Something I must ask, might sound stupid

gamer2 · Post by **gamer2** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 12:30 am

Can i connect a CD drive from a Desktop PC, to a Laptop PC and expect it to work?

No0Bish post alert!.

*o* · Post by ***o*** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 3:36 am

be more specific! an internal or external drive? if its external is it IDE?

Post by **Sparkfist** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 8:21 am

You can connect a IDE drive from a desktop to a laptop, however you will have to build a external power source. Laptop drives only use 5v, and desktop drives use both 5v and 12v. If you were going to do this you'll have to buy an adapter, ebay has them for about $5 (shipped).

It would be best to just by a 5.25" enclosure for your CD-Rom drive. I will set you back only $30 (maybe depends where you look), and you wont have to do a ton of modding to make it work. Oh and it will look a hell of a lot better.

P.S. Just a final question. Your not planning to mod a laptop and make it a desktop computer are you?

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 9:09 am

In popular science that had something about this..I'm not sure if it was only for desktops though.

You basically took a hard drive and hooked it into a USB enclosure.

Anybody else see this? Think it would work for him?

Jeff · Post by **Jeff** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 9:50 am

It'll work. My mom has an external DVD Burner.

Post by **Skyone** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 9:57 am

External-Yes
Internal-Google it!

gamer2 · Post by **gamer2** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 12:42 pm

Sparkfist wrote:You can connect a IDE drive from a desktop to a laptop, however you will have to build a external power source. Laptop drives only use 5v, and desktop drives use both 5v and 12v. If you were going to do this you'll have to buy an adapter, ebay has them for about $5 (shipped).

It would be best to just by a 5.25" enclosure for your CD-Rom drive. I will set you back only $30 (maybe depends where you look), and you wont have to do a ton of modding to make it work. Oh and it will look a hell of a lot better.

P.S. Just a final question. Your not planning to mod a laptop and make it a desktop computer are you?

Um cant i connect a 12v battery to the drive with the laptops 5v?

and im not trying to build a unportable laptop, i finally have the discs i need to wipe my HDD clean, but i need a Cd drive, i have an old DVD drive i harvested from my old computer that might work.

Oh Im talking about an internal IDE drive.