DVD Drive replacement

Stefos · 26 Jun 2012

Hi,

I'm new in the forum, normally I search about my problems but now I'm very troubled.
My DVD-Recorder may have written over 500 DVDs & CDs and now it simulates to be writing but it's leaving the Disc empty.

So, I've accepted the fact that the drive may be broken.
Now, I want to replace the drive with a Blu-Ray DVD Writer.
Of what I've searched not any DVD drive is accepted by my laptop that supports SATA connection. [Toshiba A500-1C0] [I found some info here] Of what I've read my Toshiba MIGHT take only Master DVD Drives. How can I know for sure of what my Laptop's motherboard accept as a DVD Writer and what can I get in Blu-Ray??
-We now don't get the option with the jumpers to change the hierarchy

Thanks in advance,
Stefanos Constantinou

macnab · 29 Jun 2012

Regarding the reference to a Master DVD Drive:
A drive may have SATA connectors, but it is still an IDE device, where IDE stands for Integrated Device Electronics. The drive itself does most of the control work. In a tower case, where there is room for numerous drives, an IDE cable connects 1 IDE slot to 2 IDE drives. One of them is set to be the Master (it does all the thinking) the other is set to be a Slave. This selection is done with jumpers next to the connectors on the drive.
Sometimes the wring of the cables is used to select which drive is which - this is called Cable Select or C/SEL. This is also done with a jumper.

The information regarding setting a specific drive to Master/Slave and C/SEL is normally shown on the sticker on the drive.

In a Laptop, with only 1 internal drive, it must be set to Master (there is no other drive which can do the thinking.) Whether or not you need Cable Select will depend on the system.

When you take the old drive out look at the jumpers and compare them with the method for Cable Select (C/SEL). Then look at the sticker on the new drive, set the jumper for Master and also the jumper to set C/SEL on or off, to match the setting on the old drive.

The manufacturer/model of the drive does not matter to your Laptop, you just buy the one that suits your needs and budget the best.

bobkn · 29 Jun 2012

A repair manual for your notebook is here:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...6m2Q4ZtYaarxrQ

Your hard drive is SATA. I suppose that your optical drive is as well, although I haven't found any specific reference to that.

Only a single SATA device is used on a cable, so there are no master/slave/cable select considerations like for PATA (IDE). I think that the reference that you provide a link for refers only to old PATA devices.

It looks like Toshiba doesn't use any adapters, so swapping in a standard notebook Bluray drive should be straightforward.

Stefos · 04 Jul 2012

I have uploaded some images of my DVD drive to tell me if any Blu-Ray DVD drive is compatible. I'm thinking of ordering this drive. Will it be compatible? The connector at the back is just SATA. No jumpers or anything; as expected.

thanks for your replies!

BomberAF · 04 Jul 2012

They just slot into place and then you tighten them and then your away to go, I bought a note book blue ray drive for my laptop, it's not as long as the normal drive so it isn't flush but apart from that it fits perfectly. As for the Blue Ray, well it will work as the software will make it work, and windows will automatically allow for reading and writing, but if you want to play Blue Rays then you need to buy software which costs about £60.

bobkn · 04 Jul 2012

The drive is SATA, as expected.

You should be able to replace it with any SATA Bluray drive that's in the standard form factor.

I don't know what's readily available for purchase in Cyprus.

Stefos · 21 Jul 2012

I'd be happy to tell you guys that the Blu-Ray DVD drive I have ordered (Panasonic UJ-260) not only it fits like a glove on my Toshiba, but it also works as if it was its own and I don't get any errors in startup as I have read I might have (if it was set to secondary C-SEL).
But since I have bought a DVD drive that supports QL (The drive specs state that it can write Quad Layer), how does this work? Do the DVDs have 2 Dual Layer sides? Or is it a one side DVD?

Thanks again guys!