External drives for computers and laptops. External drives for computers and laptops. Is it possible to connect an external drive to a DVD?

Probably, some time ago, such a device as external disk drives could have puzzled a computer scientist a lot. Indeed, often the very presence of a CD drive inside the PC case automatically made this device“elite”: not everyone could afford it.

However, time did not stand still. Pretty soon disk drives for laser discs have become commonplace. And then external disk drives appeared on the scene.

External disk drive - what is it?

Probably, even without any definitions, many understand that external drive A gadfly is a compact device designed to work (read and write) with all kinds of disks, which connects to a computer through one of its ports.

The device is called external precisely because it is located not inside the system unit, but outside. That is, you can simply take and disconnect an external drive at any time, connect it to another computer or drive, or take it with you on the road or anywhere else.

When might an external drive be needed?

There are many situations when such a drive may be needed, or even when you cannot do without it.

For example, for a netbook. For the sake of compactness, netbook manufacturers did not place a laser disk drive in the case. So the user lost the opportunity to work with such disks. And things would have been really bad if it weren’t for the external CD drive. It simply connects to the device via a USB port - and you can start working with laser discs. Therefore, most often external drives are purchased in conjunction with a netbook.

An external drive may also be needed if the main drive on the device fails. Or if you need to quickly rewrite information from one laser disk to another without first transferring data to HDD(Many will probably remember the once common two-cassette players).

In short, there are simply too many different situations when you might need an external drive for your computer.

What types of external drives are there?

External drives can be classified in different ways: depending on the connection port, the ability or impossibility of recording, the method of power supply, the types of discs readable, and other characteristics.

However, external drives are most often divided into:

CD drives are those that can only read and write CD blanks (they are practically never found these days);
DVD drives are the most common type of drive that "sees" both CDs and DVDs;
Blu-Ray - accordingly, in addition to CDs and DVDs, such devices can also work with Blu-Ray discs;
writing and non-writing - those that can not only read, but also write information to a disk, or only read (the latter are also practically not used today);
powered via USB and via an external power supply.

Are there laptop-only or desktop-only models? No, there are no such things. External drives are universal; they work equally well on netbooks, laptops, and paired with

Pros of external drives

Of course, an external drive has a number of advantages, both as a standalone device and over its built-in “colleague”.

External devices for working with disks can be simply disconnected from the computer at any time and, for example, given to a friend. In order to perform such a trick with the built-in drive, you will need to disassemble the system unit or laptop case.
An external drive will help out if the main drive on the device breaks down.
It will help you work with disks even on devices where such drives are simply not structurally provided. For example, in Lately External disk drives for tablets appeared.
External drives are compact, easy to connect, and easy to replace.

Disadvantages of external drives

But, as always, there were some downsides:

Speed is the main weak point of any external drive. Whatever one may say, the USB port is still slower than the internal system ports.
Often an external drive for a laptop requires a separate power supply. Moreover, it can be carried out either via USB or through a regular outlet. Low-quality power supplies burn out quickly, but it is almost impossible to find another exactly the same one - it’s easier to just buy another drive.
An external drive is more expensive than its built-in counterpart.

How to connect an external drive

Fortunately, there is nothing difficult about how to connect an external drive. Typically, all that is required is to plug the USB cable into the appropriate connector on the computer and the power supply plug into the outlet.

If necessary, you can also install additional software and drivers. But often you don’t have to do this - the system simply recognizes the device as a new drive and works with it quite correctly using standard tools.

How to choose a removable drive

When choosing an external drive, you need to take into account the following points:

If your computer has a USB 2.0 port, then you need to purchase just such a drive. The reading and writing process will be much more vigorous.
If possible, you should choose a model powered by both USB and a wall outlet. If the power supply burns out, the device can be powered directly from the computer. In addition, such external drives will allow you to work in offline mode. For example, on the road with a netbook.
If possible, the drive should read and write to most common disc formats. For the sake of versatility, you can neglect other minor functions, which are most often used only a couple of times during the entire time and then only out of curiosity.
The appearance of the drive also plays a role. A beautiful device looks stylish on the table and will attract many curious glances.
As for speed, there is no need to purchase the highest speed ones. Standard 52 speeds are enough for all occasions. Moreover, recording at high speeds often occurs incorrectly. And the drive motor itself can quickly fail if you overuse it too often at high speeds.

