Adding a CD-ROM Drive

Status
Not open for further replies.

marcrinnyc

Beta member
Messages
3
I just bought a new Dell OptiPlex desktop and it doesn't have a CD-ROM drive, something that I didn't expect, but anyway...

I do have another much older computer, a Gateway desktop circa 1995, and I was wondering if I could simply take the old CD-ROM drive from the Gateway and install it into the OptiPlex. I suppose that this would work, but I'm just curious to know if I'm missing something before I try it, or if there might be some incompatibility issue that would prevent the older CD-ROM drive from working in my new OptiPlex.

Also, would I require to buy any mounting hardware or should the OptiPlex come ready for a CD-ROM drive? And if the CD-ROM drive would work, would I go about adding it as I would a secondary hard drive? Would I have to set any jumpers or make any BIOS or CMOS changes?

Any help appreciated. Thnx.
 
yes, i definitely agree--it will be slow. but for right now i just need to get that drive working so that i can load the cable modem drivers to be able to access the internet. unfortunately the damn thing came w/o floppy or cd-rom drive so i have no way to load those drivers. tried using the older harddrive, which has the modem drivers, as a slave to new dell, but it didn't see the drive. then even tried to make it master, didn't work either. so in any case i'm just hoping to get this temporarily working and trying to find out if there's anything in particular that i need to know, or any settings that i need to change.
 
One thing to keep in mind:

Opening your case voids your warranty with most major manufacturers like Dell, IBM, Macintosh etc...

Check the documentation that came with your computer to be sure though.
 
You only void the warrenty if your not qualified to tinker around in there.

But to be honest theres very little chance of damaging the machine and very little chance of your manufacturer finding out about you opening the case.

Just curious why doesn't it have a disc drive?
 
it didn't have a drive because the ass that sold it to me didn't tell me that it didn't have one, though i expected it to. he had a picture with both a cd and floppy drive, but didn't include the drives in the specs. i figured the drives were so standard these days that it would pretty much be a no-brainer that the desktop would have the drive--but it didn't. might fault i guess for not being more cautious.
 
It will be slow, but will work,

I read that most PC's are now coming without Floppy Drives, but yours came without CD Rom, did you ask for it custom made or did you get it in a shop?
 
Sounds like he might of took it out before he sold it to you....the ol' bait and switch.....Whats the OS on the system? Can't imagine loading XP without a cd drive...lol
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom