Marty said:
I've tried more times, including Deep Burner and end with an error every
time. Is there a way to determine if it's a hardware or software problem
without spending a fortune at a repair shop?
A new drive isn't that expensive.
I got this about five months ago (GH22), and it seems to work OK.
This package is retail, and includes burner software. Retail means
it comes in a box, and includes accessories like screws for mounting,
and burner software (if you're lucky).
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pr...665000FS10107476&catid=10475&logon=&langid=EN
You can also get bare drives (OEM). Maybe your copy of
Deepburner would work with these. Note that there are
two kinds of interfaces on these, one being "SATA" and
the other is "IDE" or ribbon cable. An OEM drive may
come in a bag, with no accessories. It is also cheaper.
A drive in a bag, is what a system builder might use.
(The pictures on the site here, may help identify whether
accessories of any kind are included.)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...PA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=gh22&x=0&y=0
A SATA drive has a 15 pin (power) and 7 pin (data) connector
on the back. There is an example of the back of a
SATA burner here. The data cable is relatively thin.
The power cable might have five thick wires on it.
There is one wire per three pins on the 15 pin power wafer.
SATA is the newest interface standard, and has been in
machines for several years.
http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/productimage/27-129-031-04.jpg
(SATA data cable is thin. If yours doesn't look like this, it could be IDE.)
http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/productimage/12-816-031-03.jpg
The IDE or ribbon cable kind of drive, has a 2x20 set of pins,
where the ribbon cable plugs in. A 1x4 Molex power cable, with
four wires, provides power. The "Device Configuration Jumper"
section, should be set to match what was used on the old burner.
Since two drives can be used on one ribbon cable, they
have terms like "Master/Slave" or "Cable Select" for the
jumper settings. "Cable Select" for both drives, means
the connector position on the cable sets the master or
slave characteristic. Otherwise, if two devices share
a cable, then one should be master and the other one
slave. There are web pages with more details on this,
and I'm providing the barest of details here. If a single
drive is used on the ribbon cable, it should occupy the
connector on the end of the cable. Don't connect a single
drive, to the middle connector, and leave the end connector
empty. You fill the end first, and then use the middle next.
http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/productimage/27-129-024-04.jpg
To install a drive, you'll need a screwdriver, plus the instructions
that came with your machine, on removing things from the drive bays.
The existing drive may have "slides" bolted to the side of it,
and each may have a retaining clip on the end. These help hold
the drive in place. The slides, allow the old drive to be slid out
(after the cables are disconnected). Take note of cable orientation
and make a diagram so the new drive goes in the same way. Be careful
not to bend the pins on the 2x20 IDE - make sure the cable connector
is aligned with its mate, before applying pressure to seat the
connector.
On SATA, the issue is the fragility of the wafer style connector.
The connectors may snap into place, but bending up and down on
the connector, could snap the wafer. While SATA may be a
technical improvement over IDE, I still like IDE for the
amount of abuse it can take. I think I've only ever ruined
one motherboard IDE connector. I haven't done enough SATA yet,
to have a track record
So, with the aid of a screwdriver, and reading available
instructions, you can probably manage to change out a drive.
*******
I have another alternative for you. For example, I bought
one of these. This takes an optical drive, like the GH22
IDE version, and provides a home for it. The back of the
enclosure, has a USB connector. As long as your computer
has a USB2 connector on the back of it, you can connect
up a burner this way. This one comes with a 12V wall adapter,
which provides power to the drive. The USB2 interface,
is used to carry the data while burning. I can even
boot an installer CD/DVD with this (as long as
the drive is in the BIOS boot order).
http://www.startech.com/item/IDECASE525U2-InfoSafe-Portable-525-USB-20-IDE-Drive-Case.aspx
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817604006
There is also a version for SATA optical drives.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817707134
The kind of burner you buy, should match your fleet of computers.
For example, I have a lot of IDE (ribbon cable) computers here,
so I don't have a strong incentive to go SATA. IDE will be
eliminated soon, so eventually I won't have a choice in the
matter.
Enclosures come in 2.5", 3.5", and 5.25". The optical drive is a
5.25" device, which is why the large enclosure is needed. So far,
the USB2 interface seems to have enough bandwidth for burning.
(USB2 tops out at about 30MB/sec or so.) I haven't burned a
lot of discs on it yet though.
Using an enclosure, means the device is portable. It means not
having to work inside your computer. It still requires
screwdriver work. It can still be fiddly to get going.
The connectors in the enclosure are not always top quality.
But it is another option if you have the money for it.
Buying a new OEM drive for $25, is the cheapest option.
HTH,
Paul