and away we go...

[Wing Nut]

Well, I am about to attempt my first real installation on my computer.  Until now, I have installed a second hard drive, an extra stick of RAM, and a video card.  Now though, I am attempting to install a DVD writer.  It looks complicated, but I think I can do it ok.  Any tips anyone?

[Jared]

Just make sure you have it set for the right setting...ie master/slave...

other than that you should be ok...

another tip:

The middle connector of the ide cable is the master connector, while the end free end opposite the one that goes into the motherboard is the slave connector...


hope this helps...;-)

[Wing Nut]

So far, so good.  I have it installed and didn't blow my rig up...  :D  The only problems I have had so far is that the face plate for my old DVD won't work, so it doesn't match the front of my machine, and when I try to open a blank disk like a file, I get that the drive is not accessible.  Can you not access a DVD-RW like you do a CD-RW?  I am backing up all 3.5 gigs of my FS Downloads folder now as a test to see how it works.  Let's hope for the best.  

[Politically Incorrect]

Don't mean to take over your topic Dread, but since on the subject..

Is there any benifits to using DVD-R as too CD-R for storing files on?
I'm confused as too conflicted stories I have heard, seems some say a DVD will last forever whereas a CD will last 5 years (what do they self destruct? )
Some say that they hold more data, I can't see how a a disc that holds the same amount of MB's can hold more.
So what are the advantages of DVD compared to CD?

Reason I ask is that I'm thinking of replacing one of my faulty drives, I probably won't watch movies on it which is the only reason that I thought people used DVD-Rs. but it seems my thinking is wrong

[ozzy72]

Well Fret the main advantage is 4.7 gigabytes of data on a DVD, whereas a normal CD is 700 megabytes.
In the early days there were some dud DVDs on the market, but that issue seems to have been resolved and I haven't heard of any trouble since.
I've been using a DVD RW in my PC for nearly a year now and its fantastic. And the wife is grateful that the mountains of CDs I'd get through have slowed to a trickle, and that I'm not taking up huge amounts of space thanks to DVDs
Personally I'd go with getting a DVD RW in your PC, partly for making life easier (and they nearly all can write CDs as well), and also its great to be able to hide away and watch the movie of your choice!

Ozzy

[Blackbird971]

4.7... thats it?!

I just ordered one of these today:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=27-131-235&depa=1
8.5 gigs baby.

[Fozzer]

I have a CD R/W/RW unit.
...(as well as a DVD ROM).

This will read CD's, write to CD's and re-write to CD's.
...the same function as a floppy disk...

The CD can hold a max of 700 Mb of data, which is often much too small to contain the contents of some of my folders... ...!

Will a DVD Writer unit perform EXACTLY the same function as a CD R/W/RW unit, but with a larger capacity...and perform the same as a floppy disk...?

...answers on a 1.44 Mb floppy disk... ...!
LOL...!

Cheers all...!

Paul.

[ozzy72]

Paul if it says its a DVD RW/CD RW then yup it'll work just the same. Just be sure that it can do DVD -/+ as well As the two types aren't interchangable...

Mark

[BFMF]

4.7... thats it?!

I just ordered one of these today:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=27-131-235&depa=1
8.5 gigs baby.

Nice drive. I've been looking at Newegg's Sony DVD-RW drives also.

I am curios of one thing. Where it's listing all the speeds, what does '2.4X DL DVD R9' mean???

[Wing Nut]

First thing I did was back up my FS downloads folder.  :D  Second thing I did was make a DVD of all the Grouchy Media videos...  

Both turned out pretty good.

http://www.grouchymedia.com/