Replacing combo drive?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

So the DVD burner in my wife's Newgate laptop has gone out. (The system
"sees" it, but it won't recognize any media in the drive.)
And I'm seeing on newegg.com and eBay, sales for "slim" combo drives,
that look exactly like the combo drive in the laptop.

Is it actually possible to replace this unknown name stock combo drive
with a Toshiba or Sony or whatever slim drive, and it'll work?
Liam

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

On 26 May 2005 13:55:18 -0700, news@celticbear.com wrote:

>So the DVD burner in my wife's Newgate laptop has gone out. (The system
>"sees" it, but it won't recognize any media in the drive.)
>And I'm seeing on newegg.com and eBay, sales for "slim" combo drives,
>that look exactly like the combo drive in the laptop.
>
>Is it actually possible to replace this unknown name stock combo drive
>with a Toshiba or Sony or whatever slim drive, and it'll work?
>Liam


Someone was just complaining how his new generic drive's cover doesn't
match the finish of the notebook. If u can live with little
imperfections like that, it should work. I would clean the lens
first.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

bobb wrote:
> On 26 May 2005 13:55:18 -0700, news@celticbear.com wrote:
> >Is it actually possible to replace this unknown name stock combo drive
> >with a Toshiba or Sony or whatever slim drive, and it'll work?
> >Liam
>
>
> Someone was just complaining how his new generic drive's cover doesn't
> match the finish of the notebook. If u can live with little
> imperfections like that, it should work. I would clean the lens
> first.

Having a slightly different color is better than a not working drive
period. =)
Yeah, we've cleaned the lens, reinstalled drivers, used various
diagnostic programs...nothing detects anything as being wrong, it just
doesn't "see" the media.
Thanks!
Liam

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Andrew wrote:
> news@celticbear.com wrote:
> : So the DVD burner in my wife's Newgate laptop has gone out. (The system
> : "sees" it, but it won't recognize any media in the drive.)
> : And I'm seeing on newegg.com and eBay, sales for "slim" combo drives,
> : that look exactly like the combo drive in the laptop.
>
> : Is it actually possible to replace this unknown name stock combo drive
> : with a Toshiba or Sony or whatever slim drive, and it'll work?
>
> Are you sure the combo drive you have now is a "no-name?" If you go
> to Device Manager, don't you see a model number and manufactuer?
>

Well yeah, of course if does HAVE a name and model. It's just a
manufacturer that I'd never head of before or can even pronounce (and I
know a lot of electronics manufacturer.)
What I mean by "no-name" is that it's simply not a "big name" like
Panasonic or Sony or Toshiba....

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

news@celticbear.com writes:
> Is it actually possible to replace this unknown name stock combo drive
> with a Toshiba or Sony or whatever slim drive, and it'll work?

Chances are that the laptop has some special bezel and connector
gizmos that you'll have to remove from the old drive and put onto the
new drive, to make the new one fit in the laptop. That's USUALLY not
a big deal, but with a weird brand laptop, who can say.

 

[Andrew]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

news@celticbear.com wrote:
: So the DVD burner in my wife's Newgate laptop has gone out. (The system
: "sees" it, but it won't recognize any media in the drive.)
: And I'm seeing on newegg.com and eBay, sales for "slim" combo drives,
: that look exactly like the combo drive in the laptop.

: Is it actually possible to replace this unknown name stock combo drive
: with a Toshiba or Sony or whatever slim drive, and it'll work?

Are you sure the combo drive you have now is a "no-name?" If you go
to Device Manager, don't you see a model number and manufactuer?

Andrew
--
----> Portland, Oregon, USA <----
*******************************************************************
----> http/www.bizave.com <---- Photo Albums and Portland Info
----> To Email me remove "MYSHOES" from email address
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[Andrew]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

news@celticbear.com wrote:
: Well yeah, of course if does HAVE a name and model. It's just a
: manufacturer that I'd never head of before or can even pronounce (and I
: know a lot of electronics manufacturer.)
: What I mean by "no-name" is that it's simply not a "big name" like
: Panasonic or Sony or Toshiba....

You might be surprised how widely used it could be. If you search
Google for the model number, you might at least find drives that are
known to be compatible with it or at least specs you can then match up
with other drives.

Andrew
--
----> Portland, Oregon, USA <----
*******************************************************************
----> http/www.bizave.com <---- Photo Albums and Portland Info
----> To Email me remove "MYSHOES" from email address
*******************************************************************

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Why don't you tell us what the name is? To some of us, it may not be
strange or obscure.


news@celticbear.com wrote:

>
> Andrew wrote:
>
>>news@celticbear.com wrote:
>>: So the DVD burner in my wife's Newgate laptop has gone out. (The system
>>: "sees" it, but it won't recognize any media in the drive.)
>>: And I'm seeing on newegg.com and eBay, sales for "slim" combo drives,
>>: that look exactly like the combo drive in the laptop.
>>
>>: Is it actually possible to replace this unknown name stock combo drive
>>: with a Toshiba or Sony or whatever slim drive, and it'll work?
>>
>>Are you sure the combo drive you have now is a "no-name?" If you go
>>to Device Manager, don't you see a model number and manufactuer?
>>
>
>
> Well yeah, of course if does HAVE a name and model. It's just a
> manufacturer that I'd never head of before or can even pronounce (and I
> know a lot of electronics manufacturer.)
> What I mean by "no-name" is that it's simply not a "big name" like
> Panasonic or Sony or Toshiba....
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

The bezel is almost NEVER interchangeable. Very unfortunately.

Paul Rubin wrote:

> news@celticbear.com writes:
>
>>Is it actually possible to replace this unknown name stock combo drive
>>with a Toshiba or Sony or whatever slim drive, and it'll work?
>
>
> Chances are that the laptop has some special bezel and connector
> gizmos that you'll have to remove from the old drive and put onto the
> new drive, to make the new one fit in the laptop. That's USUALLY not
> a big deal, but with a weird brand laptop, who can say.

 

[Mike]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

On Thu, 26 May 2005 14:39:59 -0700, bobb wrote:

> Someone was just complaining how his new generic drive's cover doesn't
> match the finish of the notebook. If u can live with little
> imperfections like that, it should work. I would clean the lens
> first.

That someone was me.
Yes it's annoying but as people say elswhere, just cosmetic. Though I sure
wish drive bezels were standardized.

Mike

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

It's not always cosmetic. The bezel on the Toshiba 2805 is neither
rectangular nor flat. Also, even for rectangular flat bezels, it's not
just color, there are minor size differences (+/- a few mm). The bottom
line is that in some cases, a replacment drive won't close, because the
bezel won't fit into the opening in the laptop case.


Mike wrote:
> On Thu, 26 May 2005 14:39:59 -0700, bobb wrote:
>
>
>>Someone was just complaining how his new generic drive's cover doesn't
>>match the finish of the notebook. If u can live with little
>>imperfections like that, it should work. I would clean the lens
>>first.
>
>
> That someone was me.
> Yes it's annoying but as people say elswhere, just cosmetic. Though I sure
> wish drive bezels were standardized.
>
> Mike