Changing CD Drives

[Guest]

If a computer's CD drive stops working, is it possible to make that computer
use another computer's CD drive which is connected to a network?

 

[Patrick Keenan]

If a computer's CD drive stops working, is it possible to make that
computer
use another computer's CD drive which is connected to a network?

The other user's CD drive will have to be set as shared and accounts and
security settings will have to be adjusted, then you can use it. You may
find it very helpful to map a drive letter to the network drive. Don't
expect the same performance, and don't expect to be able to boot from the
network drive easily.

If this is a desktop system, replacement DVD/CD writers start around $40 or
so.

HTH
-pk

 

[Guest]

Does this mean that it would be possible to reinstall Windows XP on a desktop
computer using the CD drive on another computer?

 

[Bob I]

You boot from the CD, the "other" computers CD is NOT accessible at boot
time. But you could MOVE the good CD to the one with the broken CD.

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

Does this mean that it would be possible to reinstall Windows XP on a desktop
computer using the CD drive on another computer?

No

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Does this mean that it would be possible to reinstall Windows XP on a
desktop
computer using the CD drive on another computer?

No, it does not, because to do that you have to be already connected to the
networked CD drive. Most people do not have the bootable network
configuration required for this.

If it's a desktop... replacement drives are cheap and trivial to install.
You're going to have to fix it anyway, so there's not really any benefit
from spending a lot of time enhancing the network for something you'll use
once. I see new DVD/RW drives for around $40 - $50. There's one jumper
(assuming IDE) and maybe three cables (Data, power, audio). It only plugs
together one way.

HTH
-pk