Internal DVD Drive - powering externally??

[symbiosis01]

Hi

I have an old internal DVD writer that I want to use as an external drive on a server I just bought.

So i have a mains to molex Hard drive power supply like this

and an IDE to USB cable like this

- should this setup enable the DVD internal drive to work externally? I tried it out but the drivve lights did not come on and the unit got hot

Any thoughts as to why this wouldn't work please?

 

[qazzi]

got that idea too but unfortunately it didn't work tried it on 2 diff DVD...only old HDD will work on this.

 

[symbiosis01]

I wonder why? Power requirements should be the same for HDD and DVD via Molex surely?

Thanks for letting me know it did not work for you too though - at least I know its not just my drive or something I'm not doing correctly

 

[qazzi]

yes me too. when i connected it...i can eject, insert the a dvd to the drive...but still not detected. if i remember correctly there was an external case specifically for cd-rom's and DVD rom's. maybe we can get the answer there if i manage to find one im gonna dis-assemble it to check why.

 

[symbiosis01]

You were doing better than I was, I got nothing at all from the DVD drive I tried at all. No lights, eject, NADA

Shame as these power supplies would be a great cheap option to re-purpose a spare internal DVD drive.

I will be interested if you find the answer why it does not work

 

[qazzi]

i will post a feedback if i found the external casing for dvd rom drive's and got an idea on why it doesn't work.

 

[symbiosis01]

Well, interestingly. This (which looks just the same thing to me) claims to work with an internal optical drive http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dynamode-USB-SATA-Storage-Converter/dp/B000LC534K

 

[qazzi]

same here. it looks the same. geez if that works on dvd now im really lost as to why the other doesn't...

 

[symbiosis01]

Hm, going to test it on a HDD tonight to check the power supply is actually working!! Then I will try another DVD drive if it is

 

[symbiosis01]

And the result. Tested on a regular HDD and it was fine (so the power supply is working). Tested with a different DVD ROM drive and that worked too!!

Looks like I was unlucky enough to have a duff DVD drive first time round.

So this method DOES work and seems to offer the cheapest and easiest (though maybe not the prettiest) solution to using an internal DVD ROM drive externally

 

[qazzi]

nice. now only thing left is...which DVD ROM will work and which don't.

 

[symbiosis01]

I think it SHOULD work with any internal DVD ROM drive and I was just unlucky that the first one I tried wasnt actually working (tested it in a PC to be sure and it still did nothing) - I did try something else prior to this solution and I guess I must have fried it!!

 

[qazzi]

well i do have 2 internal DVD ROM that doesn't. maybe something to do with the DVD ROM firmware? just a guess.

 

[symbiosis01]

Yep, its possible I guess.

Good luck with a solution - I guess I can only suggest trying a different optical drive and see if that helps?

 

[jsmithepa]

Those USB to IDE adapters are finicky I wouldn't waste my time.