DVD/USB power supply question...help!

[DICKEYBIRD]

So I updated the new (to me) shop PC with an SSD. It's a medium format box with no extra HD bay so I installed the backup HDD into the existing 3.5" DVD drive bay. All's great until I decided to get an external USB 3.0 DVD-RW drive...just in case. It was touted to be 2.0 compatible (no 3.0 port one my PC yet.) Anyway when plugged in, Windows (7) quickly saw it, loaded a driver & all was good...NOT!

No matter what I do (edited register per a Youtube expert's advice,) uninstalled/updated drivers, yada yada I just can't it to read a disc. It shows up as a good drive in "Computer" but always with the "Please install disc into drive D:" message. There's tons confusing stuff on the web but one item I just ran across says: "Host Interface: USB 3.0 (USB 2.0 compatible with USB power supply required)" Sounds like it may want an external 5v power supply to work but there's no usb micro port on the drive to receive power. I found several external powered USB hubs I could install but was wondering if it might be just as simple as as plugging in an external wart into an extra USB port on the PC to increase the available power? I am temped to try it but I thought I'd ask the experts before I fry something.

[mattthemuppet]

the USB based external DVD drive I bought years ago had a Y cable with 2 USB plugs on one end to plug into your computer so the drive gets enough power. USB2 (don't know about 3) only provides ~5W power and DVD drives typically need ~10W. So i'm guessing you need a USB Y cable if you didn't get one with your drive.

[DICKEYBIRD]

Sounds logical Matt, thanks!

[Paul Alciatore]

I am not sure about what your exact problem or solution may be, but I would NOT plug an external wall wart into any of the computer's USB ports. Those ports should already have power available on them and if you try to force another power source into them, you may get some smoke. In any case, the other USB ports probably already have some kind of current regulation so an extra power supply may not be able to add anything to their current sourcing capability.

So, the external drive seems to come alive (a light or it will swallow a disk). And Windows recognizes it (for what it is) and loaded a driver. All that tells me that it is probably getting power; perhaps not enough power, but it is getting some.

When you try to read a disk, can you tell if the disk spins? The motor that rotates the disk is probably the single largest current draw in the device so that would be the acid test. Listening and perhaps shinning a flashlight in it should tell you if it is spinning.

If the disk does spin, then I would guess it is either a bad driver (hence the suggestion to reload the drivers) or just a bad disk drive. Can you contact the place where you purchased it or the manufacturer? That would be my next step. They should be able to provide the proper troubleshooting procedure and provide whatever is needed.

So I updated the new (to me) shop PC with an SSD. It's a medium format box with no extra HD bay so I installed the backup HDD into the existing 3.5" DVD drive bay. All's great until I decided to get an external USB 3.0 DVD-RW drive...just in case. It was touted to be 2.0 compatible (no 3.0 port one my PC yet.) Anyway when plugged in, Windows (7) quickly saw it, loaded a driver & all was good...NOT!

No matter what I do (edited register per a Youtube expert's advice,) uninstalled/updated drivers, yada yada I just can't it to read a disc. It shows up as a good drive in "Computer" but always with the "Please install disc into drive D:" message. There's tons confusing stuff on the web but one item I just ran across says: "Host Interface: USB 3.0 (USB 2.0 compatible with USB power supply required)" Sounds like it may want an external 5v power supply to work but there's no usb micro port on the drive to receive power. I found several external powered USB hubs I could install but was wondering if it might be just as simple as as plugging in an external wart into an extra USB port on the PC to increase the available power? I am temped to try it but I thought I'd ask the experts before I fry something.

[mattthemuppet]

Sounds logical Matt, thanks!

you're welcome. If you don't have 2 USB ports free on your PC, you can always plug the 2nd USB plug of the Y cable into a USB wall wart. It's weird that they didn't include a Y cable in the box with the drive though.

