A new CPU fan is cheap. (~$5 to $15)
I would like to install my PD drive in a new computer because it is the only way I can transfer data from my old system to a new one. I could upload stuff to my website or use floppies but that would be so tedious. Can one get a cable to transfer data from one PC to another (locally and not online) or would one have to have some kind of networking configuration?
Is this PD drive a CD burner/writer or a magnetic tape backup?
I'm assuming your PD drive isn't much different from a CD-ROM drive. There should be a ribbon cable connecting your CD-ROM to your motherboard. Halfway between the ribbon there is a place to hookup another drive. These cables can be a pain to put in place. (you may need to fold & twist the cable to get it to fit).
Make sure the jumper settings are correct. (Jumpers are those little plastic things that cover two metal prongs on the back of a drive) The burner is usually set to master, and the other CD-ROM drive is usually set to slave.
Next, hookup the red & yellow cord from your power supply to your drive. If your BIOS is plug-and-play it should auto-detect the drive. If not you may need to tell your BIOS to look for it.
BTW, it might be much easier to just remove the hard drive from your old computer and connect with ribbon cable to your new drive.
Like described above, make sure the jumpers in the back of each hard drive are set correctly.
Your BIOS should autodetect it. Both drives should appear in Windows. Go ahead and transfer your files .
Also, these guys are releasing a VHS tape that will show the process step-by-step. Check here in about a month.
Please ping me if you have any additional questions.
No, it's a Sony (I think - hate to dig through my box for the specs) special cd writer that came out just before the newer ones did. It is not a tape or zip or anything like that. It is like a regular CD drive but it's called an optical writer. It holds a special 650mb cd encased in a cartridge. You place the whole cartridge in the drawer. It works just like a regular cd burner except that I have 8 or those cartridges which can be used and rewritten up to 30 years (supposedly) and I hate to scrap them. I got a deal on ebay for most of them but the first ones were $50+ apiece! It was an upgrade option I selected when I got this, my first, computer. I spent some time on the internet to see if I could buy another drive just like it to install in a new computer so I could keep the one I have in my old computer because my daughter wants it if it isn't too costly to fix.
BTW, it might be much easier to just remove the hard drive from your old computer and connect with ribbon cable to your new drive.
That's the ticket when the time comes if it doesn't crash first. My son suggested I have it installed as a slave or something like that but my system is so loaded I have trouble with the irq's being all used up and . . . on an on.
I've been really reticent to tackle my case because it is big and heavy and I'm afraid I'll make a costly mistake. Just pulling out all the plugs is a biggie with me because I have to label them to know where to put them all back. But thanks for the advice because maybe my son can help me with the fan. It's a wonder I haven't burned up my hd already. When the case starts feeling hot I shut it down til it cools.
Thanks for all the wonderful info. I emailed it to myself and printed it all out and will think it all through. Our local comm college has an online course in that sort of stuff and they recommend having an old pc you can tear into as the best hands' on learning method.
Too much to do and too little time. I spend too much time reading tons of articles here :-).