how to install dvd drive?

B

b_electro

Registered
Hi,

I just got a Pioneer DVR-109 DVD-R drive and want to put it into my Power Mac mirror-door G4 (and still keep the original CD drive in there), but getting inside looks a little intimidating...I'm a former PC user and I've installed lots of drives over the years so it's not inexperience, I'm just not familiar with tinkering inside a mac. Is there a decent online how-to someone could please point me to? Or just some direction? Do I have to take out the entire drive bay? Looks like it may take some time...

thanks,
B
 
I have the same revision of the g4 and am well versed with the interior. so i'll post you a tutorial..

if you pull the handle on the side and fold down the side panel you'll see the followng layout:

the panel you folded down will have the mother board, pci slots and heat sink.

The interior of the case is laid out with the master boot drive in an enclosure at the rear of the container, and there are two slots for hard drives in the front (near the mirror doors).

Above those hard drive slots between the front of the case and the large fan is the bay where the removable media drives are located. the bay can be removed by removing two screws.. one attached to the front of the case from the inside and one attached near the large fan, then sliding it toward the rear while pulling outward.

Note: do remember to disconnect the IDE and power cables from the drives.. the "back cover" of this enclosure can be removed by applying some pressure and sliding it out (don't worry if this takes considerable force, as there are no fasteners holding it in place..only sliding tracks).

Once you remove the enclosure for the removable media drives you can easily attach your new drive to the enclosure and place it back in the case.

let me know if you have any further questions, i'll be around to help.
 
thanks plasmacutter- I actually got really far on my own, was pretty intuitive, sort of ;-) Found those screws you mentioned, now I'm just about to pop the drive in and close it up. thanks again!
B
 
OK the sucker's installed but it's not working right. When a CD is inserted, it gets read by the drive (the busy indicator lights on the drive, disc spins, drive makes noise) but the CD doesn't appear on the desktop and eventually the CD gets spit out.

I tried several different CDs and DVDs, but nothing reads. I tried every possible jumper setting, but nothing changed. What am I missing here? Please, any help really appreciated.

Thanks,
B
 
Brad, does the drive show up in the System Profiler (click on Blue Apple in top left hand corner), select About This Mac and then select More Info ...)? Also, make sure the jumpers are set up right! Lastly, the iApps will not burn to a DVR-109 just yet, so there is a small file called Patchburn that will let OS X iApps do just that.
 
i've never had jumper issues before.. but to add to their comments, if absolute worst comes to worst you can always get a firewire enclosure for the drive, which would make it more palatable for the system.

If i were in your shoes though i'd try to mirror the jumper settings from the first drive on the one youre installing..
 
Great suggestions you guys- thanks- I'll investigate w/ the system Profiler when I get home from work. As far as jumper settings go, I already tried them all. Plasmacutter, my working drive was set to CS (cable select) so yeah, that's what I ended up setting the new drive to.

Thanks for the external firewire box suggestion...in case all else fails :( Anyway I'll post my results later tonight, thanks again.
B
 
OK, the drive does show up in System Profiler, check it out:
PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-109:
Manufacturer: PIONEER
Model: PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-109
Revision: 1.01
Drive Type: CD-RW/DVD-RW
Disc Burning: Not Supported
Removable Media: Yes
Detachable Drive: No
Protocol: ATAPI
Unit Number: 1
Socket Type: Internal

The drive is still not reading anything correctly...I'm bummed. Any suggestions on what to do now greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
B
 
Yes -- keep the jumpers the way they are now. The only thing left is to install PatchBurn, like Satcomer said. Then you'll be able to burn and read with the drive.
 
OK, installed Patchburn 3.0b9, here's what System Profiler says now:
ATA-3 Bus:

PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-109:

Manufacturer: PIONEER
Model: PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-109
Revision: 1.01
Drive Type: CD-RW/DVD-RW
Disc Burning: Vendor Supported
Removable Media: Yes
Detachable Drive: No
Protocol: ATAPI
Unit Number: 1
Socket Type: Internal

So Patchburn obviously changed something in there but still, no read, nothing. I'm gonna switch the jumpers around and cross my fingers. Beyond that, I guess I may have to put the drive into a firewire case like Plasmacutter suggested. Or get Tiger ;)
Thanks,
B
 
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