Regarding the manufacturer, there are no clear recommendations here. In principle, all companies today produce external drives of good quality. Every company has both successful and not so successful models. But you won’t find frankly bad ones today.

The disk drive, until recently a mandatory element in any computer, is today losing ground to flash drives and retiring. Manufacturers have caught on to this trend and are now happy to follow it, refusing to install a drive in computers and laptops. But what if you need a disk drive? This is discussed in our article.

First we need to decide why we need a disk drive. It's not about his type - by default he should be able to read and write DVDs, that's just the time. But there is such a thing as a connection type - the interface that our drive connects to the computer. It is up to him to be chosen.

The easiest way to determine this is to visually inspect the motherboard and determine the available connection locations.

Let's figure it out in order:

Have you considered the motherboard? Let's evaluate the availability of free ports. If there are several free SATA ports and an IDE port, then you definitely need to choose the first option. It has seriously more advantages, and it’s easier to connect. If there is only one free SATA port, then you can think about it - what if you want to connect another hard drive to your computer? He needs this port more. Well, the easiest option is if you have either SATA or IDE ports. You have no choice, act according to the circumstances.

Removing the old drive

To do this, you will need a medium-thick Phillips screwdriver with a good slot and a vacuum cleaner.

Note! Take care in advance to collect the mounting hardware in a separate place - it will be very helpful during reassembly. It is very unpleasant to look for bolts throughout the apartment.

Remove the side covers from the system unit. To do this, unscrew a pair of screws from the back on each side and pull the covers back. After moving them a couple of centimeters and freeing the grooves, remove the covers.
It's vacuum cleaner time. Carefully, without touching the electronic components (this is important!), remove the top layer of dust. It is better to remove residues using a compressed air cylinder - there is less risk of damaging the components.
Locate your drive from the inside. Remove traces of hot melt glue from the cables using a screwdriver. Be careful!
Carefully remove the cable from the connectors of the drive and motherboard. Then pull out the power.
The drive is secured with fairly thin screws on the sides - their number ranges from two to four on each side. Unscrew them and remember the approximate position.
Now remove the drive. Pull it inside the system unit and pull it out, being careful not to touch the rest of the computer components. If the drive does not pull in, push it from the inside out and pull it towards you.

Note! Some models of system units do not allow you to pull out the drive inside. The front panel prevents pulling out - for example, the drive bays have rounded edges to which the drive clings. In this case, you need to remove the front panel by unscrewing the four bolts or slightly bending the latches in four places. Do this with extreme care: a system unit with a front panel that is not securely fastened will completely lose its presentability.

Installing a new drive in the system unit

In addition to a screwdriver, you may need pliers.

On a note! If you replaced the drive and followed the previous step to remove the old one, then you have already prepared everything for installation.

Now we will look at what to do for those who want to install a disk drive in new computer, where it has never been, or wants to install a second drive in addition to the old one.

Using the instructions from the previous paragraph, open the system unit and remove the front panel.
Carefully remove one of the plugs for five-inch devices from the front panel. Be careful not to break the grooves, as it may come in handy in the future if you want to get rid of the drive.
Using pliers, break out the metal plate opposite the selected plug on the front panel. The plate will definitely not be useful anymore, so just break it out. Can be bent.
Remove the new drive from its antistatic packaging. Remove all shipping stickers. Carefully insert the drive into its place in system unit.

Note! It would be nice to find complete bolts from the system unit, but there are none; buy four or eight bolts together with the drive to secure it.
Secure the drive with screws. Watch its position: it is important that it fits neatly with the front panel. One way or another, its position can be adjusted later.
Reinstall the front panel. If the drive does not align with it, loosen the screws and slide it into position. Tighten the screws.

Connecting the installed drive to the motherboard

Let's first consider the option with IDE

IDE is an old format with its own configuration rules. The loop involves the installation of two devices, so it turns out that one device is always the master (“Master”), and the other is always the slave (“Slave”). This may be the problem if the connected drive is not detected. To eliminate it, check the position of the jumper on the back of the drive. Pay attention to the screenshot.

