Newbie Computer Question
<div class="IPBDescription">never been inside the case</div> Okay I mostly deal with coding and sfotware but I've finally had it with my computer, I need to switch my CD ROM to see if theres something wrong with my mother board or my CD ROM Drive (sounds fastforward when it tries to read CD) So, Basically I have a question, is it hard for a newbie to swap a CD ROM?
BTW the comp is a DELL Dimension 4550
BTW the comp is a DELL Dimension 4550
Comments
Unscrew cover
Unplug cable
Remove CD Drive
Place in new CD drive
Plug in cable
if you have two cd drives on the same cable (generally if you ahve two) then whichever you take out will be marked 'master, slave, or cable select' with a jumper pin, and youve gotta make sure the new one is in the same configuration for it to work.
2 CABLES THERE ARE TWOOOOOOOO
hehe, unplugs one then tries to remove cd drive <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
quick crash course in drives
you have 2 IRQ ports (generaly) Labeled primary and secondary (it might be hard to tell wich is the primary and secondary via the guts but on boot up just see who is on what)
each IRQ holds 2 drives (master and slave)
Depending on age of drives/ribon cables/mobo you will have a few things you have to do:
as said there are the jumper pins, depending on the drive you might have to look in the manual to see what each set is (master/slave/cable select).
If your drives have cable select and your Ribon cables are cable select then you can just set everything via that ( the port in the middle of the cable is for slave the one on the end is master)
other wise you need to set the jumpers properly (one master one slave)
Also important in installing them is pin 1:
For the ribon cable it is the red stripe, for the drive, it is generaly the one on the outside.
Don't wory tomuch about the power cables (the non ribon cable one <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->) you can only put it in one way.
Simple thing on who goes where:
Primary HDD = Primary master (its just a good idea)
now if you one have 2 drives put em both as masters.
If you have more spread them out so that the ones you would often usse at the same time are on seperate cables
forinstance, if you do alot of cd to cd copyingput your burner on a different cable then your other drive.
If you do alot of burning from your HDD put your burner on the other cable
Alot of ripping? Just make sure to use the driveo n the other cable then your HDD.
Its all rather obvious and not at all hard <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
GL <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Oh, and don't even thing of not fully mounting the drive (physicly), that tends to break them <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> (vibrations and such)
here is the deal, there are a few different types of mounting (well liek 2 realy)
I don't know WTH you have so you have to do some work your self <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
open up the case (DON'T DO THIS WITH THE POWER ON)
there should be various screws attacheed to the case in different places (My current case is very nice, I simply pull of the front cover and there is one thumb screw to remove the side panel)
look at the side of your Drive, it will either be attached to the case via screws or there will be rails attached to the drive itself (these will alow you to simply slide the drive out, probable it will have little tabs to press down as you pull it out)
Now if it was attached directly simply attached the 2 cables and then screw the drive in (IN THAT ORDER)
if it was a slide out then detach the rails from the first drive and attach em to the second. Now slide it in partly and you should be able to attach the cables nice and neat. Now just slide it in the rest of the way <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
IDE channels, not irq ports. theres no such thing as an irq port.
as for the drive....... umm I use a 12x/10x/32x (cdr/cdrw/read) so I would say Yes <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
<ion> today's my birthday
<deMoN> yo happy bday man <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
<ion> thanks, my dad brought me a new case home from his work today
<ion> ok, it's not a new case, it's my old one...i didnt like the gray metal frame so i wanted to change the color
<plague> What color?
<ion> gold. i was going to spray paint it, but it would have ended up melting. so my dad said he'd take it to work
<ion> he works at this metal coating place
<ion> just brought it home today. looks awesome
<plague> So you have a gold plated tower?
<ion> no it's not gold...something else...let me go ask
<ion> copper. it's copper
<plague> Copper plated?? Is it running right now?
<ion> no dude...on my other pc..i just finished hooking up the mobo and stuff, i'm about to start it
<ion> stand back
<plague> Before you turn it on...I think you should know something...
* ion has quit IRC (No Route to Host)
<plague> Copper is a conductor of electricity.
<deMoN> think we should have told him?
<zeff> nah, it's funnier this way.
<plague> of course...<>
Comment: the fuse box in his house was fried. knocked the power out.
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Don't do what he did.
<ion> today's my birthday
<deMoN> yo happy bday man <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
<ion> thanks, my dad brought me a new case home from his work today
<ion> ok, it's not a new case, it's my old one...i didnt like the gray metal frame so i wanted to change the color
<plague> What color?
<ion> gold. i was going to spray paint it, but it would have ended up melting. so my dad said he'd take it to work
<ion> he works at this metal coating place
<ion> just brought it home today. looks awesome
<plague> So you have a gold plated tower?
<ion> no it's not gold...something else...let me go ask
<ion> copper. it's copper
<plague> Copper plated?? Is it running right now?
<ion> no dude...on my other pc..i just finished hooking up the mobo and stuff, i'm about to start it
<ion> stand back
<plague> Before you turn it on...I think you should know something...
* ion has quit IRC (No Route to Host)
<plague> Copper is a conductor of electricity.
<deMoN> think we should have told him?
<zeff> nah, it's funnier this way.
<plague> of course...<>
Comment: the fuse box in his house was fried. knocked the power out.
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Don't do what he did. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
LOL funny....
Bad idea to copper-plate your tower case TBH
But then again....its funnier that way <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
BTW, can anyone do a simple diagram of sorts, as this might help me in the future....don't worry about the jumpers, you don't have to include those. That's where my friend comes in <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
One more thing....a 52x drive is VERY good <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> Just make sure it is connected properly or it'll not work (like what happened to me....we bought a custom built PC but the CD-drive wasn't plugged in to the power supply, and it won't let me install Windows <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo--> )
FYI Thansal I have a 48x16x48x <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
Yey finally something goes right in my life!
Alright Im off to go take some finals. Wish me luck please. <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->
*THUMP*
*THUMP*
*THUMP*
*CRACK*
*THUMP*
*THUMP*
*THUMP*
*CRACK* <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Listen I know what they do just not what the full name is, interrupt some thing somthing. Alright off to get the CD ROM installed bye