Friday, November 18, 2011

Post No. 2 (optional) How to Fix CD RW Drive

This one is almost funny but it saved me a lot of time, trouble and money!

You may skip this one if it is of no interest to you.  I probably would myself.

I have two computers.  They are hooked together so I can access either from the new one.  The old computer has two CD/DVD drives, one rewritable.  The new computer has only one Multimedia Drive.  For some time now the RW drive on the old computer would not open....computer told me everything was working...still couldn't open the drive.  I wanted to burn some copies from MP3 disc (the funeral......don't ask me why!)OK,ask.....MIL requested them for other relatives.....I made one from a file I downloaded on my new computer and it took a long time to then burn it to a cd.  This would be so easy with the dual file so I was determined to take both computers in and have a second drive installed on the new computer and have the non-working drive fixed or replaced on the old one.  I called Office Depot and Staples....one would have to order the drives...I had to go in to order it; they wouldn't take a credit card over the phone....I couldn't wait while they repaired it. The other store had the drive but was a few days behind....couldn't wait for that one either.  I didn't want to leave either one in the stores since all my financial data is on them.....

When all else fails, Google!  There it was how to repair the old drive.  It required a straightened paper clip!  Yes, a paper clip....you stick it in the tiny hole in front of the drive; push it in and it releases a locking mechanism and out pops the drive!  Amazing.  So now, I will just live with the single drive on the new one.

I figure it saved me about $200.

8 comments:

  1. Yay! Saving those $$$ is super! K

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  2. Computer lingo is not good for me but when I stumble on a solution I sit and figure it out until I have it accomplished. Good WOrk ~!~!
    Have a tiggeriffic day ~ ta ta for now from Iowa:)

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  3. Excellent work, Glenda. And a tip I will file away. :-D

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  4. Good for you. You are one resourceful lady!!

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  5. If you get a good computer person, they can take the R/W drive out of your old computer and put it in your new one. You shouldn't have to pay for a new drive unless you want one in both. Yeah, that paperclip!

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  6. Glenda, just wanted to say I am sorry about your FIL. When you mentioned making a cd of the funeral, I went back in your posts to see what I had missed and found it. Take care.

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  7. Good going, Glenda! I'm still waiting for a computer problem that can be fixed with duct tape or baling twine..... ;)

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  8. I LOVE it! I love when I'm able to do or make something myself and save some money. You're ahead of me on this tech thing, but here's my $ saving story: My husband took my little Kodak 4 mp camera on a trip, and let someone else use it. The lens was out and STUCK! Grrrr... It would cost too much to repair (daughter gave it to me years ago), you know how you have to mail that sort of thing in for repairs. Well, I Googled the problem, and the advice from others was to lightly hit the lens and it would go back in. It worked! I was so happy. Just like you were when you did your computer repair.

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