How to Install a DVD Burner or Other Optical Drive

A Guide to Putting in Your New Optical Drive
Provided By: Associated Content, Inc.

So you just bought a new CD or DVD drive. You got to the store and realized, "Hey, the internal ones are all cheaper than the external ones. Now, if I could just figure out how to put it in..." Actually, putting in an optical drive (this is what CD and DVD drives are called, since they use a laser) is really simple. You just have to know what you're doing.

The first thing you have to do, as with installing any other components inside the computer, is turn it off. Changing components without turning off the computer can not only damage your computer, but you also have risks of electrical shock, hitting a fan with your finger, etc. Once the computer is turned off, you can begin.

Open up the left side panel of your case and take a look inside. On the right side you will see a series of drive bays running from the top of your case down. You'll have a hard drive in one of the small bays, and probably some sort of optical drive in at least one of the big ones. Your drive will go in one of the large bays. Choose the one you want to use now (if you are replacing your old drive, you can put your new one in that bay).

Depending on your computer case, you may or may not have a tool-less design. Look at your old drive. If you see screws going into it, you will need to open up the other side panel of your case (there will be screws back there too). If you see something else (it can really look like anything, but it's probably some sort of locking mechanism made of plastic), this is how you will put in your new drive.

On the back of your old drive you will see two cables: pull both of them out. One of these is a power cable, with four thick prongs on the head of the cable. The other is either an IDE cable, with a 20-by-2 array of small holes, with one blocked out, or a SATA cable, a small cable which has one L-shaped hole in the middle of the head. (Rarely will you have a drive with a SATA interface.)

Now either unscrew your old drive or find a way to unlock it (if you have a manual for your case, now is the time to get it). Then pull out the old drive through the front of your case. If your case offers a tool-less installation, there may be a rail attached to the drive on one side or the other. Remove this rail from the drive, but remember where it was. You will need to put it back on your new drive.

(This step does not apply if you are using SATA drives.) We will now pick the correct jumper setting for the drive. If you are replacing an old drive, this is fairly simple. Look at the back of the old drive. On the back you will see six pins in a 3-by-2 array, with two of them joined by a small plastic object, called a "jumper." These pins represent settings for Master, Slave, and Cable Select, denoted in some fashion (maybe M, S, and CS, but it depends on the drive - however it's labeled these will always be the three options). Note which setting the jumper is chosen for, then go to the new drive and set that jumper to the same position. If you are putting in a new drive, you will need to decide which one to use. If you are using a separate cable for the drive, without plugging in any other drives, it doesn't really matter which setting you use. If you are plugging it in as a second drive on an IDE cable, you will need to pick either Master or Slave, the opposite of what the other drive is. If you are unsure, and don't want to pull out the other drive to check what it is, your safest bet is Cable Select, which picks a setting based on which plug on the cable it's hooked up to. If the drives don't work when you turn on the computer, jumper settings are the most likely culprit. By default most drives are set to Cable Select.

The jumpers were the hardest part; from now on it's downhill. Slide your drive into the bay you want to use (put on the rail first if you have one). If you have to remove one of the plates in the front panel of your case, you might have to open the front panel. To do this, find the plastic clips holding it in place (these vary by case) and gently take the panel off. While the front panel is off, make sure there is no metal panel on the case itself, which is also common. Take off both of these, then put the front panel back on. Screw or lock the drive into place.

Plug in the two necessary cables into the back of the case. They only go in if you're using the correct cables, so don't force it.

If you feel confident you did everything correctly, you're free to close up the case! If you want to make sure it works, turn it on (just don't touch anything inside while it's on), make sure everything is normal, and then close up the case. There are no drivers or other software that need to be installed, besides recording software of your choice. If it doesn't work correctly, check that all cables are connected and that the jumper settings are correct and keep trying. Check to see if the light on the drive comes on; this signals that it's receiving power.

Congratulations! You've just installed your new optical drive. I will be writing more articles on how to install specific computer parts, so if you liked this article and would like another one please leave a comment.