Need help with newly purchased dvd-writer
 

I just bought a DVD burner off of ebay it's a sony DRU-500AX. It burns DVDR/RW ± aswell as Cd-r/Rws.

Here is a link to it with all of the information and reviewshttp://reviews.cnet.com/Sony_DRU-500...-20840921.html It retails for $300+ I got it for $85CDN shipped about $60U.S. The only problem is I don't have any cables or software. I would take it to a computer place to get it installed but they want the software to install it. I searched all over the internet for software and an online manual but I couldn't find anything. I currently have cd-RW/R drive in the pc could I use the cords for that to run my dvd wirter? if so what di I want to run this drive as Master? or slave/CSEL. I don't know alot about a computers but I know enough to work with it. I have installed ram and a video card before but these extra settings on drives confuse me a bit especially without a manual. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.

you want it on a seprate chain from your HDD, personially i put my burner on the master of the chain. as for software for burning check out Nero, its just about the best burning software you can get. http://www.nero.com/us/index.html here the link for the software. As for connections inside your system, just make sure the jumper is set for master or slave depending on where you place it, plug in your audio cable from the drive to your soundcard, plug in the power.

Boot your system and load up the bios and make sure the drive gets detected, once thats done just boot into your OS and make sure its seen as a drive. After that its just a matter of loading up your burning software and haveing at it.


In terms of cable cost, ide 5 bucks, audio cable 5 bucks tops.

Thats one of my problems i don't have the dvd drive software, I have nero, alcohol 120% and a few others. But don't I need the sony software for the dvd writer?

no you should not need the drivers, if your using xp 99.9% of the time it will be detected once you boot up with the drive installed. If by chance it may ask for the drivers, which will be rare, heres a link to them

http://www.opendrivers.com/freedownl...RX-500ULX.html

Should I update anyway considering my current driver is from 2001?

Not necessarily. "If it ain't broke, why fix it?"

That said, I always update my drivers anyway. Generally speaking, a newer driver is a better driver. Also, the driver from the company that makes the hardware is usually better. This isn't always true, but it's true enough to make it a reasonable assumption. So just install normally, letting Windows detect and install it, then update the drivers from the website. You don't need first party burning software (in fact, I discourage it. It usually sucks.), so just keep using Nero for that.

if it works with out updateing the drivers dont do it, DVD burners are not like videocards where the newest drivers will do any good or not.

well the current driver is for the dru-500A dvd drive My dvd drive is the dru-500AX I'm assuming theres moer features or something right?

concidering that i dont have that drive, i dont see that there are any "Features" other than what the software can provide ya.