Questions from a self confessed newbie

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Kevin J Boehm

n00b
Joined
Jun 21, 2004
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I have an HP ze4220 laptop, with a DVD CD-RW drive. I am wondering if there is a program out there that will allow me to write DVD-rom with this hardware. I have a feeling that there isn't because it seems like the hardware just isn't intended for that.

I've received more than a few spam emails about doing this exact thing so I figured I would ask some people who are more into this kind of stuff than I am.

I would also like to ask if anyone has some recommendations about where to shop for a new hard drive for this laptop. 30gb just doesn't cut it anymore.
 
Thanks for the response. bummer though.

I was looking on pricewatch, and I found something called a "hard drive enclosure". From my guess you take a regular desktop harddrive and connect it to this unit, and it's a USB hard disk.

I have a desktop at home with a defunct power supply, would it be worthwhile to nab the hard drives out of it and use one of these enclosures? What brand would you suggest? I tend to like Maxtor for hard disks, and if they make one of these I would probably choose it. If anyone has any suggestions I would be glad to hear it.

I have thought about just putting that machine back together but it's always one of those "Yeah, I'll get right on that..." things that I'm sure we all do. I don't see it happening because this machine has more of everything, except the video card is not the best.
 
personally Id get the PSU, and network the laptop to the desktop
 
Part of the reason I have been hesitant to do anything about the desktop is that I have a feeling that more than just the PS is fried. I'm concerned that I'm going to open this thing up and swap out the PS, and find that other parts are damaged or screwed or whatever. Cost is something I need to keep in the forefront of this, being broke and all...

It could be worth it to get a cheapo power supply from one of these computer shows at the expo center, since this is basically just going to be a storage unit.
 
I never recommend generic PSUs
the risk is pretty high, as you know from experience
drop by the Power Supply forum and read a little
the PSU isnt where anyone should get "cheap"
Id rather run the computer out of a cardboard box than use a cheap PSU

there are alot of variables with an external HDD as well
especially with USB, the actual performance might not be what you expect
it greatly depends on the implementation
then there is the reliability issue of using a 3.5" form factor HDD
that is really designed to be a fixed internal, in a new environment where if bumped during an operation would cause what is called head slap, where the read\write head hits the HDD platter surface and as a result creates a pit and throws up debris, which it proceeds to run over time and time again, leading to failure

a 2.5" form factor HDD like in a laptop is much more rugged and less likely to be damaged, but they too die more often than a "fixed" HDD in the right environment
(the extreme example of this reduction in platter size to the ability to withstand impact is a 1" microdrive like used in a camera)

so if you do elect to use an external, be careful with it, and your laptop too ;)
 
i am glad i have a bunch of extra computer parts lying around... that way if a psu dies.. i can steal one from another comptuer and see if that's all that died.. i personally have never used anything but a cheap generic psu (except the one that came with my shuttle) and i had 1 die.. but it didn't kill anything else. and i replaced it for $16...

in your case though... if you have a perfectly good computer above 750 mhz sitting around, there is no reason to just leave it sitting around.. either sell it or get it working.. in my opinion..

but i don't know what i would do in your situation... do you know anyone that has extra comptuer parts lying aroudn so you can see exactly what is fried on your desktop?
 
I certainly do. My brother and I do freelance machine building as a side business. basically people he works with or neighbors etc.
 
ok... so try sticking another psu in there and seeing it it works... if it does.. then go out and get an antec true power psu... if putting a known good psu in there doesn't make it work... then you need to take the computer apart... set the motherboard on a table and plug in only memory, cpu, and a video card... then find which one of those components are bad...
 
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