I am adding this edited message the day after I wrote this post on todays date being 20th August 2024.
In ref to what I referred to about my comments / queries / questions about the Compact DVD / CD disc drive.
After some further research, and discussion with the ebay supplier in which I explained my problems and asked if they could advise me further.
They helped confirm certain information to me..but not fully offer the solution.
I tried a couple more things and my problem may have just been something that I was not fully aware of... in which it may had as simple as restarting the Computer
once I had installed the replacemnt Compact DVD / CD disc drive.
Anyway, I restarted the Laptop Computer and tried to play another DVD and this time the device has worked and was able to load and run a dvd disc ok .
I may had been lucky that I had not damaged the Disc drive when I had installed it without considering some of the careless actions that I had done..such as installing it when
the computer was still switched on or plugged in that may had led to static issues that I prior referred to or indicated that could possibly had corrupted the Disc drive..
I did not ammend any information in device manager or select any location that I had initially thought may had been the problem as the supplier I spoke with said he did not think
would had caused the problem....but he also did not suggest had I restarted the Computer once I had installed the replacement drive.
At the moment I am not deleting the relevant parts of the post as they may offer certain information that maybe useful to be aware about for anyone who has read it or reads it in the future.
Also at the moment I have Not as yet sorted out my Wireless Wifi Network adaptor query on where best to obtain a trustworthy suitable download..
============================= ========================== ===============================
Hi,
Can anyone advise me please .
In ref to trying to find safe suitable software for a Disc Drive and Wireless or Wifi Network adaptor .
Some time ago I broke my Disc Drive on my old Dell Inspiron 1501 Laptop.
and eventually obtained a cheap replacemnt on ebay.
classed as Hitachi HL data storage
Initially I was sent a completely wrong disc drive and contacted the seller who offered to send me another .
The other disc drive sent to me, however , is still not exactly as was described. BUT from the prior communication
I had with the seller they seemed to indicate that some drives are universal. and may be usable on various computers.
IF that is correct I maybe ok with that..
BUT what I had not accounted for is that the replacement disc drive probably needs different software.
The details of the two drives involved are shown below.
on looking for the software. I assume it can be found on a Hitachi website..
https://www.hitachi-.../products/data/
But on trying to find the right match, I cannot seem to find it.
when I do other online disc drive software or download searchs I can find certain websites that seem to refer to the version I need .
But I dont know if they are trustworthy.
I have reinstalled the replacemnt Disc Drive (on which I had to change the front plastic panel and a couple of screws that supported a small bracket)
but upon installing it at the moment when I tried to install a DVD it does NOT work at the moment..
and my computer did NOT give a message saying it recognised new hardware. (which usually it has done when I had inserted other types of devices.)
At the moment I am using old Windows XP software and trying to change it to Linux which is why I need the disc drive.
when I looked previousy in Control panel Systems and device manager.. I could see what was listed as the prior Disc drive software.
Device Manager shows Disc drive as : HL data storage CD - RW / DVD Drive Model GCC - 4244N
and SINCE I have NOW added the replacement disc drive.... Device Manager now shows the New Description....
HL- DT - ST DVDRAM GSA T20N
CAN I ASK ... IF it shows the description within Device Manager does that suggest that the software may already be within my computer ?
and maybe I do not need to download any other software download.
BUT at the Moment.... the Disc drive does not seem to be working...
UNLESS I need to do something else... to fully install or activate it...
IF this does NOT refer to it being as I may have considered.... then I need to try again to obtain the download and install it.
Within my Windows XP Device Manager...there is a list of all the hardware in my computer.... if I click on the Disc Drive desciption
it shows certain information about the Disc drive hardware... where certain options can be selected..
Titled as : General, Properties, DVD Region ( Location ) , Volumes, Driver , Details
In the General option, It says that the Device is Working Properly.
But in the DVD region... it has NOT as yet selected a Region...and offers a list of Countries to select.
Which I now assume I need to select my Country in the U.K.
BUT within this page description... there is something that I am not certain about that may concern me.
In that you can only select option a limited amount of times... and that once done so, you can no longer alter
things.... and it says I only have 5 options left.... So if I was to select the wrong thing..or maybe make other later
alterations... It seems to suggest that the selection may no longer work even if I was to reinstall windows or change
the dvd drive to another computer.
