Installing a CD Writer - Install a CD Burnser - Recorder
Welcome to our guide to installing a CD recorder.

This guide will take you through the process of installing a CD recorder into your PC, step by step with the aid of photos.
 

To complete this guide you will need:

  • Compatible CD Recorder.

  • 4 securing screws (supplied with your CD Recorder).

  • Cross-point (Philips) Screwdriver suitable for your PC case.

  • IDE Cable (if required).

  • Anti-Static Wrist-strap (if available).

Safety First:

Before opening the case of your PC always disconnect the power supply.

Also if you do not have an anti-static wrist-band then touch a metal part of the case to discharge any static before touching any static sensitive devices (memory, graphics cards, etc)

safety first, installing a cd writer / recorder

 

 

Removing the case covers

The first step is to remove the side covers from the case, to the right you can see the screws that need to be removed.

Your case may vary and the amount of screws you need to remove may be different.

If you have an anti-static strap then wear it during the full installation process.

case screws
 

Here you can see the case screws which need to be removed, some cases will vary, here there are six screws to remove, however, some common cases only have four and some cases use a different system altogether.

 

 

Removing the case covers II

When you have removed the screws put them somewhere safe and then pull back gently on the side cover and remove.

Repeat the process and remove both side covers.

note: Your case may vary from the design shown, in this instance follow the manufacturers instructions to remove the covers.

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case side removal

 

 

 

Making room for the writer

The next step is to remove the "blank" plastic front from the position in which you want to install the cd writer, if you have a CD-ROM drive installed then if possible leave a gap in-between the CD-ROM and the CD-WRITER, this will enable a sufficient amount of air to flow between the two drives.

If you have trouble removing the "blank" you can use a flat ended screwdriver to ease the blank out, taking care not to damage the case.

removing the blank from the case front
 

 

 

CD Writer Back Panel

Next draw your attention to the back panel of the CD Recorder.

Note the section we have pointed out to the right, this depicts what the drive will be in the IDE configuration, some CD Writers work best when they are the master, others work fine regardless, always consult the manufacturers instructions that came with your CD Writer.

There are 3 options, Cable Select, Slave, and Master.

Selection is done by means of a jumper, the option you choose will depend on your system set-up.

  • Master should be selected if this will be the only device on a single IDE cable, or, if it is the second device to be connected and the other device is set to slave.

  • Slave should be selected if this will be the second device on a singe IDE cable, for instance, if you do not already have a CD-ROM drive then you could attach the new device to the same IDE cable as your hard drive (where your hard drive will be the master).

  • Cable Select should be selected only when the devices are to be attached as the cable depicts, ie, the first connector (working away from the motherboard) is the slave and the last connector is the master device.

If you need to attach a second IDE cable refer to your motherboard's manual.

IDE Cable

Above you can see a standard IDE Cable, note there are 3 connections (notice the difference in distance between the connectors), connection A plugs into the motherboard and then the slave and master connections are used for IDE devices such as hard drives, CD-ROM Drives and CD Writers.

CD Writer Back

 

 

Insert the CD Writer

The next step is to gently slide the device into the empty bay, making sure it is free of any obstruction.

installing cd Writer

 

 

 

Insert the CD Writer II

Next take the screws that came with your CD Writer and secure the device so it is flush with the front of your case, ensure to secure using all the screws supplied.

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inserting screws

 

 

 

Connecting the cables

The next step is to attach the IDE and power cable.

The power cable you will find in your case attached to your power supply below is an image of one:

power cable

The power cable will only fit one way, so you won't put it in the wrong way round, but as a guide the red wire should go to 5v.


The IDE cable will be marked down one side with a red or black strip, this denotes Pin 1, match this with the Pin 1 indicator on the back of the device, further, some IDE cables have a blank in one hole to stop you inserting it in incorrectly.

If you would like to attach an audio cable to the device follow the manufacturer's instructions.

cable connections

 

 

 

Finishing the Installation

Double check all connections and make sure the device is set correctly as master or slave.

You may wish to test the device is correctly installed before replacing the covers, but it is advisable to replace the covers before reconnecting the mains.

When you reboot your machine the bios should automatically detect the new drive, and then when you get to the windows screen, go to My Computer and you should see your new drive there. The letter assigned to the drive will depend on your machine's configuration.