Universal case: if you have only one disk drive on the cable and it is connected with the outermost connector, then put the jumper in the left position (“Cable Select”, or auto-detection of the connection type). If there are two disk drives or devices in general on the cable, then the jumper should take a position based on the position of the device: if the outermost connector is “Master,” that is, the right position, if the middle one is “Slave,” that is, the middle position. However motherboards IDEs have been around for a very long time, so they can easily not meet the standards. In this case, there is only one piece of advice - refer to the instructions.

Now an option with SATA

All that remains is to close the side covers, tighten their mounting screws and start using the computer. Ready!

Video - Connecting (installing, replacing) a PC drive

However, time did not stand still. Pretty soon, laserdisc drives became commonplace. And then external disk drives appeared on the scene.

External disk drive - what is it?

Probably, even without any definitions, it is clear to many that an external drive is a compact device designed to work (read and write) with all kinds of disks, which is connected to the computer through one of its ports.

When might an external drive be needed?

There are many situations when such a drive may be needed, or even when you cannot do without it.

An external drive may also be needed if the main drive on the device fails. Or if you need to quickly copy information from one laser disk to another without first transferring the data to a hard drive (many will probably remember the once common two-cassette drives).

In short, there are simply too many different situations when you might need an external drive for your computer.

What types of external drives are there?

However, external drives are most often divided into:

CD drives are those that can only read and write CD blanks (they are practically never found these days);
DVD drives are the most common type of drive that “sees” both CDs and DVDs;
Blu-Ray – accordingly, in addition to CDs and DVDs, such devices can also work with Blu-Ray discs;
writing and non-writing - those that can not only read, but also write information to a disk, or only read (the latter are also practically not used today);
powered via USB and via an external power supply.

Are there laptop-only or desktop-only models? No, there are no such things. External drives are universal; they work equally well on netbooks, laptops, and paired with a desktop computer.

Pros of external drives

Of course, an external drive has a number of advantages, both as a standalone device and over its built-in “colleague”.

External devices for working with disks can be simply disconnected from the computer at any time and, for example, given to a friend. In order to perform such a trick with the built-in drive, you will need to disassemble the system unit or laptop case.
An external drive will help out if the main drive on the device breaks down.
It will help you work with disks even on devices where such drives are simply not structurally provided. For example, recently external disk drives have appeared for tablets.
External drives are compact, easy to connect, and easy to replace.

Disadvantages of external drives

But, as always, there were some downsides:

Speed is the main weak point of any external drive. Whatever one may say, the USB port is still slower than the internal system ports.
Often an external drive for a laptop requires a separate power supply. Moreover, it can be carried out either via USB or through a regular outlet. Low-quality power supplies burn out quickly, but it is almost impossible to find another exactly the same one - it’s easier to just buy another drive.
An external drive is more expensive than its built-in counterpart.

How to connect an external drive

How to choose a removable drive

When choosing an external drive, you need to take into account the following points:

If your computer has a USB 2.0 port, then you need to purchase just such a drive. The reading and writing process will be much more vigorous.
If possible, you should choose a model powered by both USB and a wall outlet. If the power supply burns out, the device can be powered directly from the computer. In addition, such external drives will allow you to work in offline mode. For example, on the road with a netbook.
If possible, the drive should read and write to most common disc formats. For the sake of versatility, you can neglect other minor functions, which are most often used only a couple of times during the entire time and then only out of curiosity.
The appearance of the drive also plays a role. A beautiful device looks stylish on the table and will attract many curious glances.
As for speed, there is no need to purchase the highest speed ones. Standard 52 speeds are enough for all occasions. Moreover, recording at high speeds often occurs incorrectly. And the drive motor itself can quickly fail if you overuse it too often at high speeds.

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Connecting a DVD drive from a laptop to a PC

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I had a SATA DVD drive from a laptop lying around for a long time, so as not to gather dust, I decided to use it somehow, namely, connect it to my home PC. Connecting SATA drives is easier than IDE drives. But IDE drives can also be connected to a PC, but it’s a pain to connect a double-row connector there.

