Looking to mix your own audio CDs, create home movies on DVD, or share slide shows? If so, a CD or DVD burner is your next must-have accessory, and installing one is easier than you might think. We show you how this simple upgrade will open a new world of creative possibilities.A disc burner easily qualifies as a must-have PC accessory these days, whether you're interested in mixing your own audio CDs, sharing videos or slide shows, or using CDs or DVDs simply to move or archive data. If your system's getting a little long in the tooth, chances are you have only a CD-ROM or CD-RW drive. Adding a second CD-RW drive or a DVD burner is a great way to get striking new capabilities without buying a new system. With multiple drives, your system will be able to burn directly from one disc to another, handy when copying CDs for safekeeping.
 All you'll need to spruce up your system with a new optical drive is a Phillips screwdriver and an open 5.25-inch external bay in your computer. |
This Tech Guide will walk you through the steps of adding a CD or DVD burner to your current system. Depending on your PC's vintage, the steps may be slightly different. For our example, we added a Plextor PX-708A internal DVD burner to both a mature Dell Dimension 4500 and a brand-spanking-new iBuyPower Value Pro XP to cover both eventualities. Both already had CD-RW drives installed. The steps below pertain to Windows XP, but the procedure should be similar with other recent Windows versions.
as i do not know much about computers i need to know which driver to set to master and which to set as slave. i have a combo drive in all ready which allows me to burn and play cd and play dvd's. if this drive does not use the audio cable does this mean my computer has a digital sound reader so i dont have to connect the audio cable on the dvd burner i am about to install. if i could have someone reply to my questions i would be very greatful