BUT I assume for the moment that unless I select the DVD region or location... it will not work or function correctly.
There is also a selection for "Driver" in which one can select to update the driver.
I assume that there had been a series of driver software options already built within the Windows software that also included the one
that I replaced.
There also maybe other things that I need to do in order to get the dvd disc drive to start working that I am not aware about.
A long time ago I did attend a basic Computer Course of which much of what I learned... I rarely ever put it into practice and since forgot most of it.
but on reading this link , I now recall some of it.
But I think most of what I learned was before Windows XP came out and things that applied to older Windows systems may no longer apply.
There may still be certain things however that I should had been aware about... that I had overlooked.
such as
Before getting started
- Ensure you have a working bootable floppy diskette with CD-ROM drivers.
- Write down important information from the top or bottom of the CD-ROM such as the Model Number, Serial Number, and specifications.
- Ensure you are familiar with ESD (ElectroStatic Discharge) and its potential dangers.
- When physically installing the CD drive, ensure the computer is powered down and unplugged.
- Set jumpers Before installing the CD drive, it's important that the drive has the jumpers appropriately set to primary, secondary, or cable select. For example, a disc drive using the same cable as the hard drive should be set a secondary, and the hard drive needs to be primary or dual master
but later in the article , it says in ref to Windows XP...
If you are using Windows 9x, Me, 2000, or XP, and if the drive is installed correctly, it should be detected automatically and installed when the computer first boots up.
So I am NOT sure if one forgot to take into consideration those 4 or 5 " Before getting started " suggestions if it may corrupt or ruin the replaced drive...
such as if one tried to remove the prior Disc drive and replace and insert the replacement disc with out powering it down. or taking static charhe issues into
consideration.
Would a LAPTOP Computer with Windows XP likely not get effected by such a thing if the person had not been aware of such things when changing the Disc drives.
Or is it still highly probable that the replacement disc drive could now be corrupted or now likely to have become inoperable. ?
https://www.computer...es/ch000415.htm
On the Hitachi website it shows 3 or 4 similar looking devices as what my disc appears to look like ... ie those
showing yellow stickers on them.
these are the models that it shows listed below, but its not my models for the prior damaged one GCC - 4244N
or replacement one GSA - T20 N but is close to the description of the replacemnt version... where it has GS in the description.
ie : GS40N
GS40N
GUD0N / GUD1N
GTC0N / GTC2N
On doing other online searchs for disc drive software downloads websites , I cant seem to find many that show the correct detailed description is what I am looking for.
this is one website that shows the same detail as my repacement disc drive.but I dont know if it is trustworthy.
HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-T20N resources, firmwares and drivers
https://burners.burn...st-gsa-t20n.htm
ALSO Can ask for advice on where best to obtain suitable software download for a Wireless wifi Network adaptor .
I purchased this as I was led to believe it was compatable for both Windows XP and Linux..
which I am presently using Win Xp and want to also either add or change to linux.
some link below show downloads, but I dont know if they are reliable...
but one link drivereasy.com seems to it may only apply for upto Windows 7 and above and may not include Win XP/
Usb wifi Adapter Wireless Dongle Adaptor 802.11 B G N Lan Network
https://www.ebay.co....tm/313416967080
Download WLan Driver 802.11n Rel. 4.80.28.7.zip
https://wlan-driver....f7ce342ef9dd7f1
https://www.driverea...windows-easily/
Can anyone advise me what they think could be the safest best options.
Thank you in advance.
===========================
Replacement Drive Information
Compact Disc
HL data storage
Super Multi DVD Rewriter
Model : GSA - T20 N
( ALEK 110 )
Rom ver WM01AA
S/N : 709HPPL001248
Man Sept 2007
==================
Prior Broken Disc Drive information
HL data storage
CD - RW / DVD Drive
Model GCC - 4244N
DHHS No : 0220414 - 17
CN- 0YC494-48321-68B-7323
Rev A01 Rom Ver B103
Man Aug 2006
Edited by dowsp, 20 August 2024 - 10:24 AM.
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