Drive photo:

Laptop drives operate on 5 volts...

On the left is the power connector, on the right is the SATA connector

We open the drive and connect the wires as shown in the figure below, the positive and negative terminals can be paired (duplicated), i.e. may have two contacts.

Connect the cables to the computer and check the operation of the drive

Everything seems to be working!

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How to connect a hard drive from a laptop to a laptop with your own hands

Good day!

I think those who often work on a laptop have sometimes found themselves in a similar situation: you need to copy a lot of files from hard drive laptop to hard drive desktop computer. How to do it?

Option 1. Just connect your laptop and computer and transfer files. True, if the speed on your network is not high, then this method will take a lot of time (especially if you need to copy several hundred gigabytes).

Option 2. Remove the hard drive (hdd) from the laptop and then connect it to the computer. All information from the hdd can be copied very quickly (on the downside: you need to spend 5-10 minutes connecting).

Option 3. Buy a special “container” (box) into which you can insert laptop hdd, and then connect this box to USB port any PC or other laptop.

Let's take a closer look at the last couple of options...

1) Connecting a hard drive (2.5-inch hdd) from a laptop to a computer

Well, the first thing you need to do is remove the hard drive from the laptop case (you will most likely need a screwdriver, depending on your device model).

You must first turn off the power to the laptop and then remove the battery (green arrow in the photo below). The yellow arrows in the photo mark the fastening of the cover, behind which the hard drive is located.

Laptop Acer Aspire.

After removing the cover, remove the hard drive from the laptop case (see green arrow in the photo below).

Acer Aspire laptop: hard drive Western Digital Blue 500 GB.

IDE is an old interface for connecting a hard drive. Provides connection speed of 133 MB/s. Nowadays it is becoming less and less common, I think there is no point in considering it in this article...

Hard drive with IDE interface.

SATA I, II, III - new interface hdd connections (provides speeds of 150, 300, 600 MB/s, respectively). Key points related to SATA, from the point of view of the average user:

There are no jumpers that were previously on the IDE (which means the hard drive cannot be “wrongly” connected);

More high speed work;

Full compatibility with each other different versions SATA: you don’t have to worry about conflicts between different equipment; the drive will work on any PC, no matter what version of SATA it’s connected through.

HDD Seagate Barracuda 2 TB with SATA III support.

So, in a modern system unit, the drive and hard drive must be connected via a SATA interface. For example, in my example, I decided to connect a laptop hard drive instead of a CD-ROM.

System unit. You can connect a hard drive from a laptop, for example, instead of a drive (CD-Rom).

Actually, all that remains is to disconnect the wires from the drive and connect the laptop’s hdd to them. Then it’s trivial to turn on the computer and copy all the necessary information.

Connected hdd 2.5 to the computer...

In the photo below you can note that the disk is now displayed in “my computer” - i.e. you can work with it as with a regular local disk (sorry for the tautology).

A connected 2.5-inch hdd from a laptop is displayed in “my computer” as the most common one local disk.

By the way, if you want to leave the disk permanently connected to the PC, then you need to secure it. To do this, it is best to use special “sleds” that allow you to secure 2.5-inch drives (from laptops; smaller in size compared to 3.5-inch computers) in bays from regular hdds. The photo below shows similar “sleds”.

Slides from 2.5 to 3.5 (metal).

2) Box (BOX) for connecting a laptop hdd to any device with USB

For users who don’t want to “mess around” with dragging disks back and forth, or, for example, want to get a portable and convenient external disk (from a leftover old laptop disk) - there are special devices on the market - “boxes” (BOX).

What he really is? A small container, slightly larger than the hard drive itself. It usually has 1-2 USB ports for connecting to PC (or laptop) ports. The box can be opened: the hdd is inserted inside and secured there. Some models, by the way, are equipped with a power supply.

Actually, that's all, after connecting the drive to the box, it closes and then you can use it together with the box, as if it were a regular external hard drive! The photo below shows a similar box from the Orico brand. In appearance it is practically no different from an external hdd.

Box for connecting 2.5-inch drives.