You need something like:
https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-.../dp/B003WV5DMO

with whatever port your DVD drive takes

[AD5MB]

if the PC is older you might try updating the BIOS. it may not be aware of USB 3.0

[DICKEYBIRD]

I found a bios update & installed it. Dangit, no joy!

I have a Y-cable coming on Wed. & I think it'll do the trick. Earlier today I I double clicked the drive icon and got the same message . Wifey yelled for me to come help her and when I got back a 10 minutes later, the files were visible. Apparently, there's not enough power available to load a DVD but with enough time a CD will load. It's ALWAYS something with me & computers!

[chipmaker4130]

USB 3.0 requires different hardware. You can't just update the bios. USB 3.0 supplies a LOT more power than 2.0

[lakeside53]

As above. Buy a USB3.0 card.

Take care with WIN7.. make sure it cannot load the swap file onto the SSD. If it does, major decrease in SSD life; you will literally "wear it out".

[leesr]

So I updated the new (to me) shop PC with an SSD. It's a medium format box with no extra HD bay so I installed the backup HDD into the existing 3.5" DVD drive bay. All's great until I decided to get an external USB 3.0 DVD-RW drive...just in case. It was touted to be 2.0 compatible (no 3.0 port one my PC yet.) Anyway when plugged in, Windows (7) quickly saw it, loaded a driver & all was good...NOT!

No matter what I do (edited register per a Youtube expert's advice,) uninstalled/updated drivers, yada yada I just can't it to read a disc. It shows up as a good drive in "Computer" but always with the "Please install disc into drive D:" message. There's tons confusing stuff on the web but one item I just ran across says: "Host Interface: USB 3.0 (USB 2.0 compatible with USB power supply required)" Sounds like it may want an external 5v power supply to work but there's no usb micro port on the drive to receive power. I found several external powered USB hubs I could install but was wondering if it might be just as simple as as plugging in an external wart into an extra USB port on the PC to increase the available power? I am temped to try it but I thought I'd ask the experts before I fry something.

Does it have a mini USB in the outer box?
As a input power source., It sounds like the mfg cheaper out in supplying a USB power source to the DVD drive. Was there any instructions with the DVD drive? Go the the mfg web page and look up under support for a manual for that drive.

Does have a standard USB out put to connect to the computer USB?
A DVD drive that have seen requires requires additional power source.
Usb power conected to an outlet via USB cable to the DVD drive or a power source plugged into the outlet
With a round plug power source.
Look up the manual first before doing anything.
Verify it.

[PStechPaul]

USB 3.0 can supply 900 mA vs 500 mA for 2.0.

I have a USB external hard drive with a two male (USB-A) connectors hard wired to it. There may be current sharing components in the device. But I'm not so sure about the double USB "power enhancer" cables like this. One of the USB-A connectors is only for power, so it can be connected to a charging port, but I don't know if it avoids injecting 5V power into the computer USB port.

[leesr]

I writing from my cell phone and is hard to type.
What I was trying to say is outlet 120 to 3-6 V (or what ever) power source plugs into the DVD drive.
All the new stuff have the stupid mini USB or c USB
Input for power. Sucks.

[MattiJ]

Take care with WIN7.. make sure it cannot load the swap file onto the SSD. If it does, major decrease in SSD life; you will literally "wear it out".

True somewhat but typically not an issue.
I have had win7 installed on 250GB Samsung evo 850 for a couple of years now:
Power on hours 22 000h
Host writes 8 TB (rated for 75 TB write endurance)
Wear leveling spare blocks left: 96%

At current speed its going to take about 30 years to reach the rated write endurance. This system is probably retired to less strenuous tasks before that
Someone has actually tested the write endurance of some drives https://techreport.com/review/27909/...eyre-all-dead/
Actual tested failure at 800 TB would make it moot point.. 300 years on my setup.
Latest NAND technology is not as durable as ones tested on techreport review but wear-leveling is getting better in same time.