.

IF NOTHING is shown or it takes ages to enter the bios and it comes up with 'NONE' check the jumper and try again.

Have you checked to see what the old one is?


BTW: To enter the bios it is <F2> on the optiplex. Ifs its passworded just remove the jumper near the battery reboot and try again.

Sorry if written quickly but doing 1000 things at once and no time to re-check posting.

ADDED:

***STOP***

Hold on...Are we talking about the small Dell with the small slot type DVD drive? How are you powering it as the original CD/DVD drive has its own special connector designed for that drive. Although my advice above still stands.

Edited by Morningside on Friday 22 August 14:37

[jimmyjimjim]

Morningside said:

enter the bios and check 'AUTO' is selected for IDE drive and it SHOULD! come up DVD drive...name...etc. IF it was select as 'OFF' or 'NONE' then reselect 'AUTO' reboot and enter the BIOS again.

IF NOTHING is shown or it takes ages to enter the bios and it comes up with 'NONE' check the jumper and try again.

Have you checked to see what the old one is?

Have you replaced the existing drive with the sony, or kept the old drive as well? My thoughts would definitely be along the lines of the bios 'drive auto detect' setting being disabled.