If you look at this box from the back, there is a lid, and behind it there is a special “pocket” into which the hard drive is inserted. Such devices are quite simple and very convenient.

Inside view: insert pocket hdd drive 2.5 inches.

There’s probably no point in talking about IDE drives. To be honest, I haven’t worked with them for a long time, I don’t think anyone else actively uses them. I would be grateful if someone adds on this topic...

Good work hdd everyone!

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A visual tutorial for working on a netbook Senkevich G. E.

How to connect a DVD drive to a netbook?

Let's try to share the DVD drive installed in home computer. Entire drives are shared a little differently than individual folders.

1. Right-click the laser drive icon.

2. A context menu will open. Select a team Sharing|Advanced Customization public access.

3. The disk properties dialog will open on the tab Access. Click the button Advanced setup.

4. A dialog will open Advanced setup general access. Check the box Share this folder.

5. Click the button Permissions.

6. A dialog will open in which permissions are set. Click on the group All.

7. Check the boxes in the column Allow.

8. Click the button OK.

The dialogue will close. Click the button OK in dialogue Advanced sharing setup and a button Close in the disk properties dialog.

This text is an introductory fragment. From the book Burning CDs and DVDs: a professional approach author Bakhur Victor

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From the book Self-instruction manual for working on a computer author Kolisnichenko Denis Nikolaevich

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From the book A visual tutorial for working on a netbook author Senkevich G. E.

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How to connect a phone to a netbook? Let's take a connection as an example: Nokia phone series 6003. It contains a memory card on which the manufacturer recorded the distribution package of the Ovi Suite program. The phone comes with a proprietary USB cable. Connect the cable to the phone

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Optical drive An optical drive is a device for working with optical storage media. Can be located outside the laptop, connecting to it directly via USB (if the drive simply does not fit due to its modest size mobile computer, there are options in the BIOS

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CD and DVD drive Today, most laptops are equipped with universal drives that can work with both CDs and DVDs. The drives differ slightly in cost, so installing obsolete models in laptops

Installing the DVD-ROM device is very simple. You just need to decide on the device connection standard: “IDE” or “SATA”? Depending on this, the connecting cables (data and power cables) will be different.

This is what our “IDE” device looks like from the back (where the connection takes place).

We install the DVD-ROM in the space allocated for it in the system unit (usually the front top part body). We connect the power and the “data loop”. Please note! On the “cable” there is a “key” in the mounting socket for its correct orientation. For “IDE” drives, the connection should look like this.

Now all we have to do is securely fix our device on both sides with four bolts and connect the second end of the “cable” directly to the motherboard.

For “SATA” drives, this process is completely identical to that described, and the cable DVD data devices of the old standard must be connected to one of the “IDE” channels of the controller on the board.

In the figure above, under the numbers, we show:

1 - the first “IDE” controller (two devices can be installed on it: “master” and “slave”)
2 - second “IDE” controller (you can also connect two devices: in master mode and slave mode)
3 - drive controller (FDC controller)

So, it is to controller number 3 that we will connect our disk drive. It is also called a “floppy disk” or “3.5-inch disk” (based on the size of the floppy disks with which it works).

The drive looks like this:

And here are its connection connectors from the back side:

The large oval is the data cable connector, the white one with four pins is the power connector. The drive data cable is slightly narrower than the “IDE cable” of the hard drive, so you simply cannot mix it up and connect it incorrectly :)

This is what it looks like:

The cable is also equipped with a special “key” to prevent it from being installed incorrectly. The corresponding “key” is also available on the motherboard controller.

The power cable to the floppy disk comes directly from the computer's power supply. It has a specific connector and is connected as follows:

Pay attention to which side the connector is connected to the device (this is the only correct position). Otherwise the floppy disk will not work.

At the end of the article, I want to give a little advice: if you need to open a CD-DVD-ROM without turning on the computer (for example, you forgot a disk in it), then pay attention to the small hole specially provided for this purpose on its front panel.

Straighten the paperclip (or use a needle), insert it into the hole and press firmly. The device tray will open slightly. Pull it out completely by hand, remove the disc and push it back in. Don't worry, it won't break. Just don't do this while the disk is spinning inside the device! :)